BBC Children’s and Education has announced new commissions aimed to bring family audiences together, with productions from Hungry Bear with MGM and from Lime Pictures.
Girl Troop vs Aliens (10 x 25’) is a new live-action comedy adventure that sees a quartet of 12-year-olds take on extra-terrestrials. Best friends Tilda, Kiara, Ruby and Ginny are all members of the Brighthawks – a global outward-bound association for girls – and their troop are hosting this year’s annual summer camp. They’re thrilled to welcome other Brighthawk troops from around the world… but they are about to discover that some attendees have come from much, much further afield!
Based on the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe show, the series is created by playwright Madeleine Perham with lead writer Julia Kent (Malory Towers, Hunter Street).
Girl Troop vs Aliens is filmed in Liverpool, produced by Lime Pictures for CBBC with worldwide distribution rights handled by Boat Rocker Studios.
Gladiators: Epic Pranks,which debuted on CBBC and BBC iPlayer in February this year, will return. Nitro is back as the main prankster, but this time the other Gladiators will be getting in the action. Taking part in the Gladiator Prank Challenge – daring each other to do silly things in public – and pranking the audience at Sheffield Arena and each other behind the scenes. Building on the success of the first series, series 2 will consist of 20 x 15 minute episodes.
Gladiators: Epic Pranks 2 (20 x 15’) is made for CBBC by Hungry Bear and MGM, producers of hit show Gladiators.
Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Commissioning 7+, BBC Children’s and Education, says: “Gladiators: Epic Pranks has been a huge hit with our audience so it’s only right we bring it back for more silly antics and outrageous fun. Audiences will also love the brand-new title Girl Troop vs Aliens, as our brave squad of girls take on an enemy that is literally out of this world! Both commissions demonstrate our commitment to delivering high-energy, high-quality homegrown content that brings families together and keeps kids laughing, guessing, and inspired.”
Gladiators: Epic Pranks (15 x 15’) is a Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK production for CBBC and BBC iPlayer commissioned by Sarah Muller, Senior Head of BBC Children’s Commissioning 7+ and the Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Melissa Hardinge.
The Executive Producers are Dan Baldwin and Lou Brown for Hungry Bear Media, and Barry Poznick and Dom Bird for MGM Alternative UK.
The original American Gladiators series was created by Johnny C. Ferraro and Dan Carr and developed by Johnny C. Ferraro.
Pippa Considine
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