Katie Morag (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Katie Morag |
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| Genre | Comedy Children's |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | Don Coutts |
| Starring |
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| Composer(s) | Donald Shaw |
| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Original language(s) | English (CBeebies) Scottish Gaelic (BBC Alba |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 39 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Margaret Matheson |
| Production location(s) | Isle of Lewis |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Release | |
| Original network | CBeebies CBBC BBC Alba |
| Original release | 3 November 2013 – 4 April 2015 |
Katie Morag (in Scottish Gaelic: Ceitidh Morag) is a fun TV show based on the popular books by Mairi Hedderwick. It follows the exciting adventures of a girl named Katie Morag. She lives on a make-believe Scottish island called Struay. Her life is full of interesting stories, like dealing with a tricky little brother, busy shopkeeper parents, and two grandmothers who know everything!
The show was made by Move On Up with help from BBC Scotland. It was first shown on the BBC's CBeebies and CBBC channels. You can also watch it in Scottish Gaelic on BBC Alba. Don Coutts directed the series, and Margaret Matheson was the producer.
Contents
The TV Series
Series One
The first series of Katie Morag was filmed on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Filming happened between May and August 2013. Some parts were shot at BBC Alba's studios in Stornoway, and other scenes were filmed around the island.
This series had 26 episodes, each lasting 15 minutes. Six of these episodes were part of a special mini-series called "Grannie Island's Ceilidh." The show first aired on CBeebies on November 3, 2013.
Series Two
Good news came in June 2014: Katie Morag would be back for a second series! Cheryl Taylor, who was in charge of CBBC, was very happy about this. She said it was the first time CBBC and CBeebies had worked together to create a show. This teamwork allowed them to make more detailed stories for the older kids watching on CBBC.
Series two was also filmed on the Isle of Lewis, from July to September 2014. It included 3 episodes that were 15 minutes long, 9 episodes that were 20 minutes long, and one special 30-minute episode. The first episode of this new series was shown on CBBC on December 19, 2014.
Making the Show
How the Stories Were Written
A team of writers worked together to create the scripts for Katie Morag. This team included Sergio Casci, Stuart Hepburn, Martin McCardie, Jan Storie, and Louise Wylie. They used a special way of writing called "Team Writing For TV." This helped make sure all the episodes had the same feel and story flow, even with so many episodes. All the writers had to be at every meeting to plan the stories in detail.
Finding the Actors
To find the perfect actors, the casting team held auditions in Stornoway on Lewis in March 2013. They also looked for actors in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The main role of Katie Morag was won by seven-year-old Cherry Campbell from Glasgow. Her grandmother was born and still lives on Lewis, which was a nice connection!
Director Don Coutts said they were looking for someone with lots of energy, humor, and bravery to play Katie Morag. He felt that Cherry had all these qualities.
Filming Locations
Even though the fictional island of Struay is based on the island of Coll, the show was filmed on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The producers chose Lewis because it had all the things they needed to make the series.
Executive producer Lindy Cameron explained that it was important to keep as much of the production in the Scottish Highlands as possible. By using the skills and places on Lewis, they hoped to help the island and the Hebrides.
Some of the real-life places used for filming include:
- The village of Tolsta Chaolais (for the McColl Shop and Post Office)
- Tabost, Lochs (for Grannie Island's croft)
- Laxay Boathouse (for Uncle Matthew's Hut)
- Cnoc School, Knock
- Dal Mor Beach
- Bhaltos Pier (for the ferry pier and the lady artist's house)
- Maivaig Pontoon
- Shawbost Beach
- Reef Beach
- Carloway FC (for the shinty pitch)
Music for the Show
The music for Katie Morag was created by the talented Scottish musician and composer Donald Shaw. The show's soundtrack was released as a digital download on January 1, 2016.
Scottish Gaelic Version
The series was also translated into Scottish Gaelic for BBC Alba. This version is called Ceitidh Mòrag and started airing on January 7, 2014.
