Dori Media & Channel 4 Pact for Little Mom Format

The Dori Media Group and Yoav Gross Productions comedy format Little Mom has been commissioned by Channel 4 in the U.K.

With the local title Hullraisers, the adaptation was penned by Lucy Beaumont (Meet the Richardsons, To Hull and Back, Live at the Electric), co-written with Anne-Marie O’Connor (Trollied, Mum, Waterloo Road) and produced by Fable Pictures (Rocks, Wild Rose, Anne Boleyn).

Little Mom, which has been recommissioned for a fifth season in Israel, has already been adapted for French and Polish television. The show is exclusively distributed worldwide by Dori Media and was created and produced by Yoav Gross Productions and creators Lital Schwartz, Shai Ben Atar, Liat Shavit and Yoav Gross. Gil Riva and Roei Florentin are co-creators on the series, which has scripts by Liat Shavit and Shai Ben Atar for Channel 13 Israel.

Hullraisers centers on three women: Toni (Leah), Rana (Taj Atwal) and Paula (Sinead Matthews), looking at their disheveled, messy and joyful lives. The series explores the hilarious and agonizing reality of what it is to be a working-class woman juggling work, kids, friends, family and parents from the school playground—all while trying to have some fun too.

Fable Pictures will produce Hullraisers, with Faye Ward and Hannah Farrell serving as Executive Producers. The series is produced by Lisa Mitchell, directed by Ian Fitzgibbon and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It is set to commence filming in Hull and Leeds this summer.

Nadav Palti, CEO and president of Dori Media Group, said: “We are very excited that the Little Mom format is hitting U.K. screens through Channel 4—a channel well known for airing innovative comedy formats. The original award-winning format in Israel was hugely successful and I am confident that Hullraisers will really resonate with audiences on Channel 4. It is terrific to see that Little Mom’s international presence continues to expand. I would like to formally thank Channel 4 and Fable Pictures for engaging so positively with Dori Media and we look forward to a successful relationship.”

Yoav Gross, CEO of Yoav Gross Productions, added: “This is an exciting moment for us. Little Mom has been one of the most successful comedies we produced in the last few years, and after traveling to Belgium, France and Poland, the fact that Little Mom has been adopted by Channel 4 in the U.K., is an enormous milestone for the show and the company.”

Ami Glam, CCO of Reshet 13 and head of 13Global, said: “I am delighted with the international success of the series. There is no doubt that this comedy will touch the hearts of viewers worldwide. I am proud of the series’ success, creators and great actors.”

Beaumont said: “It’s an absolute privilege and honor to be working with one of the most talented and dynamic production companies in the U.K., and Channel 4, who are absolutely killing it with comedy that raises the bar and pushes boundaries. I’m so excited about showing the world these true Hull characters and the city that has molded them—a city that has kept its talent and attributes hidden for too long!”

Farrell and Ward from Fable Pictures said: “We’re so excited to be making this with Lucy and Anne-Marie. Their scripts capture a version of family life we just don’t see enough on TV. Hullraisers puts the focus on working-class women, their friendships and the lengths they go to keep the show on the road! And with Lucy being Hull through and through, we hope Hullraisers will be a fitting tribute to the city, its people, and their incredible sense of humor. We feel especially lucky to be working with Leah, Sinead and Taj—three comedic powerhouses—and to have the brilliant Ian Fitzgibbon bringing these scripts to life.”

Jack Bayles, commissioning editor for Channel 4, said: “This is a show with a huge heart and a joke rate to match the feels. Led by a trio of wonderfully drawn female characters, we really hope viewers will fall in love with them as much as we have across scripting. We’re thrilled to be working with Lucy, Anne-Marie and the super-talented gang at Fable—and can’t wait to dive into the shoot.”