Waaay back in 2016 I was asked to write a treatment for a zombie radio comedy for kids by the multi-talented Bigmouth Audio. They had a great idea for an audio cartoon with the visually impaired in mind and had some quality ingredients assembled ~ two boys, Max and Sam, a mad scientist called Dr Smillie and a 300 year old zombie curse in a Scottish seaside village.

They also had amazing studios in Glasgow in Toronto and a network of top voice talent!

Bigmouth were big enough – and kind enough – to give me free reign to make some changes: Max became Macs, who himself was visually impaired; Sam became Samantha; Dr Smillie was no longer the main villain (anyone who knows scientists can tell you that  they’re too busy begging for funding to be taking over the world), and instead Voom Buckstop – a proper old skool megalomaniac – became the villain. And villains, if you’re aiming at comedy, are best complete morons. Dr Smillie is way too clever to be in charge. And finally ~ I set the drama in a non-specific town somewhere in North America. The setting was more American Sci-fi than Scottish Supernatural (which is my daily existence, so….the lure of the exotic won out – easily!)

Season One was for BBC Schools Radio, as commissioned by BBC Learning in Scotland and supported by BBC Radio Scotland.

Initially released on the iPlayer, Season One is now to be found on all manner of podcast platforms ~ and did well enough at the 2018 British Podcast Awards to merit more interest from the BBC! Two more seasons were commissioned by BBC Sounds & BBC Children’s Radio ( with Johnny Leagas from BBC Children’s in England, and Anne McNaught from BBC Learning in Scotland at the Editorial helm). 

Season 2’s Trailer was launched on Hallowe’en 2019. 

Season 3 was released in February 2020.

Discussions properly began with the BBC over a possible 4th Series in October of 2020. This time BBC Children’s Interactive & Digital took the helm; with the buck stopping with Mario Dubois! Writing began proper in January of 2021 (I was very distracted by the news!). Writing Series 4 was harder than usual and it took a lot of major re-writes to get it right! I’m just glad that everyone was so patient and ultimately happy with the finished story! I just hope the audience out there likes it too! 

Series 4 was released in August 2021! 

LOVE the artwork by Samuel St.Leger! It so brilliantly captures the mood and atmosphere of the shows! You can see more of Sam’s work here!

Also, thanks to my ZV4 script editor Sophia Morphew for her patience and guidance. And also additional support from Sophie Grundy & Erin Kelly. As ever, thanks to Steve Scott and Phil Feenan (The Big Mouth Big Cheeses) for all their support and giving me so much creative freedom. It’s so much appreciated!

You can find the entire four series on BBC Sounds

Also available on Apple Podcasts and all good Podcast Platforms!