Abacus Media Rights Picks Up Wonderland for Distribution

Abacus Media Rights, an Amcomri Entertainment company, has acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the Sky Arts docuseries Wonderland.

Produced by Odyssey Television, the series delves into the lives of famous children’s authors and the pain behind their own stories. It covers writers such as Arthur Ransome, Kenneth Grahame, A. A. Milne, JM Barrie, Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll and Beatrix Potter, among others.

Wonderland not only tells the stories of the individual authors but demonstrates the position of Britain itself in the transformational period from 1880 to 1940.

The docuseries was commissioned by Jack Oliver, head of co-productions at Sky, and Philip Edgar-Jones, director of Sky Arts and Entertainment. It will air on Sky Arts, Freeview channel 11, later this year.

“In a remarkable 60-year period, unforgettable children’s literature was created in Britain,” said Jonathan Ford, managing director at Abacus Media Rights. “Wonderland reveals the extraordinary lineup of writers who created other worlds that were joyful and exciting to escape the harsh difficulty of life for many at this time. We are sure that this delightful series will once again become an opportunity for viewers to enjoy these stories from their childhood.”

Adrian Munsey of Odyssey Television added, “It is wonderful to be given the opportunity to make a series about the extraordinary worlds of these great authors’ lives—and the pleasure and hope their work has given to children and adults alike so often and for so long.”

“Wonderland captures a uniquely fertile period where literary imagination born often from pain and trauma transported us to new and magical worlds,” said Edgar-Jones. “The program takes us on an equally magical journey into the lives of these great writers, and we are excited to unpack this great art for the Sky Arts audience.”