Random House launches kids TV slate

Random House has launched its first full slate of kids series.

The production company, Random House Children’s Screen Entertainment, which is a joint venture between the publisher and kids producer Komixx Media Group formed last year, has launched four new series for development. This follows the company’s deal to acquire rights to Ben Horton-penned Monster Republic from Hothouse in February.

The series include Fish-Head Steve, a cartoon comic strip by Jamie Smart that follows a group of friends that one day wake up with new heads, which is being developed as an animated series and being presented at this year’s Cartoon Forum; Janey Louise Jones’ Princess Poppy, which follows a young girl called Poppy and has already sold over two million books; Nick Ward’s Charlie Small book series is being developed as a live-action and CGI series and follows the adventures of a time traveling eight year old boy and Gargoylz, the book series by Jan Burchett and Sara Vogler that follows mischievous gargoyle monsters and is being developed as a live action series.

Random House Children’s Screen Entertainment is being run by head of film and TV Andrew Cole-Bulgin in association with Catherine Robins, managing director of kids producer 2 Sides TV, which produces shows including Chiro and Billie’s Big Adventures.