Lineup lines up raft of deals for Bully format

Fledgling distributor Lineup Industries has sold its buzzy anti-bullying format The Bully Project into the UK, US and other key markets.

The new content company launched in the run up to MIPCOM with The Bully Project one of the formats on its launch slate.

In the UK, Jamie Oliver’s prodco Fresh One has optioned the show and is thought to be close to sealing a deal with a major UK broadcaster.

Claudia Rosencrantz, CCO and director of programmes at Fresh One said: “This format is one of the best factual formats I’ve ever seen.  It has the power to initiate change in the most powerful and moving way, shining a light of hope into the darkness that is the hell of a bullied child’s life.”

In the US, David Goldberg-helmed Banijay Studios North America has optioned the show and will launch it Stateside.

The Skyhigh TV-produced series was a hit for RTL 5 in the Netherlands, generating big ratings and widespread public and political debate. In the show, a victim of bullying secretly films their day-to-day life before sharing the footage with classmates and friends as a team of experts seeks to help.

France’s Reservoir Production has optioned the show and is in discussions with a national network. In Germany, All3Media-baced MME has taken the show and in Italy, unscripted specialist Ambra has optioned it.

In Scandinavia, Norway’s NRK and Denmark’s TV2 have agreed deals for the bullying format and Shine Finland Oy has it in Finland. Asaf Gil’s indie Gil Productions has taken it for Israel.

Julian Curtis, cofounder of Lineup Industries said: “We believe these collaborations will produce bold, sensitively handled, and ultimately impactful versions of this unique format which are relevant to and topical for local audiences.”