Belgium's Medialaan Acquires Rights to Nickelodeon Israel's 'The Greenhouse', 'Spell Keepers' and 'Bed & Biscuit'

KESHET INTERNATIONAL KIDS’ DIVISION SIGNS 188 HOUR DEAL WITH MEDIALAAN

Belgium broadcaster picks up Nutz Productions’ THE GREENHOUSE, SPELL KEEPERS and BED & BISCUIT

18 December 2018 – The Kids’ division of leading global producer and distributor Keshet International (KI) has signed another high-volume licensing deal for three of live-action tweens’ and teens’ finished series totally 188 hours of content.

KI has licensed Belgium broadcaster Medialaan all three seasons of the Israeli ratings record-breaking daily-drama THE GREENHOUSE (175×22’), three seasons of the live action series SPELL KEEPERS (150×22’) and three seasons of the sitcom BED & BISCUIT (totaling 51×22’). All of these Hebrew language shows originally premiered on Nickelodeon Israel and Teen Nick exclusively on Yes TV and are produced by Nutz Productions, a subsidiary of the multi-channel media group Ananey Communications. Medialaan will debut all three shows on its popular kids channel VTM KIDS on Saturday 22nd December 2018.

This is the first time Medialaan has picked up any Hebrew-language live action kids’ series, and it follows hot on the heels of KI’s recent agreements with HBO for all three series of both THE GREENHOUSE (175×22’) and SPELL KEEPERS (150×22’), and SIC for three series of BED & BISCUIT (totaling 51×22’) and the first series of SPELL KEEPERS (50×22’).

These three high-volume deals follow KI’s recent strategic move into the kids’ market, first launching a dedicated kids’ division headed by new hire Nicola Andrews, and then establishing an on-going content partnership with Ananey Communications Group – Israel’s leading kids’ content provider – to bring teens’, tweens’ and kids’ programming to a wider global audience.

Nicola Andrews, KI’s Senior Sales and Commercial Director, Kids says, “It is exciting to see there is a growing appetite for high-quality foreign language finished series internationally, particularly amongst broadcasters looking for high-volume deals.”

Medialaan’s Head of Kids, Serge Van Eyck says, “As a leading TV broadcaster in Belgium we are delighted to work together with Keshet International and are convinced that these high-quality and high-volume live action series will appeal to a wide audience. We believe that the stories told in these series are universal and will be warmly appreciated by our Belgian kids.”

Orly Atlas-Katz, CEO Ananey Communications Group says, “We are delighted to witness, again and again, the way in which kids and teens around the world embrace our original award winning productions and fall in love with them, just as kids and teens in Israel did.”

The Greenhouse

Created by Giora Chamizer, THE GREENHOUSE (S1, S2 and S3, totaling 175×22’) centers on a brother and sister who, after losing their mother in a spaceship crash, arrive at an elite boarding school for gifted future leaders: The Greenhouse. They join two competing houses within the school but, only by joining forces can they save the country from a disaster. The Greenhouse has also aired (dubbed in English) on Nickelodeon UK & Ireland, and has also been adapted for an English international version by Netflix. Titled Greenhouse Academy, the English international version has been renewed for two additional seasons (encompassing season two and three).

Teen drama Spell Keepers

Based on original idea by Sivan Shiknagy and Einat Shahak and created by Michal Cooper-Keren, SPELL KEEPERS (S1, S2 and S3, totaling 150×22’) is an exciting, mysterious and fantastical daily-drama series focusing on two strong and determined female heroines – Kirki and Laila. The Spell Keepers are a secret group of good witches called Kadabras, whose role is to protect humanity from supernatural creatures who threaten to harm them. Together, they are the strongest force in the supernatural world. Spell Keepers also airs on Nickelodeon Poland.

Bed And Biscuit

Created by Hagit Bilia and Lior Kfir, BED & BISCUIT (S1, S2 and S3, totaling 51×22’) is a sitcom for younger kids, which takes place in a family-run boarding kennel for dogs in a small village in Israel. Moti is a mediocre lawyer who has had enough of the big city and wants to live a simpler life and spend more time with his only daughter Ori. Together, the energetic father and smart and funny daughter make the move into the country to run their family business – a dog kennel.

About Keshet International (www.keshetinternational.com)
Keshet International is a leading global content and media producer and distributor. It is part of the Keshet Media Group, Israel’s most successful media company.

KI’s portfolio includes seven local production and distribution hubs in addition to its Tel Aviv HQ – Keshet UK, Tresor in Germany, Keshet Asia, Keshet India, as well as Keshet Films and Keshet Studios in the US – and a majority stake in Greenbird Media. KI offers original content developed and produced within this network of companies, as well as curated third party IP. KI’s boutique catalogue of finished content and formats spans a broad range of scripted and non-scripted programming, including drama, comedy, entertainment, game shows, kids’ and factual.

