Julia Donaldson reveals the one change to The Scarecrow’s Wedding she was reluctant to make – but had to

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Julia Donaldson’s wonderful stories are popular everywhere, and they translate beautifully to television thanks to the annual, enchanting adaptations created by Magic Light Pictures and the BBC.

Translations are generally very faithful to the source material, but like all adaptations from books to television, minor adjustments are sometimes necessary to make them work well on screen.

The story of Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay in The Scarecrow’s Wedding underwent a significant plot change.

The story follows Harry as he searches for the specific flowers Betty wants for her wedding. While he’s gone, a mischievous scarecrow named Reginald Rake appears and attempts to win Betty’s affection.

He tries really hard to impress her, and in one instance, this leads to a comical mishap: he attempts to smoke a cigar, coughs, and accidentally starts a small fire, which Harry quickly extinguishes when he returns.

Ofcom’s guidelines state that showing illegal drug use, drug abuse, smoking, solvent abuse, or alcohol misuse in programs mainly for children is prohibited unless there’s a very good reason to do so from an editorial standpoint.

So, they had to change the story a bit. Instead of whatever originally caused the fire, they decided Reginald was just toasting marshmallows – it still ended up burning down, but it felt like a safer way to get there, you know?

Regarding the change, Donaldson explained that in the book, a fire is accidentally started by Reginald Rake while he’s smoking. She felt this was effective because it portrays him negatively – he’s a villain who smokes, and the book already highlights the dangers of smoking with Betty’s warning and his subsequent cough, ultimately leading to the fire. This emphasizes the harmful consequences of smoking.

It seems children’s movies aren’t allowed to show anyone smoking. I believe it’s actually better for kids to encounter smoking in a story – like a film or book – so their parents can discuss the dangers with them, instead of just seeing it happen without any explanation.

Julia Donaldson initially declined Magic Light Pictures’ request to revise her story for adaptation.

I immediately refused, then rushed home to my computer. We already had the photos, and I knew Betty was wearing a pink dress and Reginald a white suit. That gave me an idea – Reginald could start a fire by pretending to cook, and we could use pink and white marshmallows as a visual element.

I’m happy with how it turned out. While I’m a little sad to remove the smoking element, I think marshmallows are a good substitute.

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The Scarecrows’ Wedding will air this Christmas on the BBC.

Authors

Helen DalyDeputy Digital Editor

Helen Daly is TopMob’s Deputy Digital Editor, where she leads new projects and manages commercial work. Before joining TopMob, she was Deputy TV Editor for a national publication. She holds a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.

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2025-12-25 12:04