Spike Milligan's children's book Badjelly The Witch: A Fairy Story is being turned into an animated television series starring Miriam Margolyes in the title role.

Comedian Rhys Darby plays a mischievous tree goblin called Binklebonk in cast that features a host of comedy names including Julian Barratt, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Roisin Conaty, Katherine Parkinson and Joe Wilkinson, plus Doctor Who star Mandip Gill.

Production has already begun on the 13-part series, which is aimed at 7-11 year-olds and should be ready to air in 2025.

It will be shown on New Zealand’s TVNZ, WildBrain Television’s Family Channel in Canada and ABC Australia – although no UK broadcaster has yet picked up the series. 

Milligan originally wrote Badjelly the Witch as a fairy tale for his children in 1973, telling the story of sister and brother, Rose and Tim go searching for their lost cow, Lucy, only to encounter a cast of strange and magical characters in the great black forest and be captured by Badjelly, the wickedest witch in all the world. 

The book,  published by Penguin,  was hand-written and illustrated by Milligan himself, with the mistakes included. 

He read the story for an episode of Jackanory that same year and it was later turned into a successful audio play starring Milligan and later retold with a full orchestra, released by Polydor Records. 

Badjelly The Witch: A Fairy Story  is a collaboration between New Zealand’s Mukpuddy Animation, Canada’s Sphere Animation and the UK’s Cantilever Media

Producer Simon Ward from Mukpuddy said: ‘Badjelly the Witch is wildly popular in New Zealand. Generations of Kiwi kids have grown up with the book, the radio play and countless versions of the stage show. We’re delighted to bring this beloved classic to a global audience with our take on Spike Milligan’s bonkers adventure."’

Marlo Miazga of Sphere added: ‘Badjelly the Witch was the invention of one of the great comic geniuses of all time, Spike Milligan, and she is voiced in our new series by another national treasure, Miriam Margolyes. 

‘We’re thrilled to join forces with a team of unrivalled international animation talent to give this exciting new show the best launch pad for global success.’

And Carys Rowan of Cantilever Media said: ‘We have a dream team who have an aligned vision: to create funny, relatable and visually beautiful content that doesn’t talk down to our kids.'