Who's Who: Cast and Characters
Main Cast
- Cherry Campbell as Katie Morag McColl
- Annie Louise Ross as Grannie Island
- Gail Watson as Isobel McColl (Katie Morag's mum)
- Kenneth Harvey as Peter McColl (Katie Morag's dad)
- Barbara Rafferty as Grandma Mainland
- Angus Peter Campbell as Neilly Beag
- Anna Hepburn as Mrs. Baxter
Other Characters You'll See Often
- Jim Sturgeon as Matthew McColl (Uncle Matthew)
- Sean Scanlan as Grandad Island
- Steven McNicoll as Mr Mackie
- Francesca Dymond as Mrs Mackie
Guest Actors
Sometimes, other actors appeared for special episodes:
- Greg Hemphill as Donald John Cameron
- Kari Corbett as Candice Kennedy
- Cal Macaninch as Mr Cavendish
- Shauna Macdonald as Mrs Cavendish
- Findlay Napier as Uncle Sven
- Hamish Napier as Uncle Sean
- Kaitlyn Anne Woodard as Baby Flora Anne McColl
Episodes
Series One Episodes
- Katie Morag Delivers the Mail
- Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers
- Katie Morag and the Old Teacher
- Grannie Island's Ceilidh: The Big Smelly Goat
- Katie Morag and the New Boy
- Katie Morag and the Halloween Pirate
- Katie Morag and Izzy
- Grannie Island's Ceilidh: Stone Soup
- Katie Morag and the Special Delivery
- Katie Morag and the Tiresome Ted
- Katie Morag and the Mysteries
- Grannie Island's Ceilidh: Little Izzy
- Katie Morag and the Two Peas
- Katie Morag and the New Year Party
- Katie Morag and the Baking Day Secret
- Katie Morag and the Grumpy Grannie
- Katie Morag and the Big Boy Cousins
- Grannie Island's Ceilidh: Granpa's Bowl
- Katie Morag and the Seals Singing
- Grannie Island's Ceilidh: Annie Jessie and the Merboy
- Katie Morag and the Hill Race
- Grannie Island's Ceilidh: Hugh Handy
- Katie Morag and the Big Picture
- Katie Morag and the Brochan Bus
- Katie Morag and the Wedding - Part 1
- Katie Morag and the Wedding - Part 2
Series Two Episodes
- Katie Morag and the Golden Treasure
- Katie Morag and the Family Tree
- Katie Morag and the Dancing Class
- Katie Morag and the Sick Sheep
- Katie Morag and the Carrot Competition
- Katie Morag and the Big Shinty Match
- Katie Morag and the Day of Birthdays
- Katie Morag and the Struay Star
- Katie Morag and the Road to Grannie Island's
- Katie Morag and Uncle Matthew's Hut
- Katie Morag and the Grand Concert
- Katie Morag and the Big Balloon
- Katie Morag and the Worst Day Ever
Awards and Recognition
Katie Morag has won many important awards!
In 2014, it won two British Academy Children's Awards:
- Best Drama
- Best Performance for Cherry Campbell (who plays Katie Morag)
The show was also nominated for Best Writer for Sergio Casci.
In 2015, Katie Morag won the Best Drama award again at the British Academy Children's Awards!
It also won Best Children's Programme at the BAFTA Scotland British Academy Scotland Awards in 2014.
The series was named Best Children's Programme or Series at the 2014 Freesat Free TV Awards. The judges loved how real and sweet the stories felt to young viewers.
It also won the Royal Television Society Scotland Children's Award in 2014. The judges praised the show for being creative and for Cherry Campbell's amazing acting.
In 2015, Katie Morag won Best New Kids Series at the Kidscreen Awards in Miami.
A very special award came in April 2016: a Peabody Award! These American awards are very difficult to win, with only about 25 given out each year from over 1,000 entries. To win, all sixteen judges must agree. The judges said that the show brought Mairi Hedderwick's books to life beautifully. They noted that Katie Morag dealt with serious topics like death, loss, and rivalry in an honest and graceful way.
DVD Releases
The DVDs for the first series of Katie Morag came out in the autumn of 2014. Later, in 2015, you could buy box sets that included both series one and series two.
Katie Morag (TV series) at BBC Programmes
