Global distributor Keshet International has acquired worldwide rights to Radio-Canada’s medical drama STAT and the psychological thriller Eyes Shut (Les yeux fermés) for its MIPCOM 2023 slate.

STAT (120 x 30 minutes) is written by Marie-Andrée Labbé and directed by Danièle Méthot. Producers include Aetios Productions’ Fabienne Larouche and Michel Trudeau, and A Média’s Guillaume Lespérance. The series (pictured) follows the daily life of the staff of a Montreal hospital.

Eyes Shut (6 x 60 minutes), moves between past and present as a woman tries to uncover what led to her brother’s death, The series, which premiered on Ici Radio-Canada Télé this fall, is also produced by Aetios. Anita Rowan is the screenwriter and Jeanne Leblanc is the director.

MIPCOM will take place in Cannes from Oct. 16 to 19.

Guru Studio

Toronto’s Guru Studio has secured several global broadcast deals for Singapore-based Omen Studios’ 123 Number Squad!.

New broadcast partners include TRT in Turkey, Canal Panda in Portugal, Canal Plus in Poland, PCCW in Hong Kong, and HRT in Croatia.

The CG-animated preschool series already has broadcast deals with Youku in China, MBC Shahid in the Middle East, and HOP in Israel.

Guru Studio acquired global broadcast rights to the series last year and also holds all global licensing and merchandising rights.

123 Number Squad! was commissioned by Singapore’s Mediacorp and is currently airing on Sky Kids in the U.K.

Thunderbird Entertainment

Thunderbird Brands (the consumer products arm of Thunderbird Entertainment) has named Florida’s Jazwares as the global master toy licensee for Mermicorno: Starfall, a 2D-animated series produced by Atomic Cartoons.

Jazwares has exclusive global rights to produce figures, dolls, games, vehicles, Halloween costumes, Squishmallows, pet costumes and musical instruments for all distribution channels. A limited range will launch in spring 2025, followed by a larger rollout in fall 2025. Thunderbird Brands is co-managing the licensing program with tokidoki and Jazwares.

Mermicorno: Starfall is inspired by a half mermaid/half unicorn toy brand that originated in 2025 at LA-based retailer tokidoki as a collection of vinyl collectibles, before moving into apparel and accessories.

BossaNova

German broadcaster ZDF has acquired Go Button Media’s Mysteries of the Ancient Dead.

The deal for Mysteries of the Ancient Dead (6 x 60 minutes), produced by Toronto-based Go Button Media for Super Channel, was brokered by Tatiana Grinkevich of London-based BossaNova Media, which is the international distributor for the series.

Using latest forensics and advanced imaging techniques, the series explores the relationship of ancient civilizations with death.

ATN 

Asian Television Network International (ATN), Canada’s largest South Asian broadcaster, has acquired the exclusive Canadian rights from Disney Star to carry four of its channels.

Acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2009, Disney Star is one of the largest media conglomerates in India, operating more than 70 TV channels that reach over 90% of audiences in the country.

The company’s Star Plus, Star Gold, Star Vijay and Vijay Super channels will be carried in Canada alongside ATN branding. The addition of these channels provides brands with additional opportunities for reaching Canada’s growing South Asian population.

The four channels join ATN’s roster of more than 50 specialty channels that serve Canada’s diverse cultural communities. Those ATN-HD and seven other general interest channels, three sports channels, seven news channels and five Bollywood movie channels.

With files from Kidscreen and Media in Canada

Photo courtesy of Aetios Productions