[Milkshake]

It seems to be coming earlier every year but it looks like, we have found what may will be the new idents for 2023. 

www.bbc.co.uk 

BBC releases first-look of Tabby McTat, a star-studded animation based on the bo…
Tabby McTat is a story about the warm and wonderful friendship between a musical…
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The BBC has released a first-look of forthcoming Christmas animated adventure, Tabby McTat, a story set on the streets of London about the warm and wonderful friendship between a musical cat and a talented busker called Fred.
The film, for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, is adapted from the hugely successful picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It marks the 11th animated special of their work produced by Magic Light Pictures for the BBC.
Jodie Whittaker, the narrator of this year’s adaptation, reflects on what it means to her to be involved, how the story resonates with her own childhood, and of course, on being a cat lover!
Jodie says: “Tabby McTat is such a beautiful story about embracing change and the transitions in life as well - from childhood to adulthood and people going on journeys. There is so much warmth and celebration of family and community, but then there's also, the moments of fear and loss that is often a gain.”
“We had cats when we were growing up. My cat gave birth under my bed, and it was magical. But then as a child you realise your parents don't let you keep them all. ‘What? I thought we were going to have five kittens forever,’ but I was lucky, and I did get to keep one of them. Its name was phenomenal - Wicket W. Warrick - named after an Ewok, and it had an older brother called Teebo, another Ewok! And my cat was beautiful, very beautiful with long brown hair and looked like an Ewok and with a personality very similar to mine - needy and a bit feral!”
Julia Donaldson says: “The story is very special to me because as well as having been a busker myself, I'm also a great cat lover. At the time I wrote it we had cats, but they were very old and alas, are no more. But now we have two Tabby cats and they're called Tabitha and McTat.”
Tabby McTat stars Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) as Fred, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísú (Gangs of London) as Tabby, Cariad Lloyd (Peep Show) as Prunella, Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It) as Pat, Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as the narrator, and Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes) as Sock. Animation services are provided by Red Star Studio.
Tabby McTat is directed by Sarah Scrimgeour (Superworm) and Jac Hamman (Superworm); written by Max Lang and Suzanne Lang; and produced by Barney Goodland and Michael Rose of Magic Light Pictures. The film was acquired by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer and Nawfal Faizullah, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor.

[TW2022]

I thought we were getting doctor who idents at Christmas to launch the new era as we had a Julia Donaldson book in 2020.

[JMT1985]

Well December 1st lands on a Friday this year, so we only have a month and a half to wait - I don't think it will be Doctor Who themed, they tried it for 2009, and even though those idents looked nice, it just seemed to alienate viewers who didn't like Doctor Who

Having Tabby McTat idents is far more family friendly to everyone for the Christmas season, to have as idents.

[IanJRedman]

Is anyone else a little fed up with idents themed on specific shows, which seems to have been the trend since 2020? I miss the old Christmassy scenes, rather than a glorified ad.

[fanoftv]

Could we see a time where they move away from promoting a programme, and back to something unique?

Whilst some of the idents are lovely (last year’s for example), for me they feel weaker once the programme has aired.

EDIT: Clearly Ian, you and I are thinking similar thoughts as your post must have appeared whilst I was typing.

[Brekkie]

I expected Doctor Who too, but I also thought there had been a leak of the filming of this years idents some time ago, perhaps even late last year, but can't remember who they were for.

I wouldn't have minded the lens set just having a Christmas variant of each scene (as ITV have done) - and then there is still the option to add a programme specific one to the mix each year too. I quite like the idea of the returning BBC2 batch, but ideally with a new addition each year - and I don't think we've had one for a couple of years now, though for that matter there has been no new additions to the BBC2 idents at all for a couple of years now.

[JAS84]

Well December 1st lands on a Friday this year, so we only have a month and a half to wait - I don't think it will be Doctor Who themed, they tried it for 2009, and even though those idents looked nice, it just seemed to alienate viewers who didn't like Doctor Who

Having Tabby McTat idents is far more family friendly to everyone for the Christmas season, to have as idents.

The Doctor Who one also had the problem that, since the New Year's Day episode featured a regeneration, it became out of date after that episode aired... resulting in the rest of the day's idents being the news safe one without David Tennant in it.

[Brekkie]

Although the BBC often abandon the Christmas idents on New Years Day anyway, and if they don't it's not too much of a problem going generic, or using a supposedly out of date ident, for just a few hours anyway.


Doctor Who should add something a bit new to the schedules - this is why I've never been a fan of them showing the same stuff on Christmas Day every year because if you switch shows in and out, even if they air elsewhere in the festive period, something old can feel new again - and I still think some shows would be more beneficial propping up the other nights than airing for the 15th Christmas Day in a row.

[thegeek]

The illustrations in Tabby McTat aren't especially wintery - I suppose they could snow them up, but it doesn't strike me as the most Christmassy of themes to make an ident around. But then does it just become a snowy CGI London, which doesn't really fit the circles theme?

[Mick Lee]

The Doctor Who one also had the problem that, since the New Year's Day episode featured a regeneration, it became out of date after that episode aired... resulting in the rest of the day's idents being the news safe one without David Tennant in it.

I really hope they thought of that as a possibility…sounds like a unique situation anyway, I would love to see how they dealt with that. Thanks for sharing.