Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse looks like the cosiest Christmas film of 2020

Christmas film is a heartwarming portrayal of a real-life encounter between the two children’s authors

One of the cosiest-looking offerings coming to TV this Christmas is Sky One’s Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse.

The 90-minute film is based on the true story of a young Roald Dahl meeting his hero, children’s author Beatrix Potter.

The story of the then six-year-old’s journey to meet Potter details how the encounter inspired him to write children’s books himself.

Dawn French stars as the author behind the beloved stories of Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddleduck, with her castmates including Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Nina Sosanya and Jessica Hynes.

French’s portrayal of Potter shows the author towards the end of her career, suffering from a lack of inspiration along with failing eyesight.  

The Vicar of Dibley star acts opposite nine-year-old Harry Tyler, whom you may have seen opposite Steve Coogan in films Greed and The Trip to Greece.

Potter’s long-suffering but supportive husband William Heelis is played by Rob Brydon.

You can also spot comedian Bill Bailey in a special cameo as the Bona Fide Gent, who appears on the station as Roald is travelling from his home in Wales to Beatrix Potter’s house in the Lake District.

“I think it’s a feast for the eyes,” Brydon told BT of the forthcoming film. “When you add in the animation, which people perhaps won’t be expecting, like the scene where the mice come alive inside the doll’s house in Roald’s bedroom. It’s made by Hartswood who are really as good as it gets.

“When I arrived on set at the location for Beatrix’s farmhouse, they’d transformed it into a Christmas scene and it was absolutely enchanting.”

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He added: “It was in the countryside in the Vale of Glamorgan which is a lovely area anyway. They’d turned this house into this most idyllic Christmas scene. It was just gorgeous.”

Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse airs on Sky One at 8.15pm on Christmas Eve and will also be available to watch on NOWTV with an Entertainment Pass.