Press release from KidsCo
KidsCo, the international children’s channel, today announced it has commissioned a short-form series with the award-winning Australian TV and film production company, Matchbox Pictures. KidsCo has also acquired the rights to Matchbox Pictures’ widely acclaimed My Place (Series One and Two) from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF).
Hendrik McDermott, Managing Director of KidsCo, added: “Sourcing high-quality international content remains key to our growth strategy. As we continue to invest in and strengthen our programming line-up, working with a prestigious production company like Matchbox Pictures is a great step forward for KidsCo.”
Chris Oliver-Taylor, Managing Director of Matchbox Pictures, commented: “We are thrilled to bring an international audience to our slate of children’s programming and are excited to develop a bespoke short-form series for KidsCo’s global audience.”
To bolster its content offering KidsCo has commissioned a short-formseries, which will air internationally in early 2013 across all KidsCo territories. The series was developed in collaboration with Australian actress, comedian and writer, Julie Eckersley, and the creators of the untitled series, Troy and Zara Swindells-Grose.
KidsCo also acquired My Place (Series One and Two – 26 x 22 minutes), which will broadcast in the second half of 2012 across Eastern Europe and Asia. This moving drama tells the story of children who live in one place over 130 years. The series recently won ‘Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series’ at the 2012 Kidscreen Awards. It was also selected as a finalist at the Prix Jeunesse International 2012 Awards (category: 7-11 fiction), having previously won a number of prestigious awards in Australia including ‘Most Outstanding Children’s Program’ at the Logie Awards in 2009 for series One and again in 2012 for series Two. The series additionally won AFI and AACTA Awards for best children’s drama in 2010 and 2012.
NBCUniversal International announced a controlling stake in KidsCo in 2012 and the company also has anequity stake in Matchbox Pictures.