Principal photography, cast and writers announced for tween spy series “The Lady Grace Mysteries”

Premium kids content producer Cottonwood Media, kids content creator Coolabi Productions, and ZDF Studios, along with leading broadcasters BBC Children’s and Education, ZDF, and France Télévisions announce principal photography, casting, and writing team for the new tween drama spy series THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES.

THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES which targets 8 – 12-year-olds, is set in the British court of Queen Elizabeth I, and blends the magic of the historical Elizabethan Golden Age with contemporary teenage life.

Principal photography will commence in Brussels on the 14^th of April, later moving to County Durham in the UK as of May (filming in and around the location’s stunning medieval castles).

THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES welcomes newcomer Evie Coles as lead protagonist ‘Lady Grace Cavendish’, Queen Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting. She is joined by Carys John (Malory Towers, The Last Bus) as Ellie Bunting, and Rafael Alessandro as Masou, who play her best friends in court. The series also stars Fintan Buckard (Phoenix Rise) as Grace’s love interest Lord Osborne, Twinkle Jaiswal (Malory Towers) as Lady Sarah, and Rebecca Scott as Queen Elizabeth.

Lead Director (and MD, Cottonwood Media Ltd) Alexander Jacob is joined by Episodic Director Louise Ni Fhiannachta (Flatmates, Silverpoint).

The stellar writing team is led by Emmy Award-winning Anna McCleery (NETFLIX’s Free Rein, A Kind of Spark for CBBC/BYU) who is joined by Joe Williams (Theodosia, Hank Zipzer), Vicki Lutas (Free Rein), Jayshree Patel (Waterloo Road) and Karissa Hamilton-Bannis (Hollyoaks).

THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES (10 x 24’) is a Cottonwood Media and Coolabi Group production, in co-production with ZDF Studios. The series is commissioned by Children’s and Education (for BBCiPlayer and CBBC) and ZDF, with a pre-sale to France Télévisions.  Federation Kids & Family and ZDF Studios are handling worldwide sales.

THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES is based on the children’s detective fiction novels of the same name which first published in 2004.  Their immense popularity led to the publication of 12 titles in the series, multiple international editions, and over 300,000 books sold worldwide.

THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES tells the story of Lady Grace Cavendish, the world’s first female teenage detective working as a private spy for Queen Elizabeth I who navigates the dangerous waters of royal politics in an English court full of plots, threats and mystery. Grace has spent her youth outwitting palace guards, avoiding the responsibilities of being a lady-in-waiting, and most importantly, finessing the fine art of swiping jam tarts!  With her best friends – the savvy Ellie, and the dazzling performer Masou at her side – she must deal with the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl, while investigating perilous mysteries.

Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Children’s Commissioning 7+ for BBC Children’s and Education said: “Lady Grace is the ultimate tween spy who our young audience will love. Unveiling the new cast and creatives leading the production is one step closer to seeing these much-loved stories of intrigue and mystery come to life on screen.”

Nicole Keeb, Head of International Co-productions and Acquisitions, Children and Youth programs, ZDF, commented: “We are delighted to be part of this new adventure with Cottonwood: THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES will fit perfectly into our portfolio of high quality live action series. We cannot wait to get the show on air.”

Arne Lohmann, VP Junior, ZDF Studios said: “I am thrilled to be continuing our successful relationship with Cottonwood. I believe THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES will be as successful as FIND ME IN PARIS, SPELLBOUND and THEODOSIA. We instantly fell in love with the series and are sure that a worldwide audience will soon feel the same!”

Claire Heinrich, Head of Acquisitions, Children’s & Youth, France Télévisions added: “We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Cottonwood Media with this new project, which has all the ingredients to appeal to the older fringe of Okoo’s audience. The historical context of Elizabeth I’s royal court, with its many possibilities for intrigue, is a sumptuous setting for the breathless adventures of Lady Grace, a determined and inspiring teenager who also finds herself confronted with very contemporary issues, all with a resolutely modern tone.”

Manon Ardisson, Head of Drama, Cottonwood Media said:“This series will offer a fun, modern and light-hearted take on the Golden Age of Elizabeth I: our characters and their stories are completely relatable for kids today, but the unique setting allows us to showcase extraordinary costumes and stunning historical locations that will draw audiences in from the get-go.”

