If you were a British child growing up in the nineties, you'll realise how exciting the news of the return of Bodger and Badger is.

The ventriloquist actor and his "talking" furry, potato-loving badger companion entertained scores of youngsters through nine series and 10 years from 1989 to 1999 with seemingly endless mashed potato jokes. But the duo's return is underpinned by a more serious note: the two B's have made their comeback in a one-off episode about the planned culling of badgers in Somerset and Gloucestershire - measures that are planned to supposedly rid the country's farms of bovine tuberculosis.

Brian May
Brian May: Part Of "Team Badger."

Bodger and Badger have lent their support to the motion, which argues that the planned cull of 100,000 badgers will have little to no effect on the TB spread. The cull, set to go ahead despite large opposition from members of the public including Queen's Brian May, Slash and David Attenborough, could begin from next Monday evening (26th Aug).

Watch The Bodger And Badger Anti-Badger Cull Video:

Andy Cunningham, the show's writer as well as Simon Bodger actor and Badger's voice, brought the show back temporarily in association with wildlife charity, Care For The Wild. The clip, which can be found on YouTube, may just bring a tear to your eye as the unbeatable duo have barely changed, although Bodger's looking a bit more wizened these days.

The clip opens with the classic mash potato gag where Badger's mixing up some of his favourite snack (still as runny and un-potatoey looking as ever) before he chucks a load into Bodger's face. The video takes a darker turn when Bodger opens a letter that declares the badger cull. Neither know what "cull" entails and so Badger becomes unwittingly involved in the kill-fest.

Brian May Badger Cull
The Anti-Badger Cull Campaign Is Gathering Support.

Speaking to the Brighton Argus, Cunningham has said "For a long time Badger and I didn't think the cull would really happen," describing the actions of those who'd seek out and kill the badgers as "too barbaric to be true." He added "But when we heard this cull was really going to go ahead, Badger and I thought we ought to do something, because the case for culling just doesn't add up."

"The idea is that while Badger and I are having a holiday in Somerset, Badger gets an invitation from the British Government to take part in a local all-night shooting adventure, which we assume must mean paintballing," Cunningham explains. "Badger decides to use something else, and I'll give you a clue...it's not mashed banana."

Fears are mounting for the safety of British badgers as two pilot culls are expected this summer with 5,000 badgers set to be killed in Gloucester and West Somerset. Philip Mansbridge, chief of Care For The Wild, spoke of the organisation's collaboration with the well-loved TV stars: "The episode is typical Bodger and Badger with all the slapstick you'd expect, but the satirical edge to the comedy is very strong."

The Bodger And Badger Theme Song:

More information on the organisation's argument against the cull can be found here. All together now: "bodger and badger, bodger and badger, La La La La La, La La La La La!"