The World According to Grandpa, the multi-award winning children’s series by Manchester’s Saffron Cherry Productions and Grandpa Productions is branching out to the audio world as Audible adds the show to its family listening title roster.
A second series of Byd Tad-Cu, the Welsh language version of the hit show, is also due to air later this year.
Audible, a leading provider of spoken word entertainment, has adapted the sound from the series to be an audio-first, entertaining listening experience, presented in Dolby Atmos, with 25 episodes of series one of The World According to Grandpa to be developed using the audio soundscape from the much-loved TV production, starring original cast members Don Warrington and Sally Lindsay.
Byd Tad-Cu, the Welsh language version produced by Boom Cymru will be returning for a second series that will be airing this autumn on S4C’s pre-school service, Cyw, while the original English language show is currently being developed into a touring stage show by Creative Rights International.
Earlier this month The World According to Grandpa was the only British nominee in an incredibly strong category at the BANFF World Media Festival Rockie Awards, which included Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street, Clutter in the Courtyard and Odd Squad.
The ground-breaking show, which has been commended for its commitment to diversity on screen and behind the camera, has already won Broadcast and VLV awards, and was nominated for two RTS North West Awards, an RTS National Award, and a Content Innovation Award.
The original British TV series features esteemed actor Don Warrington as the Grandpa who answers real questions from children with nonsensical stories, while much-loved actor and Saffron Cherry creative director Sally Lindsay stars as Halifax, the puppet rabbit who sets the story straight. Season one and two are available on My5 and air on Milkshake!, Channel 5’s pre-school block.
This production was supported by the government funded Young Audiences Content Fund, which is managed by BFI and supports the creation of distinctive, high-quality content for young audiences.
“We are thrilled to be part of Audible’s family listening slate and it is incredibly exciting to know we’re going to be taking the stage show out into the world. This, combined with the new series coming out on S4C, will grow an even broader audience for The World According to Grandpa.”, said executive producer, and MD of Saffron Cherry, Caroline Roberts Cherry.
Writer and creator of The World According to Grandpa, Chris Heath, added: “I’m currently lavishing all my love and attention on crafting the Grandpa stage show, which is as exciting as a thing can possibly be. So now that I also discover that Grandpa is going to be available worldwide on Audible, I have become almost dangerously excited. These were always stories that were designed to exist inside kids’ imaginations and nothing promotes imagination more than an audiobook, and a live stage experience!”
Aurelie de Troyer, head of content UK and Canada at Audible, added: “The World According to Grandpa is a brilliant, informative and well-loved series, with a dedication to representation, and we are delighted to bring the stories from series one to Audible as part of our Family Listening slate. This will be the first time the show has explored an audio only format and both existing fans and new audiences will be able to experience something new from the Audible adaptation. We hope families enjoy listening to The World According to Grandpa together, just as much as we’ve loved working on the project.”
The World According to Grandpa podcast will be available exclusively on Audible from July 20th.
