Sheridan Smith and Johnny Vegas join cast of Mr Stink

Sheridan Smith and Johnny Vegas are to join Hugh Bonneville in Mr Stink, BBC One’s forthcoming 60-minute adaptation of David Walliams’ popular children’s novel.

In addition to being shot in SD, Mr Stink will also be shot on 3D and broadcast on the HD channel; the first time the BBC has filmed a fictional programme in 3D. This was commissioned by Kim Shillinglaw, Commissioning Editor, Science and Natural History and Head of 3D, and is part of the BBC’s two-year trial experimenting with 3D production and distribution.

Sheridan (Mrs Biggs, Accused, Jonathan Creek, Gavin & Stacey) and Johnny (Benidorm, Ideal) play mum and dad to lonely 12-year-old, Chloe (Nell Tiger Free - Broken), who befriends local tramp Mr Stink and invites him to hide out in her family’s garden shed.

As Chloe struggles to make sure no-one sniffs out Mr Stink, she also has to cope with an overbearing mum who is more interested in her own political ambitions than her daughter, her put-upon dad who has a secret of his own, her ‘perfect’ younger sister Annabelle (Isabella Blake-Thomas – Just William) and the nasty girls who make her life miserable at school.

Sheridan said: “David is such a brilliant writer, and the character just jumped off the page when I read it.  I can't wait to work with Hugh and Johnny.”

It also features comic actor Harish Patel (Run Fat Boy Run, Coronation Street) who plays one of Chloe’s few friends, middle-aged newsagent Raj. David himself will also make an appearance as the Prime Minister.

Family comedy Mr Stink is being produced by BBC In-house Comedy Productions in association with David Walliams and his production company DEW Productions. It will be directed by Declan Lowney (Little Britain, Alan Partridge, Father Ted).

It was adapted for television by David Walliams with Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly, Just William, Dr Who). The executive producer is Mark Freeland, Head of BBC In-house Comedy and the producer is Jo Sargent (Miranda, Absolutely Fabulous). It was commissioned for BBC One by Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC One, and Cheryl Taylor, out-going Controller, Comedy Commissioning. The DOP will be Philipp Blaubach and the 3D visual effects will be by Prime Focus. Shooting begins later this month.