ITV Studios’ Creative Network has partnered with radio prankster Steve Penk for a digital-first comedy: Steve Penk’s Animal Radio FM.
Known as the pioneer of the prank-call, the format “reimagines Penk’s classic comedy for today’s digital viewers”. Set in a surreal and hilarious animated world, Steve Penk’s Animal Radio FM imagines a pirate radio station run by animals.
Perched on the top floor of a crumbling tower block and overlooking a sprawling cityscape, cats, rats, chickens and an ever-growing cast of eccentric creatures operate the pirate station, broadcasting chaos to unsuspecting human callers below.
Combining nostalgia, cutting-edge technology and absurdist humour, the series creates a distinctive new visual universe where human-like radio hosts relive some of Steve Penk’s most outrageous prank calls ever broadcast.
The show’s production design, AI image and video generation, music composition, sound design and final editing were all created by James Abadi of Abadi Films, who developed the format’s distinctive aesthetic using Almation’s Omnigen.
The series is available via dedicated Youtube and TikTok channels, and ITVS digital division Zoo 55 will distribute the series across digital and social platforms.
Speaking of the series, Steve Penk said, “These calls have entertained audiences for years, but seeing them brought to life in this completely unexpected way is something else entirely. The Animal Radio world is weird, funny, slightly unhinged and unlike anything I’ve seen before. I think fans of the original calls are going to love it.”
James Abadi, creative director at Abadi Films, said, “We wanted to build a world that felt believable and completely ridiculous. The idea that a secret pirate radio station run entirely by animals is responsible for some of Britain’s most famous prank calls immediately felt funny. AI has allowed us to create a rich cinematic universe around Steve’s archive and tell these stories in a way that wouldn’t have been possible before.”
Mike Beale, managing director, Creative Network at ITV Studios said, “Our original principle was to explore our new AI tool, Omnigen from AImation which we licensed to enhance our pitch materials and produce proof of concepts, but then this amazing format idea presented itself and it seems like the perfect concept to new push into original digital content with Zoo 55.”
