BBC Studios Signs Global Distribution Deal For Animated TV Series ‘Zog’ from Magic Light Pictures
Skwigly
BBC Studios Kids & Family have inked a deal to partner with Oscar nominated and BAFTA-winning Magic Light Pictures for international distribution rights to their animated TV series Zog. Based on the award-winning books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the series is a 52 x 11’ animated comedy adventure for 4–6-year-olds.
Zog and the Flying Doctors (Magic Light Pictures, image via BBC)
Building on Magic Light’s International Emmy winning 2018 family special Zog and its 2020 sequel, Zog and the Flying Doctors, this CG-animated series follows Zog the dragon, Princess Pearl and Sir Gadabout as they come together to care for the weird and wonderful inhabitants of their fantastical world.
The deal also includes all U.S. consumer products and licensing rights for the TV series.
We’re delighted to be working with Magic Light Pictures who have a formidable reputation in the global animation industry. It’s a partnership with a shared passion for creative excellence and for nurturing much loved characters and stories and bringing them to life. Zog is about caring for others, yourself and the amazing world around you so it is the perfect addition to our pre-school animation slate and we look forward to sharing it with audiences around the world.
-Cecilia Persson (Managing Director, BBC Studios Kids & Family)
We’re thrilled to be partnering with BBC Studios Kids & Family to bring Zog to audiences worldwide. Their superb global reach complements our own team’s expertise to ensure we can maximize opportunities for this fantastic new series. Pearl, Zog and Gadabout make a wonderfully comedic trio, captivating children and families with their imaginative adventures, and we look forward to working with the Kids & Family team to build Zog into a truly global brand.
-Michael Rose (Joint CEO, Magic Light Pictures)
The deal excludes UK and Germany where the series has been commissioned by BBC Children’s and Education and ZDF respectively. Magic Light Pictures continues to represent all Zog licensing rights in UK and Europe alongside its global Gruffalo and Friends distribution and licensing programme.
Published by Scholastic, over 4.5 million ZOG books have sold worldwide and he is the most popular character created by Julia and Axel after The Gruffalo. Magic Light distributes the Zog specials to over 180 countries and has created a wide array of bestselling consumer products including plush, apparel, dress-up, bedding, homeware, and more.