CBBC adaptation of The Railway Children by Jacqueline Wilson to be set in Glasgow and the Highlands

An reimagined version of the children’s story The Railway Children by Dame Jacqueline Wilson is set to be adapted for the BBC.

Dame Jacqueline was inspired by Edith Nesbit’s original 1905 novel to release The Primrose Railway Children in 2021.

Her modern version will form a feature length, 90-minute long episode as part of new content coming to the CBBC and iPlayer.

Filmed in and around Glasgow, The Primrose Railway Children follows Phoebe as the main character, putting the focus on the younger child, unlike Nesbit’s book, where the eldest child is often the focus.

Phoebe lives with her older sister Becks, younger brother Perry and their mother in the Scottish city as they deal with her father’s disappearance.

They then move to the remote Highlands of Scotland, where they have to get to grips with a different kind of world.

Also coming to the BBC is comedy High Hoops, which features a reunion for Peep Show stars Robert Webb and Isy Suttie, and the return of an adaptation of Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers for two more series.

Patricia Hidalgo, director of BBC children’s and education, said: “Our homegrown dramas continue to be enjoyed by children and their families across the UK and beyond, these three titles are not only brilliant entertainment, but they also represent children’s lives and UK culture in unique ways.

“Promising big laughs, silly jokes, high stakes drama and intrigue, with stories that resonate across generations and across frontiers, bringing families together watching TV.”

High Hoops, filmed in Halifax, West Yorkshire, focuses on a high school basketball player.

Darci Hull plays the lead character Aoife in the show, which was written and created by basketball player and coach Sinead Fagan.

Also among the cast are Peep Show stars Robert Webb, known for being lazy and stupid Jeremy ‘Jez’ Usbourne, and Isy Suttie, known for playing IT expert and love interest Dobby.

Joining the cast for series six and seven of Malory Towers is Ellie Goldstein, the first model with Down Syndrome to feature in British Vogue.

She will play history lover Nancy at the school as stage actress and singer Jodie Steele also forms part of the ensemble as former Hollywood actress Lily Vernon, who is familiar with Miss Grayling and Malory Towers.

High Hoops and Primrose Railway Children will come to CBBC and BBC iPlayer later this year.

Malory Towers series six and seven will air on the same channels in 2025.