Hogfather Film (2006): Age Guide & Where to Watch

Name: Hogfather
Released: 2006-11-27
Duration: 190 min
Cast: David Jason, Marc Warren, Michelle Dockery, Ian Richardson, John Franklyn-Robbins

The CineClaus Christmas score

Festive Factor

Christmas all the way through.

Two paper elves inspect a miniature toy shop, four tusked boars and an empty red sleigh beside a sack of presents on snowy cobbles. — A little magic in the making.

Five ingredients make the Festive Factor.
Open an ingredient to find out more.

Christmas in the storyIt can't exist without Christmas.30/30

What we ask: Take Christmas out. Does the plot survive? Worth up to 30 of the 100 points.

A world dressed for ChristmasVisibly Christmas for most of it.15/20

What we ask: How much of the running time is visibly Christmas? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

The little seasonal details3 of the 10 kinds of Christmas icon we count turn up on screen.5/15

What we ask: How many kinds of Christmas icon turn up on screen: trees, lights, snow, carols and the rest? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

A Christmas heartHow far the ending rests on goodwill, family and belief: substantially.15/20

What we ask: Does the ending depend on what Christmas means: goodwill, family, redemption, belief? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

A returning traditionNiche at Christmas (under 25,000).3/15

What we ask: Is it actually watched at Christmas in the UK? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

62/100

Cosiness Rating Rating

Mostly warm in tone. Real jeopardy, but survivable. A happy ending.

How we score →

What do these scores mean?

Festive Factor measures how Christmassy a film is. Five ingredients add up to 100: story (30), setting (20), seasonal details (15), emotional heart (20) and returning tradition (15).

Cosiness is a separate score for warmth of tone, sense of safety, visual comfort, a reassuring ending and how easily you can settle into it.

How the Festive Factor works →

The story

About Hogfather

On the eve of a fantasy world's midwinter festival, a hired assassin is paid to get rid of the jolly, gift-bringing figure at the heart of it. With the festival, and quite possibly the next sunrise, at stake, the Grim Reaper puts on the red robe and false beard and does the rounds himself. Meanwhile his level-headed granddaughter, working as a governess, sets out to discover what has become of the real thing.

The CineClaus verdict

Festive by analogue, and a better seasonal film than plenty of the real thing.

The festival is invented, but the true subject is belief and why the season matters, which puts it closer to Christmas than most films with a tree in every shot. Ian Richardson's voice work is the pleasure here, and Marc Warren makes a properly unsettling villain.

Across its full length it sags in the middle, and the jokes land hardest with Pratchett readers. Take it in instalments over dark December evenings with a teenager who likes fantasy.

The family desk

Can the kids watch?

PG

Our take: best from about ten or eleven up, since a genuinely chilling villain, a bogeyman and real jeopardy make it too much for small children, and three hours is a long sit anyway.

BBFC advice: Contains moderate fantasy violence.

Content advice & accessibility

Where the advice comes from: The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), checked 19 Oct 2026.
Our age guidance: Editorial, separate from the official PG certificate, and never looser than it.

Read the BBFC record ↗ (opens in a new tab)

The people behind the film

Cast and crew

The faces in front of the camera, and the people who brought the story to life.

Main cast

In billing order

David Jasonas Albert

Marc Warrenas Jonathan Teatime

Close photograph of Michelle Dockery, a woman with dark hair pinned loosely back, wearing gold hoop earrings and a black top.

Michelle Dockeryas Susan Sto Helit

Colour photograph of Ian Richardson, a fair-haired man in a grey herringbone suit and navy tie, caught mid-sentence.

Ian Richardsonas Death (voice)

John Franklyn-Robbinsas The Dean

Behind the camera

Directed by

Vadim Jean

Step into the story

Filming locations

The real places behind Hogfather. Choose one to explore.

Find it on the mapSutton House, Hackney

Map shows the selected place. Drag to explore; use + and − to zoom.

Front of a Tudor-era brick manor house in east London behind iron gates, with a tree on the left and a welcome sign.

Location photograph
Julian Mason from London, UK (Wikimedia Commons, opens in a new tab) · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Filming location

Sutton House, Hackney

UK

Interior and exterior scenes were shot at this Tudor manor house in east London in spring 2005, with a lot of artificial snow laid down for the winter look.

Open in OpenStreetMap ↗ (opens in a new tab)Scene source ↗ (en.wikipedia.org, opens in a new tab)

A little more Hogfather

Film facts &
behind the scenes

For the fans who stay after the credits.

Movie magic

Death needed two performers

Death is split between a voice and a body. Ian Richardson supplied the voice, while Marnix van den Broeke wore the costume and played him on screen.

Read the story

Source: denofgeek.com ↗ (opens in a new tab)

On set

Richardson's last Discworld job

Ian Richardson, the voice of Death, died shortly after the Sky One broadcast in December 2006.

Read the story

Source: denofgeek.com ↗ (opens in a new tab)

On set

Made as a Christmas event for Sky One

The two-part adaptation by Vadim Jean and his production team, The Mob, was heavily promoted as part of Sky One's Christmas line-up in December 2006.

Read the story

Source: denofgeek.com ↗ (opens in a new tab)

And at a glance

Releases and certificates: 27 Nov 2006: Premiere. Part one and a teaser for part two shown at a London cinema in Mayfair.
17 Dec 2006: First on TV. First shown on Sky One as two parts, on 17 and 18 December 2006.
23 Apr 2007: On disc. UK DVD release, in standard and limited edition packaging.
On television: 24 Dec 2007: Sky One. Repeated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2007.
17 Dec 2006: Sky One. First shown in two parts, on 17 and 18 December 2006.
Past showings, not tonight’s listings.
Awards: Won: British Academy Television Craft Awards 2007, Best Visual Effects.

Sources & a note on these facts

Each production story is linked to its source, in our own words. Ending details stay behind a spoiler reveal.

Death needed two performers - denofgeek.com (opens in a new tab)
Richardson's last Discworld job - denofgeek.com (opens in a new tab)
Made as a Christmas event for Sky One - denofgeek.com (opens in a new tab)
en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)

Good to know

Questions about Hogfather

When was Hogfather first shown?

It had a cinema preview in London on 27 November 2006, then premiered on Sky One in two parts on 17 and 18 December 2006. The UK DVD followed on 23 April 2007.

Who directed Hogfather and who stars in it?

Vadim Jean directed. The cast is led by David Jason, Marc Warren and Michelle Dockery, with Ian Richardson providing a voice.

Where was Hogfather filmed?

Scenes were shot at Sutton House, a Tudor manor house in Hackney, east London, in spring 2005, with a lot of artificial snow laid down for the winter look.