Nickelodeon has ordered a TV series based on the popular British character, Paddington, with Ben Whishaw back to voice the character as he did in the two big-screen films.
Ordered for 26 episodes, “The Adventures of Paddington” centers on a younger Paddington as he writes letters to Aunt Lucy celebrating the new things he has discovered through the day’s exciting activities. Following its U.S. launch, “The Adventures of Paddington” will roll out on the net’s international channels and branded blocks beginning March 2020.
Along with Whishaw, new cast members include Morwenna Banks, Bobby Beynon, Sheena Bhattessa, Darren Boyd, Noel Clarke, Phyllis Logan, Monica Lopera, Sabrina Newton-Fisher, David Schofield, Reece Shearsmith, Liz Sutherland-Lim and Jeremiah Waysome. Gary Barlow will also record a new theme song for the series.
The series will debut on Jan. 20. In advance of the series debut, Nickelodeon will air a holiday presentation of “Paddington Finds a Pigeon/Paddington and the Chores List,” on Friday, Dec. 20.
The series is from Heyday Films and Studiocanal, in association with Copyrights. “The Adventures of Paddington” is directed by Adam Shaw and Chris Drew of BlueZoo, and developed for television and written by Jon Foster and James Lamont.
Paddington Bear was created in the late 1950s by British author Michael Bond and illustrator Peggy Fortnum and first appeared in children’s literature. Dimension Films produced a big-screen animated film in 2015, which grossed $268 million worldwide. A Warner Bros.-produced sequel in 2018 grossed $227 million.