Co-founders of Cottonwood Media, David Michel, Cécile Laurenson, and Zoé Carrera Allaix said: “Cottonwood has specialised in creating numerous cinematic styled TV series for the tween demographic working with great partners as ZDF and France Télévisions. It’s a pleasure now to also join forces with the BBC and Coolabi to embark on this exciting production that explores themes of friendship, mystery and romance, but with unexpected twists and turns.”

Michael Dee, Director Coolabi Productions and Chris Snowdon, Director of IP Creation and MD, Working Partners said: “We couldn’t be happier with the scripts, the casting, the locations and the designs, everything that is being done to bring our “Lady Grace Mysteries” book series to the screen. The Production team are creating a wonderful television series that reflects the lives of contemporary teens within the challenges and intrigue of the Elizabethan court.”

Coolabi Group signs Retail Monster as North American licensing agent and Bonkers Toys as master toy partner for Warrior Cats

Coolabi Group has appointed Retail Monster as its North American licensing agent and Bonkers Toys as its Global Master Toy Partner for its publishing and gaming phenomenon, Warrior Cats.

Warrior Cats is a huge publishing success story (77M+ books sold in 38 languages and 15+ years on the New York Times bestseller list) and an unrivalled chart-topper on Roblox over a prolonged period with a massive and rapidly growing following across social media (582M+ Roblox plays, 1.9B+ TikTok views). Building on this success, Coolabi has tapped Retail Monster to develop a turnkey licensing and merchandising program, and Bonkers Toys to activate the franchise across the toy aisle.

“The Warrior Cats franchise has an extensive fanbase built over the last 20 years with a powerful global reach across publishing, Roblox, TikTok and YouTube, with further content touchpoints to come as we continue to build the brand globally. We know there is already significant fan demand for Warrior Cats consumer products, and we could not be more excited to join forces with the experts at Retail Monster and Bonkers Toys to deliver that opportunity,” says Allison Watkins, Director of Consumer Products at Coolabi Group.

“Storytelling is at the core of everything Coolabi drives, and we are delighted to work together to craft the next chapter in the Warrior Cats story, working strategically with world-class licensees and retailers to tell the story with innovative product,” said Michael Connolly, Founder & CEO of Retail Monster. “Bonkers Toys is on the pulse of pop culture and having the opportunity to infuse their creativity into Warrior Cats toys from day one is the cherry on top.”

“Warrior Cats is a natural fit for Bonkers Toys’ expertise in New Media brands. In addition to its literary success, Warrior Cats is a digital and social media powerhouse with wildly engaged fans, extensive online presence and robust user generated content,” said Brian Bonnett, CEO of Bonkers Toys. “We are dedicated to honoring the legacy of Warrior Cats and bringing this enchanted world into the physical world with tangible, cherished playthings for its fans worldwide.”

About Warrior Cats

Warrior Cats is a hugely successful feline fantasy book series about clans of wild cats, created by Working Partners, a Coolabi Group company. The Erin Hunter penned series has sold over 77 million books to date which have been translated into 38 languages and been a fixture on the New York Times bestseller list for the last 15+ years.

The brand has a huge and passionate fanbase across the world, garnering over 2 million annual users on the official Warrior Cats website last year, over half a billion views across user generated content on YouTube in 2024 alone plus almost 2 billion views on TikTok. The Warrior Cats: Ultimate Edition game on Roblox is consistently one of the highest-ranking branded games on the platform and has been played more than 582 million times.

About Coolabi Group

As a global leader in the creation of children’s fiction and an award-winning creator of children’s and family TV and apps, story is at the heart of everything we do at Coolabi Group. Within the group we have the skills and the experience in-house to tell our stories, whatever the medium.

Warrior Cats, Beast Quest and Rainbow Magic are but three of the c.200 book series and c.2,000 titles we have created and licensed to publishers. Lifetime global sales exceed 200 million copies.

Warriors and Beast Quest represent part of a digital slate that has been downloaded over 20 million times as apps, played over 582 million times on Roblox, is viewed on YouTube over half a billion times a year and which has been watched on TikTok almost two billion times.

