A Christmas Gift from Bob (2020)

In 2016, audiences across the world were swept away by ​A Street Cat Named Bob​, which detailed the powerful way in which animals can alter the course of our lives and leave paw prints on our hearts. James Bowen’s life was forever changed when he met Bob. The pair shared a rare bond that eventually catapulted them to fame, allowing James to leave behind his difficult life busking on the streets and counting pennies for a world of literary launches and TV interviews. This is where ​A Christmas Gift from Bob ​begins – with book signings, fancy parties and agents calling for a second novel.

Then, in a Dickensian flashback to “a Christmas past”, prompted by a police officer’s mistreatment a young busker, we find out about the most recent festive season that Bob (who is played by the real cat himself, before his death in June 2020) and James (Luke Treadaway) spent together. Struggling to survive financially, the latter sells the big issue and busks throughout London, nearly always accompanied by his four-legged friend. However, when an animal protection service threatens to remove the feline from Jame’s care, it seems as though all hope is lost.