Glasgow-based Lion Television Scotland has secured a £3m contract to produce CBeebies’ reboot of kids’ favourite Balamory.
After a two-decade hiatus, the Glasgow-based All3Media label will produce two 10 x 14-minute series, one for transmission in 2026-27 and the other a year later.
READ MORE: What’s the story Balamory? Kids favourite to return to CBeebies
The preschool series, which was first produced from 2002-2005, will once again be filmed in Scotland, in the original location of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.
The original show, which is set to inspire the latest incarnation, is perhaps best remembered by grown-up viewers for launching the TV career of comic Miles Jupp, who played Archie the inventor before moving onto somewhat more mature content (read: sweary) as incompetent press officer John Duggan in The Thick of It.
Pre-production is expected to begin next month, and Lion will have a budget of up to £1.5m per series, a £3m maximum across both series.
Head of Lion Television Scotland and executive producer Lisa Hazlehurst said: “[We] are thrilled to be chosen to reboot the beloved Balamory. It was thanks to the dedication and expertise of the team who crafted a brilliant pitch and who can’t wait to get going with CBeebies on creating new adventures for such a much-loved and iconic show.
“Having been a key part of the Scottish industry for 26 years we are excited to contribute to its growth and eager to create a series that will captivate the next generation of young children and the grown-ups in their lives.”
BBC senior head of commissioning 0-6 Kate Morton added: “Audiences new and old are set to fall in love with this new series on CBeebies about the small island community of Balamory in Scotland from 2026.
“This was a highly competitive bidding process and we would like to commend all the shortlisted producers for the high quality and comprehensive bids they put forward.”
Lion Scotland’s existing BBC portfolio includes Homes Under the Hammer, The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts, Style it Out with Emma Willis and CBBC’s Officially Amazing.
