[caption id="attachment_131000" align="aligncenter" width="612"] A tortoise is a turtle, but a turtle isn't a tortoise. Got that? Explanation here. (BBC1)[/caption] “I love you so much,” coos Dame Judi Dench to her pet tortoise Alfie in the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot (tortoise backward). Dustin Hoffman’s character, Mr. Hoppy, overhears these three words, and oh so wishes they were directed at him. The American expat has a bit of a crush on his neighbor Mrs. Silver, to say the least. Mrs. Silver pays all of her attention to her tortoise, giving Mr. Hoppy an idea on how to win her affection. You can check out the trailer for the made-for-TV film, co-written by Love Actually’s Richard Curtis and his Vicar of Dibley co-writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, and narrated by James Corden below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=165NXvc4JIw Here's peek at the original book cover with illustrations: [caption id="attachment_131002" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Esio Trot was published in 1990. (Viking Press)[/caption] Esio Trot will air on BBC One on New Year’s Day at 6:30pm in the U.K. There's no release date in the U.S. as of yet, but we'll let you know when that changes. What do you think of the American/British courtship? See More: Brit Binge Watching: Five Roald Dahl Adaptations Available Online Steven Spielberg to Direct Film Adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The BFG’