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Vis, part of ViacomCBS Networks International, has struck a partnership to develop formats and shows with South Korea-based Something Special. The deal expands the corporation’s activities in Korea and the Asian TV markets.

Founded at the end of 2019 by Hwang Jin Woo, former president of Cj Enm, and Kim In-soo, former head of formats at Sbs, Something Special pitches itself as Korea’s first-ever TV agency representing format producers.

The deal gives Vis exclusive first-look rights to globally represent and co-develop up to ten of Something Special’s top unscripted and factual entertainment formats. These potentially span music competition, food and cuisine, game shows and reality shows.

Vis will seek partners in Asia from within ViacomCBS’s networks and third-party platforms from the region and beyond to co-produce the selected formats.

Something Special is able to draw on some of South Korea’s top unscripted format creatives, including the...

ViacomCBS units Nickelodeon and Australia’s Network 10 have joined forces to produce children’s action-comedy series “Taylor’s Island.” They are joined in the production by Fremantle Entertainment, Nordic Entertainment Group and Screen Australia.

Production of the 20 x 22-minute live action series is set to begin in Queensland, Australia from July. The finished show is intended to appear on Nickelodeon channels around the world and Nordic’s Viaplay streaming service from early 2022.

The narrative follows a girl who is fascinated by the phenomena surrounding a mysterious island, ever since her uncle’s disappearance there. With a gang of friends, including a wisecracking local rebel, a tough thrill seeker, a hypochondriac, and an aspiring vlogger, she goes on an adventure of a lifetime, facing endless beaches, hidden treasures and cryptic riddles.

“Taylor’s Island” is produced by Fremantle Australia, executive produced by Chris Oliver-Taylor, and produced by Tim Powell alongside co-producer Jonah Klein.

In today’s Global Bulletin, John Boyega’s UpperRoom sets animation deal with ViacomCBS’s Vis Kids; Germany’s Bavaria Film acquires Story House companies; and International Literary Properties appoints Hilary Strong as U.K./Europe CEO.

“Star Wars” and “Small Axe” actor John Boyega‘s UpperRoom Productions has set a deal to present three to five animation projects to ViacomCBS International Studios‘ Vis Kids for development into a long form series. The deal is one amongst several announced on Tuesday.

Other animation agreements from Vis Kids include a first-look deal with Fred Seibert‘s FredFilms (Nickelodeon’s “The Fairy OddParents”) for three projects; a female-led adventure comedy with Wildseed Studios; a Korea-originated fish out of water comedy by Jiwan Yoon; and a development deal with Argentine cartoonist and writer, Liniers, for an adaptation of an upcoming new book.

Among live action content, Vis Kids has optioned the rights for “¡Socorro!

ViacomCBS International Studios’ children’s division Vis Kids has signed a first-look deal with John Boyega’s UpperRoom Productions as part of a raft of content partnerships announced at the Kidscreen Summit Virtual 2021.

Under the deal with UpperRoom, the Star Wars actor’s company will present three to five projects to Vis Kids for consideration to develop into long-form series. Financial terms and the length of the deal were not disclosed.

Boyega founded UpperRoom in 2016 and last year, the outfit signed a deal with Netflix to develop non-English language films focusing on west and east Africa. Boyega has also boarded the South African crime thriller God Is Good as executive producer and is overseeing the film’s soundtrack through his UpperRoom Records label.

Other deals signed by Vis Kids include a first-look animation agreement with Fred Seibert, the driving force behind shows including Nickelodeon’s The Fairy OddParents and Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time.

While the pandemic may have brought a temporary halt to programming pipelines, children’s broadcasters are using the opportunity to scope out the acquisitions market as well as applying strategies to entice tweens and teens back to their streaming platforms.

During Tuesday morning’s Mipcom Warm Up briefing on kids programming, BBC Children’s head of independent animation and acquisitions, Sarah Muller, admitted she was in the “unusual position” of being able to go on an international buying spree.

“I was able to go out and source content that we might not have bought in the normal course of events, because our schedule is normally so full,” she said.

Speaking to the session’s moderator, former Channel 4 commissioner-turned-consultant Sarah Baynes, Muller said that series acquisitions have included Australian broadcaster ABC’s four-part drama “First Day” which tells the story of a young transgender girl starting her first day at a new school.