Children’s television favourite Balamory is set to return two decades after it was last filmed, BBC Children’s and Education has announced.
The Bafta-winning pre-school programme about the fictional town of Balamory was originally set in Tobermory, the colourful harbour town on the Isle of Mull.
The stories, centred around a nursery school and its teacher Miss Hoolie, were produced from 2002 to 2005 and aired on TV around the world for many years.
Two new series of the show, commissioned for a reboot on CBeebies in 2026, are expected to include some of the original characters.
The programme became famous for its catchy theme tune, which began: “What’s the story in Balamory, wouldn’t you like to know?”
BBC Children’s and Education said the new programmes would be filmed in Scotland, either in Tobermory or possibly another Scottish location such as Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.
A statement from the BBC department said exact details of the revamped shows had yet to be developed.
The team is interested in ideas from producers for two series of ten 14-minute programmes, it added.
Kate Morton, head of commissioning 0-6, said: “A whole new generation will discover and enjoy Balamory as we bring families together with this new update for CBeebies.
“It will be a real treat for parents who grew up with the show to now introduce their little ones to the brightly coloured world getting to know a host of old and new characters together.”
Over 152 episodes, problems in the island community were worked out by eight main characters – the teacher, police officer, inventor, school bus driver, painter, fitness instructor and the two shopkeepers.
Julie Wilson Nimmo, who played nursery teacher Miss Hoolie in the original show, told the Daily Record it was the “craziest and best news ever that Balamory is coming back”.
“I seriously think this is bigger than the Oasis reunion,” added Julie – who also appears on BBC Scotland’s Scot Squad and Cbeebies’ Olga the Polga.
Julie and Andrew Agnew, who played PC Plum and now works in theatre, both previously said they would love to work on a new series.
Miles Jupp, who played Archie the inventor (who famously lived in a bright pink castle) went on to a career in comedy, film and TV, with credits including Sherlock Holmes, Outnumbered and The Crown.
To mark Balamory’s 20th anniversary in 2022, 25 episodes from series four were added to BBC iPlayer.
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