All-star cast announced as filming begins
Casting has been announced Sky 1’s festive four-part drama Fungus the Bogeyman.
Leading the cast is Timothy Spall (The Enfield Haunting) as Fungus. Joining him is an all-star cast including, Victoria Wood (Housewife, 49), Keeley Hawes (Line Of Duty), Marc Warren (The Musketeers), Joanna Scanlan (The Thick Of It), Paul Kaye (Game Of Thrones) and Andy Serkis (Lord Of The Rings) as narrator.
Fungus the Bogeyman is written by Tom MacRae (Threesome) and inspired by Raymond Briggs’ classic book.
Timothy Spall commented: “Fungus has brought joy to generations of children and I am so thrilled to be playing such a beloved character. It’s great to be working with Sky again and the skilled folk at Imaginarium to bring Fungus the Bogeyman out of the pages of Raymond Brigg’s book and on to the small screen this Christmas.”
Fungus is a family (bogey) man who has lived underground for hundreds of years, going about his business menacing and frightening those on the surface (the “Dry Cleaners”) as Bogeymen do and have always done, never questioning his own existence…until now. Over the course of the series viewers will follow Fungus and his son Mould’s journey through the maze of life on the surface, while also discovering the highs and lows of their father and son relationship.
Victoria Wood plays Eve, an earthy, eccentric “Dry Cleaner” living in the human inhabited town of Daventry. She’s warm, astute and has an open door policy to anyone in need but behind the smile there is more to Eve than meets the eye.
Keeley Hawes and Marc Warren play Wendy and Daryl Snow, also “drycleaners” who live on the surface with their daughter Lucy. Whilst Wendy is trying to support the family, Daryl is unemployed and if only he can admit it, a little emasculated. He loves life and a laugh but loathes his hitherto legal career.
Joanna Scanlan plays Fungus’s beloved Bogeywife Mildrew, and Paul Kaye is the ‘bogeyhunter’
The series is produced by Imaginarium Studios, in partnership with Double Negative’s TV department, DNeg TV and will comprise both live action and animated elements. Catherine Morshead (Downton Abbey, Shameless) will direct.
Fungus the Bogeyman starts production this week and will air on Sky 1 this Christmas.
