Teletubbies interview with Antonia Thomas

Antonia Thomas plays the voice of the narrator and a Voice Trumpet in the new Teletubbies.

Published: 19 October 2015
I’ve never worked on a children’s series before and this is my first one so I’m really excited. I’ve always wanted to do one so it’s really nice to be involved.
— Antonia Thomas

Who do you play in the new Teletubbies?
I play the female narrator, so I voice the first and last lines in the show. When you hear ‘Over the hills and far away’ – that’s me! I’m also voicing some of the Trumpets in the show, which instruct the Teletubbies what to do and what’s happening next.

What attracted you to working on Teletubbies?Teletubbies is such an iconic children’s show and it’s brilliant. I was that tiny bit too old when it was first on but my younger family members absolutely loved it and just the idea that it’s ramping up again is just so exciting I definitely wanted to be a part of it.

What are your memories of the original series of Teletubbies?
I must have been about eight or nine when it was first on and I vividly remember the theme tune and the ‘eh-oh’! I think everybody knew what the Teletubbies were whether they were too old to watch it or not.

Toyah Wilcox was the female narrator. How does it feel to be taking over the role?
It feels like a great honour to be stepping into Toyah’s shoes and I hope I can get it right and do it as well as she did it the first time.

How does your role in Teletubbies differ to your other acting work?
Voiceover work is quite different to my usual kind of job purely because it’s all focussed on your voice and your voice quality and how that sounds. When you’re acting for television or theatre it’s very much about the whole of you whereas you kind of have to just channel everything into the voice for this. It’s a very different kind of discipline but one that’s really great to do.

Is this the first children’s series you’ve worked on?
I’ve never worked on a children’s series before and this is my first one so I’m really excited. I’ve always wanted to do one so it’s really nice to be involved.

What shows did you enjoy when you were a child?
When I was little I think the main show that I watched was Sesame Street, which was brilliant!

Who will you watch Teletubbies with when it airs?
I’ll probably watch Teletubbies with my sister and her son. He’s four so I think that he’s prime viewing for it so I’ll watch it with them and I’m sure they will enjoy it!

Some Teletubbies facts!

  • The new series features 60 brand new 14 minute long episodes
  • The original series was filmed outdoors, but filming for the new series has been brought indoors into a studio in Twickenham, London using pioneering new production techniques
  • Many familiar outdoor elements remain including Home Hill and the Windmill. Even the positioning of the pathways remains faithful to the original series
  • The new Windmill has a more natural look and, in reality, is 25cm high
  • A 1:20 scale 3D printed model of Teletubbyland was built. Measuring 3m x 3m, it represents the 360 (degree) world around the Teletubbies’ home, known as Home Hill
  • There are 20,000 laser-cut flowers and 40,000 real dried flowers on the Teletubbies landscape model. The flowers were all hand-painted and placed onto the model to make them look natural and realistic
  • There are 4 varieties of flowers on the model- buttercups, poppies, daisies and cornflowers
  • The grass is 6mm high and was chopped and trimmed with nail scissors, hairdressing scissors and beard trimmers to give the natural feel of a meadow. Longer pieces of grass were also added by hand. After grass cutting, the model was sometimes hoovered with a hand vacuum
  • Teletubbyland has 5 variations of hillock. They are 4cm high on the model but, after clever compositing, an 8 foot tall Teletubby will stand on them.
  • The countryside horizon backdrop is modelled on the hills of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire
  • The size of the Teletubbies’ tummy screens have changed to reflect modern televisions and are now 16:9
  • The Noo-noo is the original Noo-noo, but lovingly restored with a brand new engine and colourful makeover
  • The Tubby Phone is a touch-screen phone which plays music, speaks and takes photos – the voice is that of Jane Horrocks!
  • The Dup Dup is a brand new lift connecting the Teletubbies’ dome and the hills. It replaces the slide which was used in the original series
  • The Tubby Custard Ride is a brand new toy for this series. It is 10 meters in length and splats out pink custard for the Teletubbies
  • Tubby Custard is made from a diuretic food thickener with added pink dye
  • The structure of the inside of the Teletubbies Home Hill is a large inflatable which requires constant air to keep it up. The Dome is 5 metres high and was deflated each night once filming had finished
  • The new series features a brand new Sun Baby! This iconic part is being played by 18 month old baby Berry from London, who replaces the original Sun Baby who is now 19!
  • The title sequence for the theme tune was recorded by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
  • The live action sequences which appear in the Teletubbies’ tummies are still a key feature of the show. Filmed from a child’s perspective, each short film corresponds to the theme of the episode. Instead of being shown again in its entirety, only highlights of the first film will be repeated in the new series.