The CBeebies Christmas show for 2019 was Hansel and Gretel, directed and co-written by Jon Spooner with designs by Rhys Jarman, lighting by Colin Grenfell and Video designed by Nina Dunn studio. Original music composition was supplied by by Banks and Wag and sound design by Helen Atkinson.

The hilarious and extremely popular show played live at the Edinburgh Playhouse for one weekend only in November and was filmed for broadcast in front of a live audience of very excited children and grown-ups alike. The narrative was updated to include favourite characters from the TV shows with some cracking 1980s tunes and even an appearance from Justin Fletcher as a fully animated, talking Christmas tree.

Video was used to blend elements from the types of animated worlds the children are used to watching on the BBC channel with live action, colourising the set, dressing it with giant animated vines and dancing holly leaves or extending the space to open out the forest and reveal spooky eyes and spiders haunting the branches of the trees thanks to the skills of 2D animator, Letty Fox. We were also tasked with delivering Justin on stage in the form of a Christmas tree. For this, lead animator and associate designer, Matthew Brown used some of Adobe’s latest facial tracking features combined with illustrations by regular collaborator, Elfyn Round. 

You can watch the show online here until December 2020:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000c74q/cbeebies-hansel-gretel-christmas-show-2019

Video Team Credits:

Video Designer – Nina Dunn

Associate Video Designer – Matthew Brown

2D Animators –  Nina Dunn, Matthew Brown, Letty Fox

Illustrator – Elfyn Round

Production Co-ordinator – Laura Salmi

Video Engineer – Dan Bywater

Video Programmers – Nina Dunn and Matthew Brown

Shoot Production – PixelLux / BBC