Justin Fletcher joins Pickle Storm as CBBC doubles series order
- CBBC fantasy comedy Pickle Storm has been recommissioned for a second series before the first has aired
- CBeebies legend Justin Fletcher, better known as Mr Tumble, has joined Kassidi Roberts, Donna Preston and stand-up Inel Tomlinson in the cast
- The Storm family have fled Pickle's fantasy world of Kelftania, with its magic, dragons and warriors, for the everyday UK town of Middlington, where everything is different
CBBC has ordered a second series of its fish-out-of-water fantasy comedy Pickle Storm before the first has even aired, with Mr Tumble star Justin Fletcher joining the cast, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Claiming timely themes of "displaced families and friendship", it stars newcomer Kassidi Roberts (Lovely Little Farm) as Pickle, a 9-year-old who has fled her fantasy world of Kelftania, with its magic, dragons and warriors, for the everyday UK town of Middlington, where everything is different.
With Donna Preston (Good Omens) playing Pickle's mother Lystra, a battle-hardened warrior, and stand-up Inel Tomlinson (Horrible Histories) as her father Hendrick, an eccentric wizard, the comedy comes from the team behind Zapped. CBeebies mainstay Fletcher voices the family's pet, Swumpy the Warthoffle.
The first series of ten episodes of 22 minutes will air soon, with a further 10 episodes to be broadcast next year.
Written by Dan Gaster, Will Ing and Paul Powell through their production company Black Dog Television (Insert Name Here, Alexander Armstrong's Big Ask) - which made Dave fantasy sitcom Zapped starring James Buckley - along with Tasha Dhanraj, Hannah George, Lucy Guy and Sarah Gordon, Pickle Storm follows the headstrong and determined Pickle and her family as they try their best to settle into life on Earth, or 'Ee'arth' as she calls it.
While Pickle joins the local primary school, Lystra takes a job in a supermarket and Hendrick gets involved in the local community. However, their efforts to blend in are constantly thwarted by over-enthusiasm and cultural misunderstandings.
What's more, Pickle finds she creates uncontrollable and highly random acts of magic. These Mood Magic moments have all sorts of unintended consequences - causing a teacher to shrink, making her best friend invisible, turning a sunflower into a monster and producing a snowstorm out of thin air. She also has the support of trusty Swumpy.
The Storm family marvel at their new home's mini waterfall (tap), food roundabout (microwave) and writing scrolls (super-soft loo roll). With Swumpy causing mayhem and a Snow Gruff that creates indoor blizzards, Pickle must try everything to fit in - tricky when you keep doing magic accidentally and have no idea what "schooooooool" is.
Shot in Belfast, the series co-stars Cadence Williams as Pickle's new best friend Mia, impressionist Philip Green as her pompous headteacher Mr Ludcomb, Toby Barnett-Jones as her nemesis classmate Roland and Mitra Djalili and Michael Condron as her bemused neighbours, Derek and Yasmin.
Produced by Raymond Lau (Ted's Top 10), the first series is directed by Dez McCarthy (Flatmates, Danny & Mick), Louise Ni Fhiannachta (Flatmates) and Eoin Cleland (William Of Orangedale), with Cein McGillicuddy (Top Coppers) taking over helming duties from McCarthy on the second.
Co-funded by CBBC, BBC Studios Kids & Family, Northern Ireland Screen and Sony Publishing, Pickle Storm was commissioned by Patricia Hildago, director of BBC Children's and Education and Sarah Muller, senior head of commissioning and acquisitions 7+ with Melissa Hardinge, senior commissioning editor.