Deals round up: WildBear unveils MIPCOM slate; Cineflix explores ‘History of Sitcom’; Dandelooo picks up ‘Our Piggy’

Demolition Down Under

WildBear unveils MIPCOM slate

WildBear International, the distribution arm of Australian factual prodco WildBear Entertainment, has unveiled its new slate of shows for MIPCOM.

Among them are Gem Hunters Down Under (6 x 60-minutes), a new observational documentary series that follows the quest of five gem hunter crews as they face extreme weather, intense danger, mega machines and risky adventures.

The World War: 1914-1945 (6 x 60-minutes) explores how the world went and stayed at war for so much of the 20^th century, while The Bomber: Terror of World War II (6 x 60-minutes) tells the definitive history of the bomber – the airborne weapon that changed not only the battlefield but also war itself.

Other titles include The 100 Days (6 x 60-minutes), Nature’s Mass Attacks (2 x 60-minutes), Extreme Snakes (2 x 60-minutes) and the fourth season of Demolition Down Under (6 x 60-minutes).

Michael Tear, CEO of WildBear Entertainment and WildBear International, said: “Having already secured international commissions and pre-sales partners for many of these titles, we are now excited to be bringing the slate to MIPCOM and look forward to meeting face-to-face with buyers in Cannes.”

History Of Sitcom

Cineflix explores ‘History of Sitcom’

Cineflix Rights has acquired CNN Original series History Of The Sitcom, which will be launched ot international buyers at MIPCOM.

The 8 x 60-minute series from Cream productions features scores of original interviews with sitcom icons including Norman Lear, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Kim Fields and Tim Allen.

Felicia Litovitz, VP of acquisitions, North America, Cineflix Rights who closed the deal with CNN said: “History of the Sitcom reunites viewers with some of their favourite TV characters and storylines, while also exploring how sitcoms have reflected—and affected—cultural change over the years.”

Our Piggy

Dandelooo picks up ‘Our Piggy’

French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo has acquired global distribution rights to children’s series Our Piggy.

The 52 x 2-minute 2D animated series from Czech producers Bionaut follows the porcine protagonist as discovers the magic of ordinary objects and invites children into his extraordinary world through inquisitiveness and play.

Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, co-founder of Dandelooo, said, “I fell in love immediately with this series which illustrates the well-known quote “keep it simple”.  Bionaut is one of the most talented studios in Central Europe and we are proud to distribute their programs internationally”.

The Missing Children

ABC Australia & Canal+ seek ‘The Missing Children’

ABC Australia and Canal+ in France are among a slew of global broadcasters to acquire docuseries The Missing Children, following deals with distributor Abacus Media Rights.

Commissioned by ITV in the UK and RTE in Ireland, in association with Topic in the US, The Missing Children – a True Vision and Nevision production – tells the story of the Tuam mother and baby home where 796 babies have disappeared, with some found buried in a sewage tank.

Available as 3 x 45-minute and 1 x 90-minute versions, the series tells the story of survivors and families uncovering the truth.

Abacus has struck deals for the series with broadcasters  ABC and Foxtel in Australia, Canal+ in France and its French-speaking territories, Paramount for Germany, AMC Networks International for Spain and Portugal, Topic for the USA and Canada, TV2 in Denmark, TV4 Sweden, MTV Oy in Finland, VRT Belgium, Bell Media for French Canada, Planète+Crime in France and its French-speaking territories and by Sundance Now for the UK & Ireland.

Meanwhile, Pale Sister, a 1 x 75-minute one woman play produced by Angelica Films and Nevision in association with Riverside Studios, commissioned by BBC Arts, has been picked up globally (excluding the UK) by Marquee TV, the arts streaming service.