About Ananey Communications Group

Founded by Udi Miron in 1996, Ananey Communications is the leading multi-channel TV firm in Israel. With 11 original lifestyle TV channels and exclusive representation of the Viacom brands in Israel (including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Teen-Nick & Nick Junior), Ananey channels reach a total of 76% of all Israeli households. Founded in 2010, Nutz Productions is the high-end concept and production arm of Ananey, which produces all the original series for the Viacom brands, as well as for other Israeli networks. The company also develops content in close cooperation with foreign production entities, honing its expertise in international productions. Recently, Nutz Productions was commissioned by Netflix to produce its remake production of Greenhouse Academy – an original live-action daily-drama series which was first broadcast for 4 seasons on Nickelodeon Israel and locally produced by Nutz as well.

Also, from HLN:

VTMKZOOM en KADET verdwijnen, maar kerstvakantie begint met 2 nieuwe zenders: VTM KIDS en VTM KIDS JR

De kerstvakantie begint voor Vlaamse kids met een knal. Medialaan lanceert namelijk twee nieuwe kanalen: VTM KIDS en VTM KIDS JR. De twee kinderzenders brengen nieuwe én vertrouwde programma’s, en worden meer dan ooit de plek waar populaire vloggers thuis zijn.
VTMKZOOM en KADET verdwijnen uit het aanbod, maar jonge kijkers zullen hun favoriete titels niet moeten missen. Heel wat programma’s worden door VTM KIDS en VTM KIDS JR overgenomen. Die laatste brengt vooral populaire animatiereeksen voor de allerjongsten. Naast klassiekers zoals Maya De Bij, Heidi en Brandweerman Sam, kan je er vanaf 22 december ook terecht voor nieuwe titels als Nils Holgersson en Arthur en de Minimoys. VTM KIDS is de zender voor oudere kids waarop veel programma’s van eigen bodem te volgen zijn zoals Wakandy, De Buurtpolitie-Extra, K3 Rollerdisco, maar ook internationale successen zoals Tiny, Bed and Biscuit, Spell Keepers, The Greenhouse, Cave Girl en Braniacs.

Aan het aanbod van kinderprogramma’s vroeg op de dag bij VTM verandert niets. Dat ochtendblok brengt onder de noemer VTM KIDS al sinds oktober 2017 de populairste kinderprogramma’s van de Medialaan-zenders tussen 6 en 10 uur en verandert niet. “Vorig jaar hebben we beslist om het ochtendblok, onze kinderprogramma’s online en onze evenementen voor jonge kijkers onder te brengen onder de vlag van VTM KIDS. Dat is bijzonder geslaagd. Het is dan ook logisch dat we de lijn gewoon doortrekken en onze aparte kinderkanalen nu ook gaan profileren onder de noemer VTM KIDS en VTM KIDS JR. Met onze kidszenders bereiken we al elke maand meer dan 400.000 jonge kijkers. Een stevige basis waarop we nu verder bouwen aan de toekomst”, vertelt Serge Van Eyck, Hoofd Kids bij Medialaan.

VLOGLAB Winter
VTM KIDS blijft investeren in eigen producties zoals Wakandy, LOL, Vollenbak Voetbal en K3 Rollerdisco, maar ook in programma’s die zijn afgeleid van VTM-successen zoals De Buurtpolitie - Extra of The Voice Kids - Extra. In de toekomst volgen zeker nog andere creatieve zijsprongen van kindvriendelijke VTM-programma’s. Ook series zoals Pokémon en Star Wars Rebels blijven gewoon lopen. Daarnaast start VTM KIDS vanaf 22 december met een paar internationale successen zoals de spannende serie Spell Keepers, het komische Bed & Biscuit en The Greenhouse over twee groepen getalenteerde jongeren.

Nieuw deze winter is ook VLOGLAB Winter #stories, een serie waarin alle populaire vloggers van VTM KIDS samen winterse avonturen beleven. De vloggers met onder andere Stien Edlund, Michiel Callebout, Angela, Anneleen, Sarah Bossuwé en Tristan zullen op verschillende kanalen actief zijn: op tv, maar ook digitaal. Via YouTube kunnen kinderen ook heel wat extra’s bekijken die niet meteen op de tv-kanalen van VTM KIDS zit.

Online blijven programma’s of extra’s te kijken en te herbekijken op vtmkids.be, in de VTM KIDS-app en via VTM KIDS op YouTube.

###

More Nick: Nickelodeon International Greenlights New Live Action Series 'The Covurts'!

H/T: Rapid TV News, Anime Superhero /@Red Arrow, Google Translate.

---

Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Israel News and Highlights!