MIPCOM Spotlight: Gaumont

A drama series for kids and families, Hetty Feather, from the Gaumont catalog, is based on the best-selling book by Jacqueline Wilson.

The show follows the daily battles of a young girl who has lived with kindhearted foster parents until the age of 5 and is then returned to the London children’s home where she was abandoned as a baby. She faces challenges, makes friends and discovers untold truths as she continues to search for her mother.

“It is truly a unique program that could be described as a Downton Abbey for children,” says Vanessa Shapiro, the president of worldwide TV distribution and co-production at Gaumont.

Furiki Wheels, about a hyperactive sloth, is a slapstick comedy. Shapiro describes Trulli Tales as “part storybook magic with a little MasterChef Junior and a dash of wizardry.”

“We have a slate of approximately 20 new children’s series in various stages of development that cater to different age demographics in wide-ranging genres,” notes Shapiro.

Adult-skewing highlights from the company include The Art of Crime, which pairs a hot-headed detective with an art historian from the Louvre. The series is scheduled to debut on France 2 this season

“With the procedural drama The Art of Crime we are taking crime series to a new level of intrigue for audiences all over the world,” says Shapiro. The company is also presenting its first holiday TV movie, “and we expect strong demand for 48 Christmas Wishes,” she adds.

Relationship Status, produced for Verizon’s go90, is also in the catalog. The show stars and is executive produced by Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us). “It is sure to appeal to a wide range of millennials coming into, contending with and looking back at their dating experiences,” Shapiro says. “Relationship Status does a wonderful job of blending the humor and drama of dating in the digital age into a captivating story that draws you in from the very first episode.”