The beloved Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po will be returning back to Nickelodeon around 2016 in a modernized Teletubbies reboot. The children’s TV show does aim to keep the same style and characters, but they are hoping to add a few minor changes to help the show fit into this generation.
BBC spoke with several of the voice actors to get their take on the show. Oscar winner Jim Broadbent signed on to play one of the new talking trumpets. And for the Harry Potter fans out there, he also played Horace Slughorn.
“Teletubbies is truly a British institution and it’s very exciting to be involved in bringing this global hit back to our TV screens,” says Broadbent.
Radio DJ Fearne Cotton will be joining Broadbent as a fellow talking trumpet companion. “As a mum, I am sure the new series will enthrall a whole new generation of children across Britain and I will certainly be watching with my kids,” adds Cotton.
Actress Jane Horrocks will be playing the “tubby-phone” and aims to bring a modernized twist to the show. She says, “This series has a whole new feel to it. I think it is hilarious and it will appeal to adults as much as it does children.”
There are certainly high hopes for Teletubbies, but the whole journey has not been positive.
TheCelebrityCafe.com reports that original creator Anne Wood will not be joining production of the reboot and even refuses to watch it.
“I couldn’t bring myself to,” comments Wood.
The wacky and adorable aliens will return to the UK and the US in 2016 with 60 episodes, 12 minutes each.
Credit: Timothy A. Clary