by FilmInk Staff
Expanded agreement delivers nearly 100 hours of content, including Australian premieres of Zog, Rafi the Wishing Wizard and Crookhaven on ABC Kids and ABC iview
BBC Studios has strengthened its long-standing partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) through a deal comprising nearly 100 hours of premium first-window and fan-favourite Kids and Family titles – building on a collaboration that has spanned decades.
As part of the new content deal, ABC will premiere Zog, the CG-animated series from Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning production company Magic Light Pictures, and based on the award-winning books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. It follows Zog the dragon, Princess Pearl and Sir Gadabout as they come together to care for the weird and wonderful inhabitants of their fantastical world. The launch further strengthens the presence of the Zogbrand in Australia, with BBC Studios handling global sales for the series and representing licensing rights outside the UK and Europe, where those rights are retained by Magic Light Pictures.
Also premiering are two productions from the BAFTA and Emmy award-winning BBC Studios Kids & Family, Rafi the Wishing Wizard and Crookhaven. Animated sitcom Rafi the Wishing Wizard follows seven-year-old Rafi Martin, a determined young wizard learning to use her very own wishing wand. But there’s one twist: Rafi can only make one wish a day and it always runs out, usually when she least expects it. Crookhaven, adapted from JJ Arcanjo’s global hit book series, is a thrilling mystery adventure that follows a group of gifted young crooks who, at the secret British boarding school Crookhaven, are taught to perfect their skills to do good, bring balance, justice and order to the outside world.
Other Australian premieres include Dodge’s Pup School, season 2 of Horrible Science and Deadly 60 season 7, with the deal also securing select seasons of Horrible Histories, Hey Duggee, Supertato and more, which have been beloved programmes on ABC for many years.
Deborah Tod, BBC Studios ANZ Director of Content Partnerships and Sales said, “ABC is a valued long-term partner and a trusted destination for exceptional children’s content in Australia, making it the ideal home for this outstanding suite of engaging and inspiring shows. Our partnership has continued to evolve alongside audience demand for premium content, and this latest agreement reflects our shared commitment to delivering distinctive storytelling across genres and platforms. Together, we are bringing audiences of all ages access to the very best in children’s programming, entertainment and factual content.”
Maria-Nicole Miriklis, Acquisitions Manager ABC said, “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with BBC Studios, bringing more outstanding and much-loved children’s programs to our platforms. These compelling series will engage and entertain Australian children and families while reflecting the quality content our audiences value.”
In addition to the new premium kids package, the Australian Broadcaster will also premiere Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure and Wild London, both presented by David Attenborough, as well as six-part comedy The Reluctant Vampire from production company Boffola Pictures, which BBC Studios has a minority investment stake in. The series follows young vampire Val (Lenny Rush, Am I Being Unreasonable?) who is hiding a secret as big as his cape: he is in fact alive, not undead, and must navigate his newly discovered human side while juggling the expectations of his tradition-obsessed father, the suspicions of his brother, and the support of the only family member who knows the truth, his mother.
Aussie listeners can also access more than 120 hours of their favourite BBC podcasts via ABC Listen through an existing audio deal with ABC, including Stalked and You’re Dead to Me.
Zog launches at 6:25pm on Saturday 22 August on ABC Kids and ABC iview.
To watch or listen to BBC Studios-distributed content on ABC, check out ABC Channels, ABC iview and ABC Listen. You can also listen to BBC Podcasts via BBC.com and the BBC App.
