The Primrose Railway Children: cast, plot and everything we know

The Primrose Railway Children
(Image credit: BBC Studios/BBC/BYU/Mark Mainz)

The Primrose Railway Children brings to life Jacqueline Wilson's novel, inspired by E. Nesbit's timeless classic.  

The 90-minute BBC film promises to be a Christmas TV highlight and the cast is led by Kevin McKidd (Grey's Anatomy, Trainspotting) and Nina Toussaint-White (Bodyguard, Witness 3).

Dame Jacqueline Wilson says: "I'm so looking forward to seeing this exciting new adaptation of my book 'The Primrose Railway Children'. It's going to be a special treat for all the family."  

The book has been adapted by Tom Bidwell (The Velveteen Rabbit, The Irregulars).

Kevin McKidd says: "Reading Tom's brilliant script was a real joy, it captures the spirit and emotion of the original 'The Railway Children', a film that I loved as a child, so it was an easy decision to come back and film this in Scotland. I'm always so proud and happy to come home and work with the brilliant crews and talents that Scotland overflows with. I can't wait to step into the character of 'Rob' and retell this reimagined British classic story alongside such an exciting cast. It will be a cinematic treat for the family."

It's a key part of the BBC's festive family line-up which also includes Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Tiddler, the latest festive animation by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffer.

Here's everything we know…

Primrose Railway Children release date

The Primrose Railway Children

(Image credit: BBC Studios/BBC/BYU/Mark Mainz)

The Primrose Railway Children will be shown at Christmas on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, but we don’t have an exact date and time at the moment.

Plot

The Primrose Railway Children

(Image credit: BBC Studios/BBC/BYU/Mark Mainz)

The BBC says it’s "a story about growing up, being displaced, and finding your way in a community that seems alien".  

Teasing the plot, the makers say: "The story follows Phoebe, her older sister Becks, younger brother Perry and their mum who are living a comfortable life in Glasgow when suddenly they are uprooted from their lives and moved to the remote highlands of Scotland."

Cast

Kevin McKidd and Nina Toussaint-White play parents Rob and Sarah Robinson. As for the three children, Ava McCarthy plays Phoebe, Ida Brooke plays Becks and Tylan Bailey plays Perry.

Is there a trailer?

No, not yet.

Behind the scenes and more

Davis and Grainne McNamara as Executive Producers and John McKay as producer. For BYUtv, Executive Producers are Jeff Simpson and Andra Johnson Duke with Wendy Thomas and Kelly Pratt as producers. The Primrose Railways Children was filmed in Glasow and the Scottish Highlands. The Primrose Railway Children is made by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions for the BBC in association with BYUtv with Tali Walters as Creative Lead, Alison

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!