Kids favourite

From Hans Christian Andersen to The Velveteen Rabbit, The Indian in the Cupboard to Toy Story, little figurines coming to life have featured in children’s fiction more often even than teleporting wardrobes or absent parents.

CBBC’s ambitious new 13-part drama, Shoebox Zoo, may not win any prizes for originality, then, but at least viewers will know just what to expect. And what’s most important is that the CGI animation and voice acting (including Siobhan Redmond as a snake, Rik Mayall as an eagle, Alan Cumming as a bear and Simon Callow as a wolf) of the fantastical four little creatures stand up. They do, particularly Mayall. “The eagle is self-obsessed and cowardly, ” he agrees. “I’m well cast.”

The 11-year-old human heroine is played by a Canadian actress for reasons that have less to do with the intrinsic plot structure than with the fact that a) English kids usually make rubbish actors and b) fantasy is too expensive for kids’ TV without a co-production (BBC Scotland joined forces with companies in both Canada and the US). Peter Mullan is the mysterious bookshop owner and wizard Michael Scot, sometimes known as the Great Scot. Geddit? The supernaturally powered baddie is known as Toledo; as in, presumably, the un-Holy Toledo. Geddit? Solid entertainment that should appeal to 7 to 14-year-olds of both sexes.