Everything we create has global appeal: our books are licensed in over 40 languages; our apps and our award-winning TV shows are licensed in over 140 countries. And we are constantly co-developing and co-producing with networks and producers, for both live-action and animation, from across our extensive catalogue of stories. These are all just part of our deep and constantly expanding well of Intellectual Property with some 70 new titles being created and published each year there are always new stories to engage with. coolabi.comwarriorcats.com

About Bonkers Toys

Bonkers Toys has become known in the toy industry as the leader in YouTube New Media and Creator-based toys. Bonkers was the first licensee for Ryan’s World and pioneered this category with flagship toys including the Giant Mystery Egg & Cap’n Ryan’s Mega Mystery Treasure Chest. Bonkers Toys has also partnered with other top creators like Skibidi Toilet, Unspeakable, Lankybox, Aphmau, Moriah Elizabeth and Genevieve’s Playhouse to create best-selling toy lines. Bonkers Toys’ lineup of award-winning toys has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Parents, Good Housekeeping and NBC Nightly News. For more information visit BonkersToys.com.

About Retail Monster

Launched by an executive team that brings over 70 years of retail, buying, sales, marketing, finance, and licensing experience to its clients, Retail Monster LLC (www.retailmonster.com) utilizes its relationships with best-in-class manufacturers and retailers to deliver strategic licensed programs to shelf. Established in March 2016, Retail Monster operates office locations out of Los Angeles; New York; Orlando; Bentonville, AR; Minneapolis, MN; and London, United Kingdom.

SUPERPROD teams up with Coolabi to develop and produce animated series based on global bestselling book series ‘Beast Quest’

SUPERPROD Group and Coolabi Group are joining forces to develop and produce an animated series based on Beast Quest, the children’s high fantasy book series which follows the adventures of Tom and Elenna on their quest to protect the Kingdom of Avantia from the evil wizard Malvel.

Beast Quest is one of the last major untapped intellectual properties in the children’s entertainment space; a favourite with young readers across the world for nearly two decades, with sales of over 24 million books in 30 languages.

With over 180 titles and more than 2 million copies sold globally over the last three years alone, Beast Quest is a literary phenomenon.

The book series is a hit in the UK, France, Germany, across Southern Europe, Japan and many other countries around the world. Adam Blade, Beast Quest’s pseudonymous author, ranked 7th across all genres and authors in the UK library lending charts in 2023.

The animated series will stay true to the stories that have captivated generation after generation of young reader, bringing to life thrilling adventures in a world full of formidable beasts.

The development and production will involve top-tier animation talents, leveraging SUPERPROD Group’s network of companies, with WHEEL IN MOTION in the UK, THE COPRODUCTION COMPANY in the USA, RED MONK STUDIO in Italy and of course SUPERPROD ANIMATION in France. SUPERPROD GROUP will use their extensive experience in delivering internationally successful animated content and their experience in launching adaptations of well-known IPs (Lassie, Miffy, Underdog to name but three) to produce the show. The series will be distributed by SUPERIGHTS, SUPERPROD Group’s international sales arm.

The TV series will remain faithful to the rich world of the books – created by WORKING PARTNERS, COOLABI Group’s book business – with its fantastical creatures and ever relevant themes of adventure, friendship, and overcoming adversity, and will target children and families internationally.

“Beast Quest represents a key moment for us,” said Alexi Wheeler, of Wheel in Motion. “This is a beloved brand with immense storytelling potential. With its action-packed narrative and a vast universe of creatures, we are confident that the animated series will capture the imagination of a new generation of viewers, just as the books have done for nearly 20 years.”

“I could not be happier that one of our most successful and much loved book brands is being brought to life with the exceptional creative team at SUPERPROD. Created by our very own story team at Working Partners and cherished through every book written, Beast Quest is a publishing phenomenon that resonates with kids today every bit as much as it did when it first launched almost twenty years ago. We can’t wait to bring the series to screens and devices around the world.” said Jeremy Banks, Chief Executive, The Coolabi Group.

Pixel Zoo and Liquid Rock Entertainment team up to bring ‘The Secret Explorers’ to life as a new CGI animated series

Australian animation studio Pixel Zoo, part of MGA Entertainment’s subsidiary MGA Studios, and Barcelona & Miami based brand management house, Liquid Rock Entertainment have together acquired the rights to co-produce 52 11-minute episodes of a new CGI-animated action adventure series, The Secret Explorers. The series, geared towards kids aged 4-7, is based on Coolabi’s beloved children’s book series of the same name which has sold more than one million copies globally in English and is set to be released in more than 17 languages.

