The launch date for A Kind of Spark series two has been confirmed, alongside a ‘sneak peek’ of what’s next for Addie.
Addie (Lola Blue, The Worst Witch), is an 11-year-old girl in her first year of high school, who discovers her home town of Juniper used to hold witch trials centuries ago. Her research leads her to Margaret (Hattie Gotobed, Homebound) and Elinor Fraser (Ella Maisy Purvis, Malpractice), two suspected witches from 1597 who had a confusing disappearance. The more Addie researches, she starts to suspect that Elinor Fraser may be neurodivergent like her.
Series two will see Addie discovering a mysterious disused bookshop named ‘Do Good Books’ and meeting an older girl Bonnie (Ella Maisy Purvis, Malpractice) who has just moved back to Juniper, and whose parents ‘don’t accept’ her autism. With the best intentions, Addie tries to help Bonnie realise that the town can accept neurodivergent people now - but the journey might not be as smooth sailing as Addie might hope.
A Kind of Spark and its creators support neurodiverse talent both on screen and behind the scenes. It’s three main characters, Addie and her sisters Keedie (Georgia De Gidlow) and Nina (Caitlin Hamilton, Nowhere Boy), are all played by neurodiverse actors, with the same being true for nearly half the cast and crew.
Adjustments have been made for this, the BBC says: “the production team worked closely with the cast to be mindful of sensory or stimulation points in regard to wardrobe, hair, make-up and set, and each filming location had a sensory room or trailer for cast who needed a safe, quiet space.”
A Kind of Spark took home the Children's Programme award at the RTS Programme Awards 2024, where jurors described it as having an "intriguing thematic hook, combined with truly great storytelling."
Elle McNicoll, author of A Kind of Spark and lead screenwriter says: "I'm so thrilled that we are back for season two of A Kind of Spark. The response from audiences has been just incredible and I am proud that our show will continue to show a nuanced and empathetic portrayal of autistic people. Autism is not a binary, it is a vast spectrum, and I'm proud to write for a show that champions this."
A Kind of Spark will air on CBBC starting 29 April, with all episodes being available on BBC iPlayer from Friday 26 April.
