Kids round-up: ‘Ricky Zoom’ races into Australia; ‘Malory Towers’ goes global

Ricky Zoom

‘Ricky Zoom’ races into Australia

Australia’s Channel 9 and Nick Jr have both picked up animated preschool series Ricky Zoom for broadcast following deals with Entertainment One (eOne).

The 52 x 11-minute first season will land on Nickelodeon’s preschool channel, Nick Jr, in Australia today, before heading to Channel 9 later in the year.

Monica Candiani, eOne’s EVP of content sales, family brands said: “We’re proud to be bringing Ricky Zoom to audiences in Australia by extending our partnership with Nickelodeon and welcoming Channel 9 as our terrestrial partner in the region.

“Ricky Zoom is an action comedy adventure series with real heart and these latest deals are testament to the strong appeal of the show.”

Malory Towers

‘Malory Towers’ goes global

Networks and streamers in the US, Canada and Europe are among those to pick up boarding school-set kids series Malory Towers for broadcast following a wave of international deals with children’s entertainment company WildBrain.

Based upon the book series by Enid Blyton, the 13 x 30-minute first season of the show was co-produced by WildBrain and UK prodco King Bert Productions for WildBrain Television’s Family Channel in Canada and CBBC in the UK.

The series has now been picked up by broadcasters and streamers including: BYUtv in the US, CBC’s streaming service CBC Gem in Canada, ABC in Australia, ZDF in Germany, DR in Denmark, YLE in Finland, SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway, Toonix and HBO in the Nordics and CEE, and Hot in Israel.

Cheryl Taylor, head of content for BBC Children’s, commented: “Malory Towers set the template for popular British boarding school stories and it’s no surprise that so many territories have responded to this classic title.

“Darrell Rivers is a truly iconic character – sparky, independent and a fierce warrior against injustice. She shone a bright light on the potential of all girls at a time when expectations were very limited. The books have inspired generations of young readers and we’re delighted that so many young viewers are getting the chance to meet Darrell and her friends.”