Karen Vermeulen

VP & Head, Global TV Sales & Co-production, Kids & Family Division, RDF Rights

What are some of your top properties for MIPTV?
Waybuloo: Waybuloo transports children into Nara, a world of happiness and friendship and home to the adorable animated characters called Piplings. The series is unique in its exploration of emotions and relationships and the Piplings and the audience learn together how to relate to friends, family and the world around us.
Yo Gabba Gabba!: A fun, interactive, BAFTA-winning live-action show for young children aged one and up. Join our host DJ Lance Rock as he introduces us to four friendly toy monsters and a robot in a magical land full of music, dance, colourful cartoons and simple life lessons. Muno the red cyclops, Foofa the pink flower bubble, Brobee the green little one, Toodee the blue cat-dragon and Plex the robot are ready to sing, play and teach whenever you want.
Mister Maker: Series one of Mister Maker was officially CBeebies highest rated show and now has two new series transmitting in 2009. Set in a magical studio made of larger than life arts and crafts materials, the series combines live action, graphics and a variety of animation techniques to bring the world of art to life in a modern, fresh and ground-breaking way. This unique and innovative show will inspire kids everywhere to have a go at art.
Escape From Scorpion Island: Two new series for 2010. On this unique show, kids aged between 11 and 14 years-old are divided into teams and marooned on an exotic island thousands of miles from school, friends and parents. They compete to be the first to conquer the island and learn how to escape from it. The challenges and stunts the kids must tackle are like nothing seen on children’s TV before. These are peak time adult games – they have not been simplified, softened or ‘kidified’. The games have been devised by experts from the world of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Fear Factor and Big Brother.
Summer in Transylvania: A fast-paced sitcom revolving around the home, school and social life of fifteen year-old Summer Farley as she struggles to make the best of her new life in Transylvania. Forced to re-locate when her father moves jobs, Summer thought fitting-in would be easy. But she soon realises that, in a neighbourhood populated by zombies, mummies, vampires and werewolves, she’s not the only one who’s bitten off more than she can chew! It isn’t long before Summer and her new friends, a zombie and a werewolf, discover they are not so different after all. There’s no greater nightmare than facing the challenges of high school, dating and friends.

Why will these programs appeal to buyers?
All of our programming tries to bring something slightly different to the market norm and boasts high production values and quality storylines that have universal relevance and appeal to an international audience.

What are your goals and expectations for MIPTV?
We are coming to MIPTV with a very strong development slate. We are eager to talk to prospective co-production partners to come on board on two particular projects: one is an adventure comedy for older preschoolers and the other one is a kung–fu slapstick caper for 6 to 9 year olds. We are also keen to continue our global rollout of Waybuloo—number one UK new pre-school property in 2009.