The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas. Image shows from L to R: Marjorie, Brian. Copyright: Baby Cow Productions / Komedia Entertainment
The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas

The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas

  • TV comedy drama
  • CBeebies
  • 2012
  • 1 episode

A one-off animated version of the Nativity tale for CBeebies. It retells the story of Jesus's birth from the point of view of a female cow. Stars Isy Suttie, Johnny Vegas, Miriam Margolyes, Nitin Ganatra, Simon Greenall and Daniel Lawrence Taylor

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
2012
Channel
CBeebies
Episodes
1
Stars
Isy Suttie, Johnny Vegas, Miriam Margolyes, Nitin Ganatra, Simon Greenall and Daniel Lawrence Taylor
Writer
Andy Cutbill
Director
Tim Searle
Producers
Tim Searle, Jackie Edwards, Richard Daws and Henry Normal
Companies

The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas is a one-off animation giving a unique interpretation of the nativity story seen through the eyes of a cow called Marjorie. Marjorie is voiced by Isy Suttie, with Johnny Vegas providing the voice for a chicken called Brian.
 


Marjorie the cow lives in a run-down stable in the middle of Bethlehem. Nothing exciting ever happens in Bethlehem until now... there's a census or something and there's going to be some sort of street party - that's what Marje has heard, anyway!

She heads into town in search of this party. Joined by a spangly leotard-wearing chicken called Brian they stop passers by but no-one seems to know where the party's happening: not the herd of sheep who have been frogmarched into town by their shepherds who told them a new king was about to be born; not the donkey who just wants a rest after lugging his boss's pregnant wife into town only to discover that they haven't booked a hotel; and certainly not the camels who are being chased by Pontius Pilate's horse guard looking for three star-gazing, wise astronomer blokes the camels have carried all the way from the eastern deserts.

Marje and Brian are fed up, lost and disappointed not to have found the party. But then Brian catches sight of the bright star the camels mentioned they were following. As they head onto the main street and into a very familiar square, they find the entire town quietly engrossed in a beautiful scene: the donkey, his carpenter boss and his wife, the three camels with their wise kings and a tiny new born baby with a little halo, quietly huddled into Marje and Brian's family stable.

And the day ends with a cow and a chicken slightly stunned at the chosen venue - delighted they didn't miss the party after all, but with the realisation that the best place to be at Christmas is home.

Additional details

Production
Animated
Picture
Colour

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Wednesday 19th December 2012 at 4:30pm on CBeebies
Episode length
30 minutes
Most recent repeats
  • Saturday 24th December 2016 at 4:20pm on CBeebies
  • Tuesday 20th December 2016 at 5:00pm on CBeebies
  • Thursday 24th December 2015 at 4:20pm on CBeebies

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