'What's the new story in Balamory?' - kids' show gets a reboot
BBCChildren's television favourite Balamory is set to return two decades after it was last filmed, the BBC 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 shows centred around a nursery school and its teacher Miss Hoolie, attracting two million viewers a week in the UK at its peak and watched by millions more around the world.
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 - which was produced from 2002 to 2005 - 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.”
Balamory was broadcast around the world, becoming a hit with young audiences in Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada and South Africa.
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 - sometimes with the help of celebrity guests.
Andrew Agnew, who played PC Plum and now works in theatre, told BBC Scotland's Lunchtime Live the announcement was "very exciting".
"If they ask me to go back then I'll absolutely be there with bells on, I'm sure," he said. "But at the moment we're all just getting excited at the fact that it's happening.
"I don't think it would be same if we weren't involved in it," he added. "I think it needs us."
Agnew said he didn't think PC Plum would have been promoted up the ranks in crime-free Balamory over the past two decades.
"I think he'd still be doing his day-to-day job because that's what he loved. He loved looking after people, the wildlife, the whole thing."
He first realised the show would be a hit when he heard the songs, and then saw the colourful houses where they would be filming in Tobermory.
"Kids got to be the people who knew what was going to happen before we did, so the characters were always one step behind the kids," Agnew said.
"I think that was why it was so popular."
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 da Polga.
Julie has previously said she 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.