With an MGA Studios investment and global toy rights secured, The Secret Explorers is positioned to become a worldwide sensation, with strong foundations in place to captivate audiences and build a lasting global children’s franchise. “With strong media and storytelling foundations, along with MGA’s toy expertise, we believe The Secret Explorers have tremendous potential to engage kids and grow into a dynamic, multi-platform brand. This partnership is a key step for Liquid Rock as we expand our portfolio of globally appealing kids’ content,” said Roberto Mitrani, Co Founder of Liquid Rock Entertainment.” “We’re excited to announce our partnership with Liquid Rock to co-produce The Secret Explorers. This animated series has been a true labor of love for the Pixel Zoo team.” said Paul Gillett, CEO, Pixel Zoo. “The support from our global distribution and co-production partner Liquid Rock has been incredible. Their commitment has been key in bringing our vision to life, and we can’t wait to share it,” added Sebastian Gonzalez, Head of Production, Pixel Zoo.

Liquid Rock’s Roberto Mitrani and Xavi Mas will serve as co-executive producers together with Pixel Zoo’s Paul Gillett and Sebastian Gonzalez who will also serve as showrunners along with Emmy Award®-winning producer and creative Josh Fisher (Netflix, Spin Master, Wildbrain). Fisher said, “Pixel Zoo and Liquid Rock have put together an amazing team and we’ve built a show for a global audience that’s funny and full of adventure. This series offers kids around the world the chance to see themselves as part of a team that can save the day, anytime, anywhere.”

The Secret Explorers follows a diverse group of young adventurer heroes from around the globe who, when alerted about a problem in the world, leap into action, activate their explorer suits, and with teamwork, technology, and a sense of humour, save the day… the Secret Explorer Way!

BBC, ZDF and France Télévisions greenlight tween detective series ‘The Lady Grace Mysteries’

Premium kids content producer Cottonwood Media, kids content creator Coolabi Productions, and ZDF Studios, along with leading broadcasters BBC, ZDF, and France Télévisions, are delighted to announce the new live-action tween detective series THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES.

With filming scheduled to take place in a British castle during spring 2025, THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES is based on the best-selling children’s detective fiction series of the same name which first published in 2004.  Their immense popularity led to the publication of 12 titles in the series, multiple international editions, and over 300,000 books sold worldwide.

 THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES (10 x 24’) is a Cottonwood Media and Coolabi Group production, in co-production with ZDF Studios. The series is commissioned by the BBC (for CBBC), and ZDF, with a pre-sale to France Télévisions.

Manon Ardisson, Head of Fiction at Cottonwood Media, and Lead Director Alexander Jacob (Managing Director for Cottonwood Media Ltd) will oversee the production.

Lead Writer is Emmy award-winning Anna McCleery.  Some of her key credits include Free Rein for NETFLIX,  A Kind of Spark for CBBC/BYU, and Hollyoaks (Channel 4).

THE LADY GRACE MYSTERIES, which targets 8 – 12 year olds, tells the story of Lady Grace Cavendish, the world’s first female teenage detective working as a private spy for Queen Elizabeth I and navigating the dangerous waters of royal politics in an English court full of plots, threats and mystery.  Orphaned but fearless, Grace has spent her youth outwitting palace guards, avoiding the responsibilities of being a lady-in-waiting, and most importantly, finessing the fine art of swiping jam tarts!   With her best friends – the savvy servant Ellie, and the dazzling performer Masou, at her side – she has to deal with the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl, while investigating perilous mysteries.

Federation Kids & Family and ZDF Studios are handling worldwide sales.

Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Children’s Commissioning 7+, BBC said: “The Lady Grace Mysteries feels so fresh and gives our viewers the opportunity to spend time in a really exciting period of history, but in a modern and standout way, with a modern and standout lead. Solving mysteries is such a favourite too and with such a unique setting, it should be attractive to a much wider audience.  We’re delighted to be on board with Cottonwood Media, Coolabi, ZDF, FTV, and lead writer Anna McCleery.”

Nicole Keeb, Head of International Co-productions and Acquisitions, Children and Youth programs, ZDF, commented: “We are delighted to be part of this wonderful new adventure. The Lady Grace Mysteries is about a girl who protects and saves Queen Elizabeth using her own resources and her teenage friends, that’s a very exciting plot. We are expecting a high-quality costume drama that will fit perfectly into our portfolio and can hardly wait to get it on air.”

Co-founders of Cottonwood Media, David Michel, Cécile Laurenson and Zoé Carrera Allaix said: “When Coolabi introduced the books to us, it was one of those precious moments when you can instantly picture a really cool TV show. Packed with intrigue, wit, adventure and humour, the response from the broadcasters involved was incredibly positive from the get-go.  And we are delighted to be working with such amazing partners on something we feel will take tween viewers on an amazing up-beat historical adventure allowing them to tap into their own inner sleuth.”

