Toronto’s Guru Studio has inked international deals for its original series True and the Rainbow Kingdom and Big Blue.

The company has sold True and the Rainbow Kingdom (32 x 22 minutes) to a number of global territories, including Spain (Clan RTVE), Russia (Carousel), France and Africa (WarnerMedia Boomerang), Singapore (Mediacorp Okto), Taiwan (EBC YOYO), Ireland (TG4), Finland (Channel 4), Ukraine (Pixel) and the Middle East (Spacetoon). The series’ fourth season has also been acquired by Brazil’s Gloobinho, Indonesia’s NET and Australia’s NINE. True and the Rainbow Kingdom first premiered on Netflix in 2017 and airs on CBC Kids in Canada. It has amassed more than 650 million views to date.

Meanwhile, Big Blue has been acquired by Nickelodeon U.K. to air in January 2022. The 5x x 11-minute series was commissioned by CBC Kids and Radio-Canada and will premiere later this year. Previous acquisitions for the series include Australia’s ABC Me, Russia’s CTC Kids and Norway’s NRK.

Portfolio Entertainment

Toronto’s Portfolio Entertainment has sold a number of its kids and family titles to international buyers. The holiday special Where Oliver Fits: A Christmas Eve Tale and shorts Where Oliver Fits (9 x 2.5 minutes), produced by Portfolio, have been sold to Discovery Kids Latin America; animated series Hero Elementary (40 x 30 minutes; Portfolio/Twin Cities) has been sold to Portugal’s SIC and Russia’s CTC; and season five of U.K. edutainment series Do You Know? (18 x 15 minutes; 7 Wonder) has been sold to Hong Kong’s TVB. CTC has also acquired multiple seasons of Do You Know? and the first three seasons of The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That! (160 x 11 minutes; Portfolio/Collingwood O’Hare Productions).

Pass Through Productions

Pass Through Productions Indigiqueer series Querencia, the first original series from APTN streaming service lumi, has been acquired by LGBTQ+ content-focused U.S. streamer Revry. The series, which launched on Oct. 11 for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the U.S., is created and directed by and stars Mary Galloway. First premiering on lumi in June, the series tells a love story between two Indigenous women who meet in Vancouver. It is produced by Pass Through Productions’ Jessie Anthony.

9 Story Media Group

Expanding into adaptations, 9 Story Media Group has bought a minority stake in U.K. children’s publisher Knights Of, as well as signing a first-look deal for AV, merchandising, theatrical and ancillary rights to its books.

Knights Of’s roster of authors includes Elle McNicoll (A Kind of Spark), Kelly Yang (Front Desk), Jason Reynolds (Look Both Ways) and Sharma Jackson (High-Rise Mystery). 9 Story is investing in the publishing space as buyers seem to be increasingly keen on kid-friendly adaptations for their slates. Over the past few months alone, Netflix lined up new content based on the Redwall books, Apple TV+ ordered a new show based on the Amber Brown series, and Nickelodeon appointed Eddie Gamarra as its first VP of literary affairs.

With files from Kidscreen