MIPTV Spotlight: Gaumont

CANNES: A number of broadcast partners are already on board Belle and Sebastian, a children’s animated series from the Gaumont catalog that is based on a live-action television show from the 1960s.

Another kids’ highlight is Furry Wheels, an animated comedy that is meant for kids between the ages of 6 and 11. The show is about a hyperactive young sloth who is learning how to become a race-car driver. “We have several new animated series in development and are eager to meet with co-production partners from around the world,” says Vanessa Shapiro, the company’s president of worldwide distribution, TV and animation.

The company is also presenting Trulli Tales, which follows the adventures of four young and talented Wizard Chefs. “It’s part storybook magic with a little MasterChef Junior and a dash of wizardry—there’s nothing quite like Trulli Tales in the market right now,” says Shapiro. “Targeted to upper-preschool children, Trulli Tales was commissioned by Disney Junior EMEA, Rai, Radio-Canada and Globosat, and is co-produced by Gaumont, Groupe PVP, Congedo Culturarte and Fandango.”

In addition, Gaumont is offering up the six-part murder-mystery event The Frozen Dead, which was shot in a Nordic noir style but is set in the French Pyrenees. The series is directed by Laurent Herbiet, who also directed Malaterra, the French version of Broadchurch.

The series The Art of Crime pairs a hot-headed detective with an art historian from the Louvre. Their relationship is “like fire and ice as they delve into mysteries that that really capture French culture and history in a way that we believe is a first,” says Shapiro. “With the procedural drama The Art of Crime, we are taking crime series to a new level to intrigue audiences all over the world.”

She adds, “After a very successful run, we are now entering our second-cycle sales for the award-winning Hannibal.” The series explores the early relationship between Dr. Hannibal Lecter and the young FBI criminal profiler Will Graham.