Television series

The Borrowers

Name: The Borrowers
Genre: Adventure, Children, Fantasy
Released: 1992
Cast: Ian Holm, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Callard, Siân Phillips, Gemma Jones

Other titles called The Borrowers: the 1997 film.

Fantasy

A BBC adaptation of Mary Norton's beloved novel about the Clock family—tiny people no taller than a pencil who live beneath the floorboards, ingeniously repurposing human objects to build their miniature world. It's whimsical and genuinely inventive, with real stakes underneath the charm. Perfect for children who like adventure without talking animals, and adults who remember loving it.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy close-up ingenuity, the pleasure of seeing ordinary household clutter reimagined as furniture and tools, and you don't mind a children's story that takes its small world seriously.

Skip it if you want fast action or a sharp modern pace, since this is leisurely, gently old-fashioned television with a 1990s look and slow stretches between its small adventures.

What it asks of you: Twelve half-hour episodes over two series, a light and unhurried commitment; it rewards patience with its gentle episodic rhythm more than sustained concentration.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Fraggle Rock1983

Jim Henson's puppet world is similarly detailed and lived-in, built from scraps and imagination. The Fraggles face real danger and genuine relationships; it treats its young audience as intelligent.

But The puppetry is dated and occasionally creaky. Some episodes veer toward whimsy that doesn't land.

The Box of Delights1984

A BBC classic with the same attention to wonder and production design. It builds a magical world that feels internally consistent, with real menace beneath the enchantment.

But It's unabashedly mythological and Christmas-coded, which won't appeal to everyone. The pacing is deliberate rather than brisk.

The Tale of Despereaux2008

An animated feature about small creatures navigating a world of giants, with visual invention and emotional sincerity. It respects the source material and its audience equally.

But The animation style is very 2000s CG. The sentimentality occasionally tips into saccharine.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Borrowers

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Arrietty2010

Both adaptations of Mary Norton's The Borrowers, but where the BBC version is cozy and theatrical, Ghibli makes it mythic and heartbreaking. Two completely different answers to the same story.

Studio Ghibli's adaptation of the same source material. It's visually transcendent—watching humans become giants through a borrower's eyes is achingly beautiful. A complete reinvention that honors what made the original magic.

But Japanese animation for a British story creates tonal shifts some find jarring. If you love the BBC version's particular charm, this is so different it might disappoint.

The Looming Tower2018

Finnish adaptation of Tove Jansson's books: strange, gentle, beautifully drawn. The Moomins' world operates by its own logic, and the stories trust you to follow without explanation.

But The pacing is slow and meditative. If you want action-driven narrative, this will feel like watching paint dry.

Watership Down1978

Animated epic about small creatures surviving in a hostile world. It's thrilling, visually stunning, and unafraid to show real consequences—a masterpiece of adventure storytelling.

But It's genuinely dark and violent. Not suitable for very young children; even older kids might find the brutality unsettling.

The NeverEnding Story1984

A fantasy adventure that enters a book and discovers a world operating by its own laws. Like The Borrowers, it's fundamentally about imagination reshaping reality.

But The special effects are very 1980s and some sequences are genuinely frightening. The second half loses momentum.

Danger Mouse1981

A charming animated series about small mice living in a postbox, solving crimes and navigating a world scaled for humans. It's silly but crafted with real affection.

But The animation is crude by modern standards. The humor is very much of its era and some jokes land flat.

The Thief and the Cobbler1993

Released the same year as The Borrowers, both celebrate human creativity and resourcefulness. But where Borrowers is intimate, this is epic and baroque—the same instinct, vastly amplified.

Hand-drawn animation of staggering intricacy—every frame is a painting. It's about ingenuity and making something from nothing in a world where you don't belong. Visually, it's unlike anything else.

But The production was famously troubled; the final cut is a compromise. The narrative is deliberately surreal and won't satisfy anyone wanting a conventional plot.

Over the Garden Wall2014

Both are small-scale adventures animated by intelligence rather than action. But Borrowers is fundamentally optimistic about human ingenuity, while Over the Garden Wall asks darker questions about what happens when you're lost.

A miniseries where children wander into a fairy tale and must use their wits to survive. It's atmospheric, genuinely creepy, and structured with storytelling economy that's becoming rarer. Haunting in the best way.

But It's autumnal and melancholic rather than whimsical. Some found it depressing rather than adventurous; it earns darkness rather than suggesting wonder.