Zephyr, the production arm of Paris-based distributor APC Kids, has secured its first presales for 2D-animated adventure-comedy Lana Longbeard, which is coproduced with Halifax-based animation studio Copernicus and is currently in production.

Presales secured for the 52 x 11-minute series (pictured) targeted at kids ages six to nine include CBC as well as Warner Bros. Discovery in EMEA, SUPER RTL in German-speaking Europe, and M6 Group’s Gulli in France.

APC Kids holds worldwide distribution rights to the series, about an 11-year-old girl who is the heir to her father’s adventuring ship. Lana Longbeard is directed by Franz Kirchner and was originally created by Tony Mitchell and Andrew Power at Copernicus Studios, according to a news release.

Blue Ant Media

Blue Ant Media and World of Wonder have launched free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel Drag Race Universe on The Roku Channel in the U.S. The channel features global versions of World of Wonder’s Drag Race franchise, including Canada’s Drag Race seasons two and three (19 x 60 minutes), and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World (6 x 60 minutes).

Other programs available at launch include RuPaul’s Drag Race UK seasons two and three (20 x 60 minutes); Drag Race Holland (8 x 60 minutes); Drag Race Espana (10 x 60 minutes); RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under seasons one and two (16 x 60 minutes); Drag Race France (8 x 60 minutes); Drag Race Italia (8 x 60 minutes); the first season of Drag Race Philippines (10 x 60 minutes); and Drag Race Philippines: Untucked (10 x 30 minutes).

Blue Ant Media’s suite of FAST channels also includes Love Nature, HauntTV, Total Crime, Homeful, HistoryTime, and Love Pets.

9 Story Distribution

9 Story Distribution has inked six new deals for its live-action series A Kind of Spark, which aims to capture the experience of being a child with autism.

Ontario’s TFO, RTÉ (Ireland), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland), SVT (Sweden), and TVNZ (New Zealand) are the latest broadcasters to acquire the 10 x 25-minute series, building on existing presales from CBC, ABC Australia and France Télévisions.

Aimed at eight- to 12-year-olds, A Kind of Spark stars a teen with autism who is working to unravel a mystery about a missing girl accused of witchcraft while seeking acceptance by the conservative community she lives in. The series is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by neurodivergent author Elle McNicol, who’s in the writers room. It premiered in April on CBC, BBC (U.K.) and BYUtv (U.S.) during World Autism Month.

9 Story Media produces A Kind of Spark with U.K.-based LS Productions. Anna McCleery (The Secret Life of Children) is the showrunner, and Gráinne McNamara (Malory Towers) is on board as an executive producer.

Media Ranch

Media Ranch founder and CEO Sophie Ferron unveiled a variety of option deals for the format production and distribution company on June 6, with musical game show format Round Table being optioned to four European territories, and two other Media Ranch originals optioned in the U.S.

Round Table is the first format to be optioned from the partnership between Media Ranch and DiTurn, the prodco headed by The Masked Singer creator Wonwoo Park. The format, which has been a hit in Korea on KSB2, has now been optioned in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands by Fremantle, and in Germany by Tower Productions.

In the U.S., DIGA Studios has optioned Blend & Build, a family-focused home-reno format created by Amélie Tintin through her participation in Media Ranch’s Horsepower format incubator, while Culture House picked up Hang Sesh, a series about a group of young Black men elevating one another and learning life skills.

Media Ranch’s head of content and storytelling Philip Kalin-Hajdu will lead development of the two formats with Michael Smiroldo at DIGA Studios, and Jamie Woo and Carri Twigg at Culture House.

Spin Master

A number of buyers have acquired Spin Master’s Vida the Vet. New partners include Netflix (U.S., Germany, Austria and Switzerland), Warner Bros Discovery (Asia), DR (Denmark), HOP! (Israel) and YLE (Finland), joining previous buyers Treehouse and BBC (U.K.). The 52 x 11-minute toon is slated to premiere in October and stars a 10-year-old veterinarian who uses her intuition and quick thinking to help heal woodland creatures living near her house.

The series is created by Dustin Ferrer (Esme & Roy), with Jennifer Oxley (Peg + Cat) serving as showrunner and executive producer. Other EPs include Spin Master president Jennifer Dodge, co-founder Ronnen Harary, as well as Laura Clunie and Toni Stevens. Toronto’s Jam Filled Entertainment handles the animation.

With files from Kidscreen and Realscreen