WildBrain has secured global distribution rights (excluding the UK) to The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (20 x 11’), the forthcoming Sky Original TV series based on the multi-million-copy bestselling Tom Gates book series written and illustrated by Liz Pichon.
WildBrain executive vice president, content partnerships Deirdre Brennan said, “The Tom Gates book series has been a runaway success all the over the world, capturing the imaginations of families through its authentic story-telling, humour and unique graphic style. As the books prepare to make the highly anticipated jump from the page to the screen, we’re confident the series will delight both new and existing Tom Gates fans, internationally.”
Recently commissioned by Sky in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, The Brilliant World of Tom Gates is produced by TG Entertainment Limited and will primarily target kids aged seven to 12. The series is set to premiere on Sky Kids in early 2021, coinciding with the 10th anniversary year of the first Tom Gates book and the publication of the 18th in the series, Tom Gates: Ten Tremendous Tales.
TG Entertainment executive producers Arabella Page Croft and Ken Anderson said: “We are delighted that WildBrain are partnering with us on The Brilliant World of Tom Gates. Everyone has great ambitions for this terrific show. We look forward to many international broadcast partners joining Sky (UK and ROI), Screen Scotland, Scholastic, WildBrain and ourselves on the journey – so even more kids around the world can discover Liz Pichon’s fantastic characters and stories, unlocking more laughter, inspiration and fun!”
Celebrating creativity and fun, the series will bring to life the unique and comic world of Tom Gates through a combination of 2D and stop-motion animation with live action. Each episode will feature an original animated Tom Gates story, interwoven with craft ideas, drawing, interactive games and songs. Tom and his friends will pop-up and interact throughout, and Liz Pichon, also an executive producer working closely on the production, will present the ‘draw it’ section of the series.
Published by Scholastic, Liz Pichon’s award-winning Tom Gates book series has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 44 languages. The heavily illustrated novels, in handwritten font with Tom’s doodles and pictures embellishing the text, are highly relatable for kids, documenting in hilarious detail everyday trials and tribulations at home and school.
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates is produced by TG Entertainment Ltd – a company jointly owned by Black Camel Pictures and Wild Child Animation – with additional investment from Screen Scotland. The executive producers are Ken Anderson from Wild Child Animation, Arabella Page Croft from Black Camel, and author illustrator Liz Pichon. Series director is George Sawyer, series producer is Sueann Rochester, and head writer on the show is Ben Ward (Horrible Histories). Animation production services are provided by Wild Child Animation. Ian France, commissioning editor for Sky Kids, will oversee the production for Sky.