Narrative learning

I'm interested in the use of narrative in learning.  I still remember plots to terrible Ninja Turtles cartoons from when I was 10, so I believe there's a real power in narrative to aid in recall of information.  I would like to see what research has been done on this topic, because it has been a dream of mine for a long time to create an animated series that would teach science concepts under the guise of "entertainment".  I know we already have a term for this, "edutainment", but I think most shows I watch with my son on PBS lean much more heavily on the "edu" side of that equation, which makes the whole experience still feel like work, like school.  I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the government grants and the public money these shows run on, but I would be interested in seeing if focusing more on the narrative side would result in a more long-term learning experience.