Magic Light Pictures Readies Zog and the Flying Doctors

Magic Light Pictures has been commissioned to bring Zog and the Flying Doctors, a sequel to 2018’s Zog, to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for this year’s holiday season.

In Zog and the Flying Doctors, the flying doctor trio of Zog, Pearl and Gadabout care for creatures including a mermaid, a unicorn and a sneezy lion. However, when bad weather forces them to land at the palace, Pearl is locked up by her uncle, the King. Zog and Gadabout try to set her free, but it’s ultimately Pearl who finds a way to win her freedom.

Sir Lenny Henry will lead the cast as the narrator, joined by Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey) as King, Patsy Ferran (Laurence Olivier award winner) as Princess Pearl, Hugh Skinner (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again) as Zog, Daniel Ings (The Crown) as Sir Gadabout, Mark Bonnar (Quiz, Catastrophe) as Unicorn, Lucian Msamati (Talking Heads) as Lion and Alexandra Roach (Utopia) as Mermaid.

The book is written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Zog and the Flying Doctors was first published by Scholastic in 2016 and is the eighth adaptation by Magic Light Pictures of a Donaldson/Scheffler title for BBC One. The animated half-hour is produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light and directed by Sean Mullen. Animation services are being provided by Giant Animation in Dublin.

Sir Lenny Henry said: “These Donaldson and Scheffler productions are so magical, it’s a joy to be able to lend my voice to such fun and beautiful animations at Christmas. Zog’s continued story is one of teamwork and empowerment, things we all need more of these days.”