Even Baddies Wear Helmets

The time has come... Episode 8 is here - the FINAL episode of series 1 of Even Baddies Wear Helmets, the podcast all about children’s TV and the big kids who make it happen. And we’re going out with a bang! This episode is all about SITCOM - writing the funnies, the antics, the gaffs and the mishaps. Our guest is the marvellous Anthony Q. Farrell, whose CV boasts an impressive range of credits, from The Office to Nickelodeon’s Thundermans. Anthony is the creator and showrunner of The Secret Life of Boys, an original sitcom produced by Zodiak Kids for CBBC and ABC (Australia). The series follows a young Australian girl, Ginger, who goes to the UK to spend the summer with her cousins - a group of unruly, messy and loveable boys. The first series aired in 2015, and the fifth and final series in January 2021. Anthony is also showrunner on two upcoming interlinked sitcoms - The Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker (marblemedia and Beachwood Canyon Productions.)In our series finale, we talk about family and the challenges of showrunning two series at once, and ask the all-important question: What Would Kermit Do?THE TEAMHosted by Billie Collins Website: https://billiecollins.co.uk Twitter: @_BillieCollins Produced by Clodagh Chapman Website: https://clodaghchapman.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @CloChpmn Music by Finlay Stafford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystafford Logo designed by Lucy Tiller Insta: @lucyjaneillustrates Twitter: @lucyjtiller For more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s here - the penultimate episode of series 1! And it’s all about the awkward years - from first crushes to volcanic fall-outs, we’re talking TEEN DRAMA. The teen audience can be one of the hardest to get right - how do you stay relevant without being cringeworthy? How do you handle issues sensitively without patronising anyone? We’re here to find out. Our guest this week is Holly Phillips. Holly is best known for creating and showrunning the teen series Get Even for BBC iPlayer and Netflix. Based on the novels by Gretchen McNeil, it follows a group of teenage girls at an elite private school who band together to get revenge on bullies. But things take a turn for the worse when they are accused of murdering one of their previous targets… Holly is also lead writer and creator of The Athena for Sky, and has written for teen shows such as Dance Academy 2, Nearly Famous (E4) and Sugar Rush (Channel 4). Her children’s credits include So Awkward, Millie Inbetween and 4 O’Clock Club (all CBBC). In this episode, we talk about first times, thrillers, and Dawson’s Creek. Strap in, the teens have arrived! THE TEAM Hosted by Billie Collins Website: https://billiecollins.co.uk Twitter: @_BillieCollins Produced by Clodagh Chapman Website: https://clodaghchapman.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @CloChpmn Music by Finlay Stafford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystafford Logo designed by Lucy Tiller Insta: @lucyjaneillustrates Twitter: @lucyjtiller For more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we’re talking about presenting for preschool TV. Our guest is the fantastic Sita Thomas, who has been a presenter on Channel 5’s Milkshake! since 2015. As a presenter, Sita introduces TV shows, shares arts and crafts skills, teaches us about different cultures and traditions, leads us in dance routines and much more. Presenting is an incredibly varied role, demanding huge amounts of energy, enthusiasm and skill - and Sita’s here to tell us how it’s done. As well as being a presenter, Sita is a director and movement director, having worked with National Theatre Wales, Tamasha, the National Youth Theatre, Out of Joint and many companies and organisations. She’s also an academic, teaching and lecturing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and has been a guest lecturer and personal academic tutor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Across all her work, Sita is committed to improving the representation of people from marginalised communities across stage and screen. You can find out more about Sita here: https://www.sitathomas.com/. Or follow her on Twitter: @SitaThomas5. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s time for episode 5 - we’re over halfway through series one! This week we speak to the incredible Stephanie Simpson, Head Writer on the Netflix smash-hit Hilda, about writing for animation. Based on the graphic novels by Luke Pearson, Hilda follows a young girl as she moves from the wilderness to the city of Trolberg - making new friends and embarking on fantastical adventures along the way. The series won Best Children’s Animation at the BAFTAs in 2019, and Stephanie’s writing on the show saw her receiving nominations and wins at the Annie Awards and the Daytime Emmys. Stephanie has also been head writer on Cbeebies’ Octonauts, and has written for other children’s favourites including Arthur and Barney. In this episode, host Billie tries to keep a lid on her fangirling, and we talk about environmentalism, mother-daughter dynamics and the joys of elvin paperwork. THE TEAMHosted by Billie Collins Website: https://billiecollins.co.uk Twitter: @_BillieCollins Produced by Clodagh Chapman Website: https://clodaghchapman.