BBC Studios Picks Up Italy’s New School

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BBC Studios has acquired the global distribution rights outside of Italian-speaking countries for De Agostini Editore’s children’s comedy series New School.

The deal covers all three 26×15-minute seasons of the series, as well as two special episodes with an option for any potential formats. New School follows the antics of a group of friends when they start at McGaffin International Middle School and set out to earn a hallowed place on the “Wall of Celebrities,” a wall with pictures of 12 legendary students who have pulled off astounding feats that won the votes of fellow students, who score their exploits on an app.

Written in collaboration with Frank Van Keeken, creator of the BAFTA-winning children’s series The Next Step, New School is the first scripted series to be created and produced by DeAKids and was conceived and developed by the De Agostini Editore team under Alba Chiara Rondelli, head of original production for De Agostini’s TV channels. It is produced by Maestro Productions for DeAKids.

The series will return to the air this fall, with the third season premiering on DeAKids, and the second season on Super!. The third season will be broadcast on Super! in late 2020.

Henrietta Hurford-Jones, director of children’s content at BBC Studios, said: “New School is a fantastic addition to our distribution catalog, its writing is first class—brilliantly funny with characters that really pop, it’s a truly stand out series that will entertain audiences everywhere.”

“We are very proud that our New School sitcom has been included in the prestigious BBC Studios distribution catalog,” commented Massimo Bruno, head of TV Channels at the De Agostini Editore group. “De Agostini thus confirms its strategy of producing original, high-quality content for the kids’ target, for an international audience”