‘Itch’.
With a UK deal with the BBC announced last week, Komixx Entertainment’s Itch has also been picked up in the US, Finland and New Zealand.
ABC Commercial has sold the 10 x 30 children’s series to US broadcaster BYU Broadcasting, who has secured FTV, STV and SVOD rights for its family entertainment platform BYUtv, as well as TVNZ and Finnish public broadcaster YLE.
Based on the books from UK television and radio presenter Simon Mayo, Itch follows the follows the adventures of Itchingham Lofte, a science obsessed teenager who pursues the unusual hobby of collecting all the elements on the Periodic Table. When Itch gets his hands on a new, previously unknown element, things start to get interesting.
It stars Samuel Ireland opposite a cast of newcomers including Melanie Wozniak, Charles Russell, Kylah Day, Harry Popple, Henry Mendez and Keala Kern. ABC Commercial launched the series, aimed at 8-to-12 year olds, at MIPJunior last October.
The scripts were written by Melanie Halsall, Dan Berlinka, Ron Elliott, Heather Wilson, Jessica Brookman and Roger Monk. The series produced by Amanda Morrison, Tania Chambers and Melanie Halsall and directed by Renée Webster and Nicholas Verso.
ABC head of content sales and distribution Jessica Ellis said: “This is our first sale to BYUtv, and we are excited to be working together to bring our high-quality content to US audiences. We have built an excellent campaign around Itch which has been well received with buyers in the international marketplace and are pleased to have secured sales to blue chip partners in the UK and now in the US, NZ and Finland.” Ellis added “ABC Commercial continues to work on a new distribution approach that has delivering strong results for our clients and production partners.”
BYUtv MD Michael Dunn said: “Itch is a textbook example of the kind of audacious, exciting content that BYUtv’s audience is clamoring for.
“Young people and their parents will be swept away by the gripping plot and fascinating characters. We’re pleased to work with ABC Commercial to bring such a great family show to the U.S.”