IT has been almost 20 years since CBeebies favourite Balamory was on our screens.
But now it’s been revealed the iconic show is coming back for two brand new series.
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The BBC announced today that filming will begin on a reboot of the classic, which ran from 2002 to 2005.
Due to hit screens in 2026, the new episodes will have the same cosy feel of the original – which was shot in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.
But it’s still to be decided where it will be shot and which of the original cast will be involved.
The popular series was set in a fictional Scottish village with happy-go-lucky characters like Miss Hoolie and Suzie Sweet being favourites with young viewers.
Balamory won Best Pre-school Live Action Series at the 2004 BAFTA Children’s Awards.
So what’s the story for the cast of Balamory now?
Miss Hoolie – Julie Wilson Nimmo
Smiling Balamory teacher Miss Hoolie narrated the kids drama and always donned an all-green outfit.
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She was played by actress Julie Wilson Nimmo, 52, who was most recently seen in Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim, a BBC show which sees her enjoying al fresco dips with her husband, Still Game star Greg Hemphill, and guest stars
The comic featured alongside husband Greg, and comedy partner Ford Kiernan, in an episode of Still Game.
Meanwhile, she also became a feature of comedy sketch show Scot Squad in its fourth series in 2017 – even getting to arrest talk show favourite Lorraine Kelly in one episode.
The star has said she’d be up for the reboot – as long as some of the stalwarts also returned.
She told The Daily Record: “I would be up for going back if Brian Jameson is directing and is producing with Helen Doherty.
“If they brought back the old cast alongside new characters then I would be over the moon. It would be like a family reunion.”
Archie the Inventor – Miles Jupp
Wacky inventor Archie lived in the huge pink castle and wore a purple kilt.
He was played by comedian Miles Jupp, who has enjoyed regular TV appearances elsewhere in shows like The Thick of It, Outnumbered, Netflix‘s The Crown, The Full Monty on Disney+ and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, available on Apple TV+.
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Miles, 45, is no stranger to Scottish TV either, having starred as the blunder Captain Fanshaw throughout the three seasons of Gary: Tank Commander.
He also played the weatherman in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and his other movie credits include The Legend of Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, Johnny English Reborn.
At the end of June the comic completed a six-month UK and Ireland tour of his stand-up show On I Bang about undergoing brain surgery.
Miles previously revealed he was forced to cut rude gags from his Edinburgh Festival stand-up performance after seeing young Balamory fans in the audience.
He told The Guardian: “I went on stage and there were 10 children in the front row. Nightmare.
“The show was only 40 minutes long and I had to keep cutting huge chunks of filth.”
Penny Pocket – Kim Tserkezie
Penny Pocket had a talent for mathematics and ran the village shop and cafe with Suzie.
The role won Geordie actress Kim Tserkezie an award for her reputation of disabled people.
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After Balamory ended she became a writer and producer with her own company.
In 2019, she starred in shortfilm Obsession, earning two gongs at the Royal Television Society awards for her role as Jasmine.
In 2022, she presented and produced radio documentary series ‘Hidden Sport‘ for the BBC World Service while last year her production company Scattered Pictures was chosen as part of the Netflix film-makers project Breakout to create film My Thoughts Exactly.
Spencer the Painter – Rodd Christensen
Smiling Spencer was tasked with painting the colourful houses of Balamory, but he also made music with his famous ladder that had musical steps.
After Balamory ended, actor Rodd Christensen quit showbiz and became a driver for theatre school Stagecoach, admitting the kids sometimes recognised him from the show.
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Though he shunned the limelight, his daughter made headlines when it was revealed she was a porn star.
Raylin Joy, who lives in LA, said she got into porn “for the giggles”.
More recently she has left the adult entertainment world behind her and is about to launch her debut album with band The Calamatix.
PC Plum – Andrew Agnew
Friendly neighbourhood officer PC Plum patrolled the crime-free village of Balamory as he dreamed of becoming a detective one day.
He was played by actor Andrew Agnew, who has gone on to direct kids TV programmes and had his own CBeebies live theatre show.
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Andrew is a regular on the annual panto circuit and is currently rehearsing for a brand new musical called Glasgow Kiss, which is launching at the Pavilion Theatre on September 30 and features musics from the likes of Primal Scream, Gerry Cinnamon and Texas.
Andrew, 47, says he’d be delighted to be involved in the new series.
He said: “PC Plum has been such a massive part of my life.
“When it first all started we didn’t really know what we were doing, it was going to be a wee show originally called Applecross, and it was going to be on some sort of digital channel eventually – and then it just took over and became massive.
“So to have that character back in my life again would be amazing, I mean it would be something I would definitely want to do again.”
Suzie Sweet – Mary Riggans
One of the most popular characters was Suzie Sweet, who ran the village shop with Penny Pocket.
She would wave a feather duster around while welcoming visitors into her shop.
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Actress Mary Riggans was best known for Balamory, but also played Effie Macinnes in Take The High Road.
She won a Sony award for her performance as Jean Armour in the radio play Till A’ the Seas Run Dry in 1993 – and starred in Still Game as Isa’s friend Sadie, while also appearing in Taggart.
Balamory fans were saddened to learn in 2013 that she had died “peacefully holding her daughter’s hand” after suffering a stroke the year before.
Josy Jump – Buki Akib and Kasia Haddad
Josy Jump was the fitness instructor at the primary school next door to Miss Hoolie’s nursery school.
She encouraged the young Balamory viewers to exercise and loved storytelling through movement and dance.
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Actress Buki Akib played Josy but she quit in 2004 as the role clashed with her university studies.
Akib was replaced by Kasia Haddad, but the show’s young fans couldn’t understand why Josy looked different and their parents complained.
After Balamory ended in 2005, Kasia starred as Wendy in Doctors.
Edie McCredie – Juliet Cadzow
Edie McCredie drove the nursery school bus but had travelled all over the world, and had a variety of photographs and souvenirs to talk about.
She was also a motor mechanic, and when she wasn’t singing in the driver’s seat she would fix vehicles in her garage, and occasionally snap at other road users.
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Actress Juliet Cadzow, now 76, went on to appear in Doctor Who and Skins after Balamory ended.
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She also starred as Winston’s fantasy woman in Still Game back in 2006.
In 2018, Juliet then landed the role of Suzie Fraser in Scottish soap River City and has since starred in various pantos in Glasgow and Aberdeen.
