On a day when all I want to do is go home, crawl under the duvet with a bucket of hot chocolate and watch The Box of Delights, some Christmas cheer arrived at TV Today towers today in the form of a first look sample DVD of clips from Auntie Beeb’s adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. And it’s lovely.
Matt Lucas as Toad. Mark Gatiss as Rat. Lee Ingleby as Mole. Bob Hoskins as Badger. Adapted by Lee (Billy Elliot) Hall. That’s a damn good pedigree, and from the selection of clips we’ve seen, this should hit the spot nicely. It’s colourful, bouncy and has cosy Christmas Eveness written all over it, especially down to the particularly chilly looking winter sequences. Brrrr!
Most of all, The Wind in the Willows should nicely establish Matt Lucas as a top-notch character actor who is so much more than Little Britain. He comes across in the brief clips here as so exuberant and joyous, that it’s impossible to place him in Andy Pipkin’s ubiquitous wheelchair. Of course, there’s never been much doubt about Lucas’s impressive credentials, either before and during Little Britain. As for the expected Little Britain Christmas special, lads, this is a chance to restore the faith and brilliance of the first two series.
Over the next few weeks, the major channels will start to show a bit more leg of their Christmas schedules, and TV Today will keep you updated with out hot tips for Christmas viewing pleasure.
