Milkshake! Commissions Reu and Harper’s Wonderworld

Channel 5’s Milkshake! has commissioned the mixed-media series Reu and Harper’s Wonderworld, which celebrates the richness of cultures in the U.K.

Reu and Harper’s Wonderworld will take the audience on a cultural journey through playdates, where Reu and Harper meet other children who live in the U.K. and are invited into their family homes to explore and celebrate the culture and customs of other countries.

Across the series, Reu and Harper will learn greetings in another language, play games, learn about the flag, traditional crafts and dances, and taste food from countries from all around the world through meeting their playdate and learning about the heritage of the family.

Produced by Doc Hearts, the 20×11-minute factual entertainment series will debut at weekends on Milkshake! on May 20 to coincide with the UNESCO World Day for Cultural Diversity (May 21).

Kemi Majeks, Milkshake!’s longest-serving presenter, voices Wonder Pad, an anthropomorphic magic tablet that provides Reu and Harper with facts about the country and the kid they’ll be visiting for the playdate in each episode.

“We’re delighted that Reu and Harper’s Wonderworld, a show that celebrates the U.K.’s multicultural society, is joining Milkshake!” said Louise Bucknole, general manager and VP of kids and family for the U.K. and Ireland at Paramount. “It’s essential to represent children’s lives and their family culture authentically, and it’s a great way to feature this through a playdate and being welcomed into a new friend’s home. Reu and Harper’s Wonderworld will help kids understand the cultures of other countries while also learning about their respective traditions and customs through play, food and games in a really relatable way.”

“This is really a dream come true type commission for our company, and I’m so pleased that the world will get to see something that literally started on a play date with my own children,” said Andy Mundy-Castle, director at Doc Hearts. “It was an obvious direction to work with The Grimwades again, but this time with the two youngest stars. At Doc Hearts, we somehow feel it’s our duty to give all voices in Britain a chance at being seen and heard; given how hard people work to divide our collective sense of unity, we take it upon ourselves to inform the minds of the nation positively. With Reu & Harper’s Wonderworld, we’re doing just that for the most impressionable preschool minds; it’s very brave that Milkshake! got behind this idea and they’ve been ultra-supportive throughout. I’m hoping this connects with audiences far and wide.”