CBC
With MIPCOM starting next week, CBC has acquired the worldwide broadcast and digital rights to The Wild Canadian Year from River Road Films. In July 2015, it was announced that the Princeton, B.C.-based production company was to produce the five-part docomentary series for the CBC’s The Nature of Things. CBC already held the Canadian broadcast and digital rights to the series, but has now taken the international rights to shop at MIPCOM. The hour-long episodes are produced and directed by River Road’s Jeff and Sue Turner. The pair have produced and directed Wild Canada for CBC, as well as worked on Planet Earth and Frozen Planet for the U.K.’s BBC. Caroline Underwood executive produces the project alongside creative producer Louise Ferguson and producer Jeff Morales. Currently in production, the series is expected to debut in fall 2017.

Portfolio Entertainment
Toronto’s Portfolio Entertainment has announced the acquisition of five children’s series ahead of MIPCOM. The company has picked up the rights to Mack & Moxy (12 x 13 minutes), toddler series So Smart! (7 x 30 minutes, 52 x 5 minutes and 3 x 30 minutes) and Car Stories (13 x 30 minutes) produced by Calgary-based Joe Media. Portfolio also acquired the culinary series Best In The World Japan (10 x 30 minutes) and the travel series Welcome To The Railworld Japan (10 x 30 minutes).

LaRue Entertainment
Toronto’s LaRue Entertainment has secured a raft of deals for its short documentary I Thought I Told You to Shut Up!! Produced through Bell Media’s BravoFACT, the 12-minute doc was picked up by Hollywood Suite, Bell Fibe, United Airlines’ Tribeca Presents channel and Spafax (Air Canada). Narrated by Jonathan Demme, the doc features interviews with U.S. comedian Kevin Pollak and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Company toppers Matt King and Andrew Ferguson will also be shopping the rights to the feature film and digital series Filth City at MIPCOM, alongside the first three seasons of The Amazing Gayl Pile, which was previously acquired in the U.S. by NBCUniversal’s new comedy streaming service SeeSo.

eOne
Entertainment One has secured sales for its animated children’s series Winston Steinburger into a number of international territories, including the U.K. and Midde East. The series (52 x 11 minutes) was picked up by POP in the U.K. and Teletoon in Poland, while MBC Group acquired Winston for the Middle East and North Africa with plans to air it starting September 2017.

Quebecor Content
Quebecor Content has acquired six lifestyle and reality shows from Scripps International for distribution on its specialty channels CASA and Moi&Cie. The Montreal-based company picked up House Hunters International, Tiny House Hunters, Property Brothers at Home on the Ranch, Listed Sisters and Good Bones. Earlier this week the company announced a exclusive three-year distribution deal with global producer and distributor Endemol Shine International.

Flying Kraken Studios
Vancouver-based indie animator Flying Kraken Studios has inked a dvelopment deal with TV Ontario to produce the children’s show Pop in Park. Rose-Ann Tisserand and Greg Huculak of Flying Kraken are attached to produce the series, which will be written by L.A.-based comedy writer Brad Birch (Atomic Puppet and PJ Masks). It follows the advertures of Lolly, Misha, Emma and Rocky as the use their unique character traits to get into, and out of, sticky situations.

Infinity Filmed/Partners in Motion
Vancouver-based producers Infinity Filmed Entertainment Group Ltd. and Partners in Motion are teaming up to produce the historical series Titanic: Stories from the Deep. The pair signed an access arrangement deal with Premier Exhibitions, allowing the producers access to more than 5,500 artifacts from the ship’s wreck site. The series is expected to be complete by the end of 2017. There is no broadcaster currently attached to the project.