{"id":41603,"date":"2023-12-12T01:01:36","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T00:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1938660"},"modified":"2023-12-12T10:58:01","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T09:58:01","slug":"mogs-christmas-director-explains-festive-channel-4-animations-appeal","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/mogs-christmas-director-explains-festive-channel-4-animations-appeal\/","title":{"rendered":"Mog\u2019s Christmas director explains festive Channel 4 animation\u2019s appeal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Robin Shaw and the film’s narrator Adjoa Andoh spoke about why Judith Kerr’s story makes for such perfect Christmas viewing. <\/p>

By James Hibbs\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 00:01 AM<\/p>

\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for something festive and heartwarming to watch this Christmas, you\u2019ll be hard pressed to find something which fits the bill more than Mog\u2019s Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The new Channel 4 animated short film is based on the book of the same name by Judith Kerr, and tells the story of a family cat Mog, struggling to get used to changes at Christmas. It features an all-star voice cast including Claire Foy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Miriam Margolyes, Maggie Steed, Zawe Ashton and more.<\/p>\n

However, according to the film\u2019s director Robin Shaw, its appeal lies not in any of its bells and whistles, such as its blend of modern animation techniques in a classical style, but in its \u201cdomesticity\u201d.<\/p>\n

Speaking at a Q&A for the film, Shaw said: \u201cFor me, and I realised this after we\u2019d made it actually, it\u2019s the domesticity of it. There\u2019s nothing supernatural going on, there\u2019s nothing involving great choirs of angels anywhere along the line. It\u2019s just about a cat who doesn\u2019t like all this mayhem at Christmas, and it\u2019s set in a home.<\/p>

\u201cThat\u2019s what I really like about it, it reminds me of the domesticity of Christmases when I was small, and I think that will chime with a lot of kids when they watch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Adjoa Andoh, who narrates the film, said that it was \u201cobviously\u201d an easy project to say yes to, and explained why.<\/p>\n

Andoh said: \u201cI grew up with Judith\u2019s work and my kids grew up with Judith\u2019s work. It\u2019s smart, it\u2019s funny. I played Judith\u2019s mother in When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit on Radio 4. The Judith Kerr School is in my neighbourhood \u2013 I feel very embedded.<\/p>\n