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| A Kind of Spark | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy Children's television series |
| Created by | Anna McCleery |
| Based on | A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Jessica Dannheisser |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom
|
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Anna McCleery Gráinne McNamara Andra Johnson Duke Jeff Simpson |
| Producers | Paul Munn Kim Powers |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | 9 Story Media Group Brown Bag Films LS Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) – present |
A Kind of Spark is an Irish-British-American-Canadian children's television series created by Anna McCleery, based on the novel by Elle McNicoll. It is produced by Canadian-based 9 Story Media Group co produced with Irish-based Brown Bag Films in association with Scotland-based LS Productions and American TV channel BYU TV for the CBBC. The series follows Addie, a young autistic girl who wants a memorial in her village for the witches who were persecuted there.
It first premiered on 31 March 2023 on BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, followed by a network premiere on CBBC and BYU TV. It has also been distributed for streaming on ABC iview (Australia), CBC Gem (Canada), France Télévisions (France), NPO Start (Netherlands), TRTE (Ireland), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), TVNZ+ (New Zealand).
In October 2023, it was announced that the series has been commissioned for a second season. On World Autism Awareness Day 2024, it was confirmed that the 2nd season would premiere on 26 April 2024 in the United Kingdom, and 28 April 2024 in the United States.
Cast
- Lola Blue as Adeline "Addie" Darrow
- Georgia de Gidlow as Keedie Darrow
- Caitlin Hamilton as Nina Darrow
- Eve Midgley as Audrey Gladstone
- Evie Elgie as Jenna
- Grace Wood as Emily Parks
- Daisy Whitehead as Heather
- Zac Looker as Frank
- Hattie Gotobed as Margaret "Maggie" Fraser (season 1)
- Ella Maisy Purvis as Elinor Fraser (season 1) / Bonnie Bridges (season 2)
- Emma Tracey as Beth (season 1)
- Emily Matsa as Sarah (season 1)
- Bridget Marumo as Robin (season 1) / Dorothy Dangerfield (season 2)
- Forrest Bothwell as Jude (season 2)
- Conor Cupples as Finn (season 2)
- Zahra Browne as Bess Darrow
- Geoffrey Austin Newland as James Darrow
- Natasha Alderslade as Martha Bridges (season 2)
- Andrew Steele as Tom Bridges (season 2)
- Rosalyn Wright as Iona Gladstone
- Julia Haworth as Pamela Parks
- Kate Layden (season 1) / Carol Moore (season 2) as Miriam Jensen
- Sandra Cole as Mrs. Ross
- Andrew Readman as Mr. Laird
- John Draycott as Mr. MacIntosh
- Amy Marston as Miss Murphy (season 1)
- James McClelland as Mr Allison (season 1)
- Ben Willbond as Adam Quinn (season 1)
- Simon Pickering as Garreth (season 1)
Production
Series 1 was filmed in Knutsford, Cheshire. Series 2 was filmed in Northern Ireland. The series features several actors who are neurodivergent, as is also the case for a large portion of the production team.
Episodes
Series 1 (2023)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Spark" | Marek Losey | Anna McCleery and Elle McNicoll | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 2 | "Juniper" | Marek Losey | Elle McNicoll | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 3 | "The Witch List" | Marek Losey | Anna McCleery | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 4 | "Sisters" | Marek Losey | Vicki Lutas | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 5 | "Party" | Marek Losey | Anna McCleery and Vicki Lutas | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 6 | "Nicest Village" | Matt Holt | Anna McCleery | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 7 | "Sleepover" | Matt Holt | Karissa Hamilton-Bannis | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 8 | "Something Wicked" | Matt Holt | Vicki Lutas | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 9 | "Burnout" | Matt Holt | Elle McNicoll | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
| 10 | "The Way I Am" | Matt Holt | Anna McCleery and Elle McNicoll | 31 March 2023 (2023-03-31) |
Series 2 (2024)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "What Next?" | Marek Losey | Anna McCleery and Elle McNicoll | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 2 | "Bonnie" | Marek Losey | Elle McNicoll | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 3 | "Le Tour de Frank" | Marek Losey | Anna McCleery | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 4 | "Shark Day" | Marek Losey | Vicki Lutas | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 5 | "Choices" | Marek Losey | Vicki Lutas and Anna McCleery | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 6 | "The Codebreakers" | Matt Holt | Scott Payne | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 7 | "Miriam" | Matt Holt | Karissa Hamilton-Bannis | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 8 | "Juniper at War" | Matt Holt | Anna McCleery | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 9 | "Runaway" | Matt Holt | Elle McNicoll | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
| 10 | "Safe" | Matt Holt | Anna McCleery and Elle McNicoll | 26 April 2024 (2024-04-26) |
Reception
The series has received critical acclaim. In an article for The Guardian, disability activist and writer Cathy Reay praised the production's commitment to platforming disabled talent in a children's series.
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Lead Performer in a Preschool, Children's or Young Teen Program | Lola Blue as Addie Darrow | Pending |
| 2024 | Royal Television Awards NI | Best Children's or Animation Series | "A Kind of Spark" | Won |
| 2023 | Rose D'Or | Best Children's Program | "A Kind of Spark" | Nominated |
| 2023 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Children's or Family Viewing Series | "A Kind of Spark" | Nominated |
| 2023 | Royal Television Awards | Best Children's or Animation Series | "A Kind of Spark" | Won |
| 2023 | Broadcast Awards | Best Children's Series | "A Kind of Spark" | Won |
References
- "A Kind of Spark author Elle McNicoll - "It's a story of sisterhood, neurodiversity and standing firm in the face of a mob"". BBC Media Centre (Press release). 13 March 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- "A Kind of Spark Renewed". 15 October 2023.
- "Elle McNicoll ✍🏻📚 on X: "Happy World Autism Day indeed!! Season 2 trailer of AKOS is on my IG, air dates are the 26th of April (UK) on iPlayer and 28th (US)".
- "A Kind of Spark Series 2 - Trailer - CBBC - YouTube". YouTube. 2 April 2024.
- "A Kind of Spark to premiere on BBC iPlayer, CBBC, BYUtv and CBC!". 9story.com. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- Mato, Megan A. (19 March 2024). "Scottish muse: We speak to 13 authors about their favorite writing spot". Scottish Field. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- Reay, Cathy (11 April 2023). "'There's no part we can't do. That's so empowering': the CBBC drama revolutionising onscreen autism". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
External links
Categories:- 2023 British television series debuts
- BBC children's television shows
- BBC high definition shows
- British children's fantasy television series
- British English-language television shows
- Autism in television
- Television series by 9 Story Media Group
- Witch hunting in fiction
- Television series about witchcraft
- Television series by Brown Bag Films