TVKIDS
Serious Kids has taken on the worldwide distribution rights, excluding Ireland, to the live-action family thriller The Unreal.
The 4×24-minute miniseries is produced by Dyehouse Films in Ireland for RTÉ. Targeted at kids 8 to 12 and their families, it has already been commissioned for a second season.
While on a family holiday at a woodland campsite with no wifi, Kevin Kelly discovers a strange VHS tape of an old children’s TV show, The Pooka, that unleashes the character into the real world. The Pooka wreaks havoc, and Kevin is blamed, with only the eccentric campsite caretaker initially believing his story. Together, they hatch a plan to trap The Pooka and return it to its video world. But there’s a twist: The Pooka means no harm, and when Kevin finds another VHS of an old sitcom called The Kellys, the family realizes that they, too, have escaped from fiction into reality, and the caretaker has plans to erase them as well.
The series was written by Rodney Lee, directed by Bonnie Dempsey and produced by David O’Sullivan and Nuala Carr.
Suzanne Kelly, head of children’s and young people’s content at RTÉ, said, “A key part of our ongoing strategy here at RTÉ Kids is to develop and deliver top-quality drama content for kids and family audiences. Dyehouse is one of the premier companies creating content in this space and has a pitch-perfect understanding of this audience, which is a rare find. The Unreal is a smooth blend of spooky comedy which leans beautifully into those ‘quirky’ shows we all watched when we were kids.”
Bonnie Dempsey, the director and co-CEO of Dyehouse Films, said, “With season two already in the pipeline, we are really excited to share The Unreal’s unique blend of comedy, drama and supernatural mystery. We were determined to deliver a binge-worthy folk horror for audiences who enjoy shows like Stranger Things and Doctor Who while also touching on important themes such as opening up about mental health issues in the family, the immigrant experience, confronting prejudice and the impact of social media on teenagers, all wrapped up in a thrilling, rollercoaster of an adventure set in a world where not everything is as it seems. We hope to blow open the whole Unreal universe in series two with some radical plot shifts and exciting new characters.”
Genevieve Dexter, founder and CEO of Serious Kids, added, “It’s really important for kids to be able to scare themselves silly in a safe environment. The experience develops their emotional resilience and their bonds with family and friends who have shared that experience. We are thrilled to launch this wonderful series this week, and thanks to Dyehouse Films for their trust in us.”