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @CloChpmn Music by Finlay Stafford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystafford Logo designed by Lucy Tiller Insta: @lucyjaneillustrates Twitter: @lucyjtiller For more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve chatted to writers, actors and producers - now it’s time to talk about directing! In Episode 4 we’ll be thinking about how to give acting notes to kids, directing mini-music videos and just how many people it takes to puppet a rabbit from Stockport. Our guest this week is Alex Jacob. Alex has directed on a multitude of shows, including Casualty, Doctors, Hollyoaks and Moving On. When it comes to kids’ content, he’s directed episodes of Tracy Beaker spin-off The Dumping Ground, the rap-filled-comedy 4 O’Clock Club (both CBBC), and the brand new Channel 5 preschool show, The World According to Grandpa. For context - we recorded this episode the week that ‘My Mum Tracy Beaker’ came out on CBBC/iPlayer.We hope you’ve enjoyed the series so far - if you have, it would be lovely to hear from you! Drop us a tweet @EvenBaddiesPod.THE TEAMHosted by Billie CollinsWebsite: https://billiecollins.co.ukTwitter: @_BillieCollinsProduced by Clodagh ChapmanWebsite: https://clodaghchapman.co.ukTwitter/Insta: @CloChpmnMusic by Finlay StaffordFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystaffordLogo designed by Lucy TillerInsta: @lucyjaneillustratesTwitter: @lucyjtillerFor more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back with another episode of Even Baddies Wear Helmets! And, oh boy, is it a fun one - this week, we’re talking about voice acting for animation. So buckle in, because there will be pro tips, and there will be silliness. Whether you’re playing a vampire, squirrel or talking train, voice work demands an immense amount of skill, craft and versatility. Luckily, our guest this week has all three in buckets. Rasmus Hardiker has voiced a plethora of animated characters - to name but a few, he’s Alfur in Hilda (Netflix), Fleeker in Floogals (Channel 5), Scott and Alan Tracy in Thunderbirds Are Go! (ITV), Resus Negative in Scream Street, Walter in Dennis and Gnasher, and Count Duckula in DangerMouse (all CBBC). In this episode, Rasmus discusses the joys of improvisation, loveable fools and learning on the job. THE TEAM Hosted by Billie Collins Website: https://billiecollins.co.uk Twitter: @_BillieCollins Produced by Clodagh Chapman Website: https://clodaghchapman.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @CloChpmn Music by Finlay Stafford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystafford Logo designed by Lucy Tiller Insta: @lucyjaneillustrates Twitter: @lucyjtiller For more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re talking about adaptation. Why is there so much of it on kids’ TV? How do you turn a great children’s book into a great children’s show? And what does it take to handle the mammoth popularity of Jacqueline Wilson’s work? Our guest this week is Helen Blakeman. As well as being chair of BAFTA Children’s, Helen has written extensively for theatre, film and TV. She adapted Jacqueline Wilson’s Dustbin Baby and Hetty Feather for CBBC, and is currently working on an animated adaptation of Nizrana Farook’s The Girl Who Stole an Elephant. Helen is also co-founder of Heroic Books, and a trustee of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres. THE TEAM Hosted by Billie Collins Website: https://billiecollins.co.uk Twitter: @_BillieCollins Produced by Clodagh Chapman Website: https://clodaghchapman.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @CloChpmn Music by Finlay Stafford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystafford Logo designed by Lucy Tiller Insta: @lucyjaneillustrates Twitter: @lucyjtiller For more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our very first episode, Billie gets the lowdown from the BFI’s Jackie Edwards on the landscape for children’s content in the UK. They talk branding, funding, development, and pay tribute to "the pink knitted overlords".Jackie is head of the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund, which supports the creation of distinctive, high-quality content for audiences up to the age of 18. Projects they have supported include Channel 4’s Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, E4’s Grime Therapy, and CITV’s Don’t Unleash the Beast. Prior to joining the BFI, Jackie was Content Manager for CBeebies and later Head of Acquisitions and Independent Animation for the BBC. As an Executive Producer, Jackie has worked on shows such as Tree Fu Tom, Octonauts, and The Clangers. She is also Joanna Lumley’s Valentine. Find out more about YACF: https://www2.bfi.org.uk/supporting-uk-film/production-development-funding/young-audiences-content-fund THE TEAMHosted by Billie Collins Website: https://billiecollins.co.uk Twitter: @_BillieCollins Produced by Clodagh Chapman Website: https://clodaghchapman.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @CloChpmn Music by Finlay Stafford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystafford Logo designed by Lucy Tiller. Insta: @lucyjaneillustrates Twitter: @lucyjtiller For more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billie gives us the lowdown on all things Even Baddies Wear Helmets, including a long-awaited title explanation. Plus - a theme tune, created by our in-house muso Finlay Stafford.THE TEAMHosted by Billie Collins Website: https://billiecollins.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @_BillieCollins Produced by Clodagh Chapman Website: https://clodaghchapman.co.uk Twitter/Insta: @CloChpmn Music by Finlay Stafford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finlaystafford/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/finlaystafford Logo designed by Lucy Tiller. Insta: @lucyjaneillustrates Twitter: @lucyjtiller For more content, go to evenbaddieswearhelmets.co.uk or follow us on our socials at @EvenBaddiesPod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.