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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Michael Hogan

From The Gruffalo to Tabby McTat: Julia Donaldson’s TV adaptations ... from best to worst

The Scarecrows' Wedding.
Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay … it could only be The Scarecrows' Wedding. Photograph: BBC/Magic Light Pictures

They’re now as much a part of the Christmas Day schedules as the monarch’s boring speech and a bafflingly popular Mrs Brown’s Boys special. Animated adaptations of the picture books by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler have become a feelgood seasonal institution.

It’s a cosy tradition that began with The Gruffalo in 2009 and has since become a festive fixture, taking pride of place on BBC One on Christmas afternoon. The voice casts are always impressively A-list, with Rob Brydon the only constant. This year’s kid-calmer is The Scarecrows’ Wedding, making it 13 entries in the canon and counting. But which is the all-time Christmas cracker? We’ve ranked them all from worst to best …

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