Live-action series from the global distributor’s Kids & Family catalogue will stream exclusively on HBO Max
(Toronto, ON – October 12, 2020) – Blue Ant International revealed today a distribution deal with HBO Max that will see the streamer acquiring live action children’s programming from the global distributor’s Kids & Family offering. The deal grants HBO Max exclusive rights for both seasons of the award-winning, tween action-adventure series Detention Adventure, which follows a motley crew of sixth graders who purposely get themselves thrown into detention after discovering the entrance to a labyrinth of tunnels, laden with traps and riddles, protecting a long lost secret. The platform has also picked up MAKE IT BIG, make it small, an unscripted series that celebrates science and creativity with two curious kid hosts.
“We’re pleased that these charming and imaginative kids and family series have found a home on such a premium platform as HBO Max,” says Ludo Dufour, SVP, International Co-Productions and Sales, Blue Ant International. “These sales highlight the demand for content that parents can trust during these challenging times, which reinforces Blue Ant International’s mission to offer our partners premium content that provides solutions to their audiences’ needs.”
Blue Ant International series available to stream exclusively on HBO Max include:
Detention Adventure (10 x 11’; LoCo Motion Pictures and Broken Compass Films), winner of the 2020 Kidscreen Award for Best Web/App Series-Original and nominated for two 2020 Canadian Screen Awards (Best Web Program or Series (Fiction); and Best Writing, Web Series or Program), the series follows three straight-A students, Raign (Simone Miller, Snapshots), Joy (Alina Prijono, Odd Squad) and Hulk (Jack Fulton, Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments). The friends find an old textbook with clues to the location of the lost laboratory of Alexander Graham Bell beneath their school. But there’s a catch: the lab lays beyond a series of old tunnels, accessible only through the detention room, the one room they’ve always feared and avoided. The trio break the rules for the first time ever to gain access to the forbidden room where they are joined by their classmate, Brett (Tomaso Sanelli, Titans, Holly Hobbie), the school bully and detention regular. The four must overcome their differences and use science to navigate mysterious tunnels and open hidden passages in search of fame, fortune and friendship, while trying to discover the fabled lost lab.
Detention Adventure Season 2 (10 x 11’; LoCo Motion Pictures and Broken Compass Films) Framed for an epic prank, the now-famous Detention Adventure Four—Raign, Brett, Joy and Hulk—must team up with new ally, Kelly, to hunt for the legendary lost fortune of Ignatius Cockshutt. Their punishment lands them roles in the local Historical Society’s reenactment play under the hawkish eye of historian Miss Dumont. Delving deeper into history unearths surprising truths about the town’s past, while leading them closer to their goal. When it becomes clear that a mysterious foe is racing them to their treasure, they have to work against the clock, create unlikely alliances, and face hard truths.
MAKE IT BIG, make it small (7 x 30’; HD or 14 x 11′; HD; Blue Ant Studios) explores big experiences that make kids go “wow!” In every episode, the series’ two nine-year-old kids tour an extraordinary attraction and get to see a behind-the-scenes look at the science involved in everything from bouncing monster trucks to the attraction of butterflies at a conservatory. Each episode culminates in an art studio where a craft expert helps the kids create a fun DIY project that ties in their newly learned scientific theory. Creating the ultimate DIY project or craft takes on new meaning as kids are blown away by the science and technology and are excited by understanding how things work.
Blue Ant International is a leading worldwide distributor of high-quality, creative content that engages audiences worldwide and across multiple platforms. The company offers a full-service approach to production partners with sales operations in London, Toronto and Los Angeles. Blue Ant International has a growing slate of over 4,000 hours of premium content, including distinctive series and formats in five key genres including factual entertainment, specialist factual, high-impact documentaries, kids and family, and scripted. Blue Ant International also has one of the world’s largest offerings of 4K natural history content. Blue Ant International is a division of Blue Ant Media.
About HBO Max
HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering, which debuted May 27, 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content, HBO Max offers powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia’s rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Website: HBOMax.com
About WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. The organization also includes Xandr’s suite of advanced advertising solutions designed to help to improve advertising for brands, publishers, and consumers. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).
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