Mathew Baynton and Louisa Harland Lead Voice Cast for CBeebies Series MaeBee

Image: Karrot Entertainment/Kavaleer Productions/BBC

By Jon Donnis

Mathew Baynton (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) and Louisa Harland (Derry Girls) lead the voice cast of MaeBee, a new animated series arriving on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer on Monday 19 October.

Produced by Karrot Entertainment and Kavaleer Productions, the 24-episode series follows siblings Mae and Bee as they explore the magical Green Garden and meet its inhabitants. Seven-year-olds Elle McNicoll and Abeer Desai make their debuts in the title roles.

Harland voices Ma-Mae, the children's mother, while Baynton plays their father, Da-Nono. Several of Baynton's Ghosts co-stars also appear, with Martha Howe-Douglas voicing Minni the Firefly, Laurence Rickard as Burt-Bird the Robin and Jim Howick as King Gob, a gnome convinced he is royalty.

The cast also brings together several actors from Derry Girls. Ian McElhinney and Julia Dearden voice Granda-Bill and Grand-Mae, while Tara Lynne O'Neill plays Ma-Mouse, conductor of the Mouse Train. Kathryn Hunter voices Great Grand-Mae, and Mina Anwar plays Lesley, a snail whose shell contains a magical bakery.

Other roles include Trevor Dion Nicholas as Lionel the Frog, Clare Perkins as Witch Linda, Fern Brady as the mischievous wood sprite Fossy and Bec Hill as Marsha the Turtle Ferry. Guest appearances come from Sandra Dickinson, Philip Jackson, Colin McFarlane, Marjolein Robertson and Darren Foreman.

The wider voice cast features L.A. Davis, Maanuv Thiara, David Monteith, Katie Leung, Ayesha Antoine, Louis Martin, Hildur Magnusdottir and Sarah Lam.

Tim and Rebecca O'Sullivan created the series, with Tim directing and Rebecca serving as series designer. Jamie Badminton is the senior producer.

Tim O'Sullivan said: "It has been an enormous pleasure to work with so many of my favourites actors and comedians on MaeBee, rendering myself directorially star-struck on numerous occasions. Matching voice to the character is such an integral part of the show, many of which we had fantasy cast right from the start. So, we were thrilled when they agreed to come aboard the Mousetrain and bring so much heart and humour to the Green Garden."

MaeBee airs on CBeebies on Monday 19 October, with all 24 episodes available on BBC iPlayer from the same day.