France/Germany, August 31st, 2023
For immediate release
Premium kids content distributor Federation Kids & Family (part of powerhouse Federation Studios) and leading German distributor/prodco ZDF Studios are delighted to announce multiple sales for the premium tween live action series THEODOSIA.
Produced by Cottonwood Media in co-production with ZDF and ZDF Studios, THEODOSIA is based on the highly-acclaimed books by New York Times best-selling author Robin L. LaFevers, and set against the backdrop of Edwardian London and Egypt. THEODOSIA boasts two seasons to date (featuring a total of 52 x ½ hour episodes), with Season 2 ‘THEODOSIA AND THE OASIS OF MAGIC’ having recently finished filming across Belgium, Paris and Morocco.
The following broadcasters have snapped up various seasons of the magic and Egyptology-themed adventure series: BBC (UK) due to the success of Season 1, pre-bought Season 2, and TV3 (Catalonia) acquired Season 1 and Season 2, whilst RAI (Italy), BYUtv (US), RTL Nederland (for its SVOD service Videoland), and AMC Networks International (Spain) stepped in for Season 1.
Further deals for Season 1 also include LRT (Lithuania), MTVA (Hungary), YLE (Finland), and DR TV (Denmark).
May 2023 also saw the launch of the Theodosia And The Curse Of The Mummy Priestess, an original podcast on Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Prime, Apple Music and other podcast platforms, featuring key characters Theo, Henry, Will, and Safiya, BUT with a unique storyline (not featured in the TV series) based on the real legend that an Egyptian mummy once haunted the old London Underground system around the British Museum Underground Station.
Monica Levy, Co-Chief of Distribution, Federation Kids & Family said: “We have a real gem of a series with THEODOSIA that brings Egyptology to life in the form of a live-action series for the tween demographic, with a truly international talent pool that hails from a primetime background. The sets are breathtaking and filming in such locations as Morocco has given the production a real authentic feel. It’s a pleasure to continue our partnership with ZDF Studios, and working together to bring THEODOSIA to new audiences as we continue to roll both seasons out.”
Marei Bruckmann, Director JUNIOR, ZDF Studios said: “We are very pleased with the marketing success of the first season of THEODOSIA so far. With the second season coming soon, more broadcasters and streamers will join the magical adventures of THEODOSIA. The series will provide exciting entertainment for children in all countries around the world. We are proud to be involved in another great project with our partners at Federation Kids & Family.”
Since launching, THEODOSIA has also scooped up numerous awards including: Winner of Grand Prize for Best Fiction (Youth) at the Luchon TV Festival 2023, Winner of Best Live Action Television (Children’s Jury Award) Chicago International Children’s Film Festival 2023, nominated for Best Children/Youth series (Venice TV Award) 2022, to name a few.
THEODOSIA centres around a smart, bold 14-year-old named Theodosia Throckmorton (aka Theo), the daughter of two intrepid Egyptologists, excavating in the Valley of the Kings. When Theo and her younger brother, invention-mad Henry, stumble upon a hidden tomb and a mysterious artefact, the ‘Eye of Horus’, Theo unlocks the power to see and perform true magic, thus discovering a whole new world of mystery as well as danger. From her parent’s home, the world-famous Museum of Legends and Antiquities in the heart of Edwardian London, Theo must do battle with ancient forces, dark magic and comic chaos as she and Henry, street magician Will, along with their friends, try to survive teenage life, get through education and….save the whole world!
The series stars Eloise Little (His Dark Materials, Father Brown), Nana Agyeman-Bediako (Come Away, The Huntsman: Winter’s War), and Frankie Minchella, to name a few. Matthias Hoene (Season 1), Alexander Jacob, Matt Bloom and Leila Smith are the directors of the show. Executive Producers for both seasons are Leila Smith (Find Me in Paris, Lockout) and Emmy-Award winning Joe Williams (Hank Zipzer’s Christmas Catastrophe, Young Dracula, Eve), with Alexa Dosne as co-executive producer. The series is produced by Cottonwood Media’s David Michel, Cécile Laurenson and Zoé Carrera Allaix.