Justin Fletcher

Justin Fletcher on how Rik Mayall inspired Mr Tumble

The king of children's TV, currently in panto in Reading and in cinemas as Father Christmas in The CBeebies Christmas Show, answers questions from readers - and some of their children.

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon review

Kids and fans of Shaun The Sheep will get a kick out of his latest extra-terrestrial adventures. A solid video and excellent audio presentation make up for a lacklustre set of extras.

A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Blu-ray review

What is there left to say about Aardman animation? Consistently brilliant for decades, their latest film, the sequel to 2015s Shaun The Sheep Movie is another absolute gem. Essentially a modern-day silent film, Farmageddon is a delightful, warm-hearted adventure that had me giggling all the way through, and at some points absolutely howling with laughter.

Bristol-based Aardman Animation takes one giant leap for lambkind by introducing a rainbow-coloured alien to the tranquil surroundings of Mossingham. Denizens of Mossy Bottom Farm including the naughty pigs and rooster (the clucking image of Rocky from Chicken Run) remain in the background of Jon Brown and Mark Burton's script.

The sequel is lighter on visual gags - a local supermarket stocks jars of Roswell's jam and signage for H.G. Wheels Autos is a cute nod to The War Of The Worlds - but action set pieces are orchestrated with brio.

Shaun (Justin Fletcher) and his farmyard buddies clash with Bitzer the sheepdog (John Sparkes), who wants to restrict fun in the absence of Farmer John (Chris Morrell).

While the master is lost in fanciful daydreams of purchasing a new combine harvester, Shaun and the flock drive Bitzer to the brink of barking madness by firing sheep out of a giant cannon.

Late one night, an alien spaceship descends on Mossingham and a cute creature called Lu-La (Amalia Vitale) finds its way - via a pizza delivery cyclist - to the farm. Shaun stumbles upon Lu-La in a barn and befriends the extra-terrestrial with slices of leftover pizza.

The plucky sheep vows to help the stricken extra-terrestrial return to her hidden spaceship and send a distress signal into outer space. Unfortunately, Agent Red (Kate Harbour) and her team of operatives in bright yellow hazmat suits are on Lu-La's trail and they intend to capture the alien.

A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is an entertaining sequel, which replicates the emotional heartbeats of Spielberg's classic ET, underscored with earthy humour and lively musical interludes.

Gigglebiz stars Justin Fletcher - Cbeebies colossus and veritable god to the preschool demographic - in his own sketch show. Fletcher's vast array of comic characters include the superhero Captain Adorable, Arthur Sleep the narcoleptic newscaster, Gail Force the weather forecaster and Packed Lunch Pete, who never gets to eat his sandwiches.

As you would imagine, slapstick features prominently and the humour isn't overly sophisticated, but Fletcher is a very likeable, versatile performer working with a script that is constantly inventive. I found it genuinely funny, and certainly more entertaining than the majority of BBC3's vast sketch show output.

And now a blasphemous confession: Psychoville (BBC2) isn't for me. It's comedy horror for the Ocado demographic, as scary as finding your delivery man has broken the bottle of balsamic vinegar en route, a gross-out as entertaining as a commodified trick-or-treat soiree in the suburbs. A clown with Down's syndrome, anyone? Dawn French pasting mashed swede into a woman's paralysed mouth? An officious librarian haunted by a dancing spectre? Thanks, but no.

Psychoville warrants comparison with Gigglebiz, Justin Fletcher's sometimes scary sketch show. Think of Fletcher's truly menacing Dinah Lady or his crazed fitness fanatic Keith Fit. Genuinely terrifying - and with a punchline rate that Psychoville's mighty writers can only look on and despair. And that's on CBeebies. Mind you, I did like the way French got stabbed with a pencil. She'd been asking for that.

A meeting with Mr Tumble

Mr Tumble and family, Gigglebiz, the Tweenies, Timmy Time ... is CBeebies star Justin Fletcher the hardest working man in TV? Kate Carter meets him.

Justin Fletcher, children's television presenter

The CBeebies presenter discusses his characters, heroes and his eclectic car collection.