Halifax-based producer/distributor WildBrain has locked in a first set of international broadcast deals for season one of Malory Towers.

On board to air the series are BYUtv (US), streamer CBC Gem (Canada), ABC (Australia), ZDF (Germany), YLE (Finland), SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), Toonix and HBO (Nordics & CEE) and Hot (Israel).

Based on Enid Blyton’s book series of the same name, the 13 x half-hour live-action show is co-produced by WildBrain and UK prodco King Bert Productions as an official Canada-UK treaty production. It was first ordered by WildBrain Television’s Family Channel (Canada) and CBBC (UK) in July 2019, and WildBrain is managing international distribution outside of the UK.

Malory Towers stars 12-year-old Darrell Rivers, who attends an all-girls boarding school. While the series is set in the 1940s, it touches on current issues such as cliques, FOMO, bullying, crushes and peer pressure. It’s adapted for television by Rachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails. Executive producers for WildBrain are Josh Scherba, Anne Loi and Michael Goldsmith, with Jo Sargent on board as EP for King Bert Productions. King Bert’s Grainne McNamara and WildBrain’s Angela Boudreault are also attached as producers, and the series is directed by Rebecca Rycroft and Bruce McDonald.