Annabel Karmel sets up prodco and gets order for CiTV kids show

Kids food and nutrition expert Annabel Karmel has set up her own production company, Absolutely Delicious, and is making a preschool series for CiTV in the UK. The healthy eating specialist and author has just finished filming Annabel’s Kitchen, which will debut on CiTV this Easter.

The show was originally developed by puppet specialists and Hensons collaborator Baker Coogan. It remains on board in an advisory role, but the show is now a coproduction between Karmel’s Absolutely Delicious and Irish indie Telegael, with UK indie the Future Film Group also on board in an advisory role.

The Irish copro partner helped the project qualify for an Irish tax incentive scheme, helping to cover the chunk of the budget not covered by the broadcaster.

The show itself has Karmel, and a pair of puppet penguins, learning about food and what goes on in the kitchen. “It’s Sesame Street moves into the kitchen,” says Future Film Group CEO Stephen Margolis. “Annabel is working with puppets and kids and the show is about the educational side of making food, done in a fun and interesting way.”

An accompanying Karmel book will be published by Random House to coincide with the series. The producers have yet to finalise who will distribute the 30x11mins series with more than one sales agent understood to be interested.