Friends and Heroes facts for kids

Friends and Heroes is an exciting animated TV show for kids. It tells stories from the Bible and also follows the adventures of two young heroes. The show mixes two types of animation: traditional hand-drawn animation for the main adventure story and computer animation for the Bible stories.

The story takes place a long time ago, between 69 and 71 AD. This was during the First Jewish–Roman War, a big conflict between the Jewish people and the Roman Empire. The show has three seasons, each with 13 episodes. Each season is set in a different famous city: Season 1 is in Alexandria, Egypt; Season 2 is in Jerusalem; and Season 3 is in Rome.

The series was created by Brian D. Brown and Eric J. Danenberg. They also worked on another show called The Storykeepers. From the second season onwards, the show was made in high definition (HD), which means it looked extra clear and detailed. Friends and Heroes has been translated into many languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish.

Did you know that Gary Kurtz, who produced the first season, also helped make famous movies like Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back? That's pretty cool! The show was shown on TV networks like TBN, Smile of a Child TV, BBC TV, and the Australian Christian Channel.

How the Show Works

Each episode of Friends and Heroes usually starts with a quick look back at what happened last time. Then, the catchy theme song plays! The main story is divided into two parts, called Act 1 and Act 2.

In each act, you'll follow the adventures of the characters for about ten minutes. Then, a special part of the show begins: a Bible story! After the second Bible story, the characters usually solve the problem they were facing. Sometimes, an episode even has three Bible stories!

The Story of Friends and Heroes

The show follows the adventures of a brave boy named Macky and his friends as they try to help others during a tough time in history.

Alexandria (AD 69)

The story begins in the year 69 AD, in the ancient city of Alexandria, Egypt. There's a big rebellion happening nearby in a place called Judea. The Roman Empire is trying to stop the Jewish and Christian people who are rebelling. The Roman governor, Tiberius, orders his men, Brutacus and Tobias, to crack down on these groups.

In the first episode, we meet Macky and his family: his parents, Samuel and Diana, and their talking parrot, Pontius. They live in Alexandria and secretly help hide rebels in their home. Samuel's friend, a rebel leader, sends his daughters, Leah and Rebecca, to live with Macky's family for safety.

In the second episode, Macky and Rebecca meet a girl named Portia while riding horses. They soon discover she is the Governor's niece! Portia quickly becomes good friends with Macky's family, but they keep their rebel activities a secret from her.

Episode three introduces Miriam and Nathan, who are Samuel and Diana's friends and also rebels. We also meet their adopted son, Sollie, who is from Africa.

The first season is mostly about Macky and his friends going on journeys and trying to protect rebels. They have to be very careful so the Governor and his men don't find out their secret. But in one of the last episodes, Tobias discovers the truth. This forces Macky and his family to leave Alexandria and find safety elsewhere.

Jerusalem (AD 70)

Macky and Portia arrive in Jerusalem during a very difficult time. The Roman army is surrounding the city, trying to break through its walls. People inside Jerusalem are starving because it's hard to get food in. The Romans are also getting desperate to capture the city.

Outside Jerusalem, Macky meets some important new friends. One is Isaac, an older man who often pretends to be confused. But secretly, he's a very active member of the rebel underground! His house is full of hidden rooms and secret passages, making it a safe place for people in trouble. Here, Macky connects with the rebels, called zealots, who live inside Jerusalem. He soon becomes a messenger, carrying important information between Jerusalem and the outside world.

Inside Jerusalem, Macky meets a girl named Sarah. Macky likes Sarah's strong beliefs, which sometimes causes tension with Portia. He also meets a Roman officer named Lucius. Lucius is a widower with two young children, and he secretly believes in Jesus. He even used to be one of Paul's guards in Rome many years ago.

Macky learns to trust Lucius, and Lucius becomes a valuable secret helper. Macky faces two old enemies from Alexandria: Tobias and Brutacus. As the Roman siege gets tougher, Macky takes bigger and bigger risks. Eventually, he is captured by the Romans.

Portia tries to help him, but she can't get him released. Instead, she makes sure that Macky is sent to Rome. This is Portia's next destination, and it becomes Macky's only hope for freedom.

Rome (AD 71)

When Macky arrives in Rome, he finds himself in a gladiator school. This is a tough place where gladiators are trained to fight in the Circus Maximus, a huge arena. The main rule there is "kill or be killed." Macky doesn't want to kill anyone, so Portia steps in. She talks to a Senator named Antonius, who agrees to take Macky as a slave instead.

Macky soon discovers that Senator Antonius is also a secret follower of Jesus. At night, Antonius puts on a mask and becomes a "Masked Rebel." He goes out to rescue other followers of Jesus from jail or helps them escape from slave owners. Soon, Macky creates his own disguise and starts helping the Senator on his secret missions.

Senator Antonius has an enemy in the Senate named Marcus. Marcus blames all of Rome's problems on the followers of Jesus. He wants to prove that the famous Masked Rebel is actually Antonius. But Antonius is too smart for him. Marcus gets help from Tiberius, Brutacus, Tobias, and Tobias’s mother, Luciana. Luciana is very good at manipulating people and has powerful friends.

Marcus starts to close in on Macky and Antonius. As they face difficult choices, Macky and Portia's friendship grows stronger and more mature.

Voice Cast

The talented actors who bring the characters to life!

Main Characters

• Len Carlson (season 1) and Adam James (seasons 2–3) – Narrator
• Austin Di Iulio – Macky
• Sarah Gadon – Portia
• Cedric Smith – Tiberius
• Tony Daniels – Tobias
• Howard Jerome – Brutacus
• Jamie Watson – Pontius (Macky's parrot!)

Other Characters

Episodes

Here's a list of all the episodes from Friends and Heroes!

Series Overview

Series 1 (2007)

Series 2 (2008)

Series 3 (2008–09)