The Challenge

What are the origins of modern society, our collective culture, moral codes and religion? As parents, teachers, broadcasters - citizens - we have all seen the values of our society shift and change, and witnessed the loss of this shared cultural memory in our children.

Our Approach

Based in a fascinating and turbulent period of history, 69-71AD, Friends and Heroes places Bible stories in a vivid historical context. It uses animated adventure stories to introduce a new generation of children, whatever their faith, to the stories of the Old and New Testaments in an appealing, fresh and memorable way. Children love the stories: "Friends and Heroes rocks!" said one recent e-mail. Boys are strongly attracted by the central male characters, the danger and the exciting action!.

This approach - of setting Bible stories in the living context of the people who kept them alive, by passing them on ‘down the line’ to children - runs throughout as a constant motif. It demonstrates the reasons why these stories were preserved and the impact the stories and their preservation had on those who kept them alive. It introduces Biblical stories in an appealing, fresh and memorable way, creating a clear connection between the religious themes and exciting adventure stories by the innovative use of traditional, drawn and computer generated animation. Traditional, drawn animation tells the adventure stories, mixing seamlessly to computer generated animation for the Bible stories, two or three of which are interwoven in each episode.

Children Today and Yesterday

The adventure stories take place almost two thousand years ago, yet Macky and the gang will appeal to today’s children; they are attractive, inspirational, and very real characters…. funny and brave, but just like us in the twenty-first century, they don’t always get things right! They face similar issues and dilemmas to those faced by youngsters today. Their experiences, combined with the stories they tell, will help foster respect for and kindness to others, as well as encouraging tolerance.

The Gift of Knowledge

Friends and Heroes seeks to empower children to listen to their conscience and to make good decisions about respect, kindness, compassion, faith and tolerance, based on knowledge and not ignorance.