UK-based children’s radio station and podcast network Fun Kids has announced a new audio drama series set in World War Two.
The 11-part weekly children’s series titled Badger and the Blitz is narrated by actor and comedian Kerry Godliman, and follows the story of a dog named Badger and 12-year old Jack Chippett - played by School of Rock stage actor Devon Francison - on a mission to save Britain’s pets during the war.
Although the characters are fictional, the story is rooted in real-life events that occurred during the first few weeks of the war, in which 750,000 pets were euthanised in preparation for food shortages and to spare them from the events of the war.
“When I first heard the story of Badger and the Blitz, I knew I wanted to be involved,” said Godliman. “I’m sure the heart-warming story of Jack and Badger set against the real-life events of World War Two will entertain and enthrall in equal measure.”
Badger and the Blitz is produced by ROXO and funded by the Audio Content Fund, a pilot scheme supported by the UK government and dedicated to funding original UK broadcast productions. The fund distributed grants worth £3.7 million during its pilot scheme and was launched under the UK Government’s three-year Contestable Fund pilot, which ran from 2019-2022.
Episodes of Badger and the Blitz will be released on Fridays on all podcast platforms, and as a radio show available on DAB Digital Radio nationwide or on the Fun Kids website online. Ad-free listening for the podcast is also available on the Fun Kids website and Apple Podcasts for subscribers of the Fun Kids Podcasts+ channel.
The subscription service was launched in January this year and allows subscribers to access ad-free content and bonus episodes across 33 Fun Kids original podcasts as well as access to Fun Kids’ flagship shows’ entire back catalogue of previous content, available as box sets.
"We're always excited to provide different, exciting content for children. Badger and the Blitz is a great story, beautifully told with superb acting and great narration from Kerry Godliman, and lovely sound design and production from ROXO,” said Fun Kids station manager and British Podcast Awards co-founder Matt Deegan. “This is a great entry point for kids to both learn about World War Two as well as follow an engaging, surprising story.”
