Jason Donovan comes to CBeebies

Brand new animated series Boj starts from Monday 19^th May, bringing the adventures of Boj – a creative, free-spirited young Bilby – and the rest of the community in Giggly Park to CBeebies. Boj’s dad, ‘Pops’ is played by the one and only Jason Donovan, and we chatted to the man himself to find out more about your new favourite CBeebies dad….

Hi Jason, what attracted you to the Boj project?



I think it was appealing to come into a show like Boj because it combines good writing with great songs, fantastic stories and quirky ideas that relate to not just kids but their parents. I find that when I’m watching TV with my daughter Molly it should be a shared experience. It’s a pleasure to be involved in such a well-crafted project.

Have you worked on any animation before?

I’ve done a number of voiceovers in my time but not so much animation. I’m interested in performing and I think interpreting characters for preschoolers is as valuable as for film-goers in their twenties, thirties and forties. It’s about exploring your art really, exploring new characters and developing yourself.

You have children yourself, did that influence your decision to take on the role?

Yes, obviously that’s not the only reason I chose to do it but certainly having younger children helps you to understand what makes them happy. I’m sure when Molly is watching TV and Boj comes on, I’m going to feel proud to have been part of it.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your character, Pops?

Well, he’s an Australian and I’m an Australian. He’s a Dad like me. And he plays a lot of music, which is like me too! As a good Aussie dad Pops is very close to my heart. I'm really looking forward to that special time before my daughter Molly heads off to school when we’ll enjoy watching Boj together.

What, for you, is the best thing about the series?

Well the songs just really stood out for me because that’s the thing that I’ve lived and breathed the most – I think there is something really special there. As performers we love being part of the growth of something, so the whole process has been enjoyable.

Can you tell us more about the songs and music in the show?

The music is written by Mick Cooke from Belle and Sebastian and that is one of the reasons why I have enjoyed the process so much. He’s so cleverly delivered some great songs that I think are going to relate to viewers of all ages.

Pops plays the ukulele, but what are your own ukulele skills like?

I can play guitar badly. I can play a few chords – I’m not really a guitarist but certainly if it’s required I can get by.

How did you arrive at the voice for your character, Pops?

Well that’s a character choice. I think there was a requirement to bring a lot of energy to the dialogue. I really wanted to bring in the enthusiasm of the character and highlight his relationship with his son.

Did you watch lots of animation as a child? Do you remember the pre-school shows you watched back in Australia?

I loved animation but I was sort of brought up on that first wave out of the 1970s. A lot of American cartoons like Wacky Races and Looney Tunes.

How do you think animations have changed since you were a child?

Computers have changed the landscape of how we can produce things but I think the message is always the same. The basic principles haven’t really changed; you still need good scripts, good ideas, a good team of people. Or in this case, great songs too!

Boj starts on CBeebies from Monday 19^th May at 3.50pm.