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Two new child actors are set to star in Apple Tree House, a brand new 30-part drama series set around an inner-city estate bursting with life, coning to CBeebies. Aamir Tai will star as Mali, an ordinary boy who has just moved on to an extraordinary inner city estate, where he meets his new best friend Sam, played by Miranda Sarfo Peprah, the daughter of the estate’s caretaker. Together with their friend Bella, played by 7 year old Summer Jenkins, they solve daily problems and overcome childhood dilemmas - all within the safety net of their loving families and the inspirational Apple Tree community that surrounds them.

As well as the two main children the audience will be introduced to a wealth of diverse and supportive characters, including Mali’s grandma Zainab (Shaheen Khan) and Sam’s father Kobi (William Vanderpuye), plus a host of other family members, friends and neighbours,...

Faye Ward’s indie production outfit is currently producing Laurel & Hardy biopic Stan And Ollie.

Sony Pictures Television has invested in drama indie Fable Pictures – the fledgling indie run by The Crown [pictured] producer Faye Ward.

Fable Pictures was established earlier this year by former Ruby Film & Television exec Ward and Rastamouse producer Eugenio Perez.

Sony has taken a minority stake in the business, marking the Hollywood studio’s first UK drama move since it acquired Left Bank Pictures in 2012.

Last year Wayne Garvie, Sony’s chief creative officer, international production, told Screen’s sister publication Broadcast: “I feel we’re a bit underrepresented in scripted,” Garvie says. “I’d like us to do something else there.”

Fable is currently producing Stan And Ollie, the BBC Films project written by Jeff Pope and starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. Ward has also recently produced series including Left Bank’s forthcoming royal saga The Crown for Netflix and Ruby...

The BBC has hit back at criticism of its new children's programme Rastamouse. The series, which sees Reggie Yates voice the title character, has attracted complaints from viewers who believe that "that the use of non-standard English grammar in the programme sets a bad example to young children". "CBeebies is very proud to be transmitting Rastamouse, which is a colourful new animation series about a crime-fighting mouse based on an acclaimed series of books by Michael De Souza and Genevieve Webster," an official response from the broadcaster stated. "The Rastamouse books are written in Afro-Caribbean Patois rhyme and (more)...