NHK Picks Up Aussie Kids’ Show

TOKYO, February 4:
Japanese pubcaster NHK has acquired Mortified, a children’s series distributed internationally
by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF).

The 26×24-minute
live-action children’s comedic drama follows the adventures of 11-year-old
Taylor Fry, whose imagination plays out on screen with talking animals and
Egyptian mummies that come to life. Although lively and courageous, Taylor
feels as if she doesn’t belong, and Mortified is about struggling with feeling awkward.

A co-production between
the ACTF and Enjoy Entertainment, the series has already sold to broadcasters
around the world, including: Bayerischer Rundfunk/KI.KA in Germany, Mediaset in
Italy, Disney France, Disney Italy, Disney Latin America, Antena 3 and Cartoon
Network in Spain, BBC Kids Canada, RTE Ireland, as well as others in Sweden,
Czech Republic, French-speaking Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Sri Lanka,
Vietnam, Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

“We are very excited about
Mortified as it is a uniquely
funny series highlighting the importance of family,” said NHK’s senior
producer, Yukihiro Shibata. “We went to MIPCOM to find a kids comedy show from
the U.S., but when we viewed Mortified, we literally fell in love with Taylor Fry. Many kids in Japan, like
Taylor, also struggle with establishing who they are. You could find in Japan
many Taylor Frys.”

He continued: “Aside from
the fact that the script is so well-written and the characters are all very
cute and attractive, I picked out this show because it tells us in a very
unique and funny way that the family is the most precious thing we can ever
have.”

—By Ned Berke