Michael Dee, Director Coolabi Productions and Chris Snowdon, Director of IP Creation and MD, Working Partners said: “Coolabi Productions are thrilled with the calibre of production and broadcast partners adapting our book series for television. There’s never been a better time to tell historical stories with a contemporary twist, and relevant themes for today’s audiences. Intrigue and plotting have always existed in royal courts – and the Lady Grace Mysteries will provide a window into the dazzling court of Queen Elizabethan I, with its sumptuous fashions; all served up with slices of humour and irreverence. As a co-producer we cannot wait to work with Cottonwood, the BBC, ZDF, Anna McCleery and the exceptional writing team.”

Arne Lohmann, VP Junior, ZDF Studios said: “Lady Grace captured our hearts from the first moment the show was presented to us. I am sure that The Lady Grace Mysteries will be as much a worldwide success as the previous series Find Me in Paris, Spellbound and Theodosia, which we co-produced with our friends at Cottonwood.”

Claire Heinrich, Head of Acquisitions, Children’s & Youth, France Télévisions added: “We are delighted to continue a long-term partnership with Cottonwood Media on top-quality children’s fiction aimed at the older end of our audience. This project fits perfectly with our need for high-stakes adventure in the exciting setting of a royal court, with its many possibilities for intrigue. The historical background combined with a modern tone and the contemporary issues of a smart and inspiring teenager who navigates between boring duties and risky investigations, experiences strong friendships and harsh betrayals, is a fine recipe for success. Add a zest of romance and you have all the ingredients for an exceptional show!

Bagpuss celebrates 50th anniversary with range of collectables and events

In 2024, Bagpuss, the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world, will celebrate his 50th birthday and international media group and rights owner Coolabi has announced a range of collectable products from commemorative 50ps and stamps, to plushes and crafts to mark the moment.

Just thirteen episodes of the iconic Smallfilms animation were created by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, which live on in the hearts of the British public, and to this day Bagpuss is considered one of the greatest ever TV shows. The remastered show was re-released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2023 by Fabulous Films, a long standing UK/US distributor specialising in classic and cult television and is available to stream on Britbox and ITVX, plus iTunes, Amazon and more.

To mark the moment, leading distributors of collectable coins and stamps, The Westminster Collection, will be releasing a brand new collection of five 50p coins in base metal and sterling silver. The reverse of each will feature one of the characters from the show, each with a relevant quote that fans of the show will remember dearly.

Bagpuss – ‘He gave a big yawn and settled down to sleep’

Professor Yaffle – ‘Fiddle sticks and Flap Doodle’

Gabriel – ‘With a splish and a splosh!’

Madeleine – ‘Alright alright, I’ll tell you a little story’

The Mice – ‘We will fix it like new, new, new’

The obverse of the coins will feature the portrait of His Majesty King Charles III by Glyn Davies along with the 2024 date and Bailiwick of Guernsey wording and will have Royal Approval from His Majesty King Charles III.

Guernsey Post will issue a set of four commemorative stamps, on the 25th July, for the island of Alderney, which is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown Dependency. The stamps, which are also subject to Royal Approval from His Majesty, will feature Bagpuss and his friends and will carry King Charles III’s Royal Cypher. The range of collectables will include souvenir sheets, first day covers and a presentation pack.

Rainbow Designs, creators of high quality, forever toys, inspired by the beloved characters from children’s literature, has launched a new range of Bagpuss plush toys including a brightly coloured Yawning Soft Toy that lets out a big yawn when you squeeze his head.

Bagpuss – The 50th Anniversary Edition, is a special edition Bagpuss exclusive to Danbury Mint. The MBi designers have worked directly with Steiff, the inventors of the teddy bear, on this special anniversary piece. He’s been airbrushed by hand and has the special Steiff button-in-ear as a guarantee of authenticity. Available to pre-order now, this limited edition piece ships in April 2024.

Practical Publishing will be releasing a Bagpuss collection available at CraftStash, featuring cutting dies, beautiful printed papers and toppers, that will allow card makers and crafters alike to create inspirational projects whilst capturing the nostalgia and fun of Bagpuss.

Emily Firmin, Peter Firmin’s daughter, who features in the show, comments: “I can’t believe Bagpuss is 50! That makes me feel old. It’s funny when I think about it, he wasn’t a kitten when he opened our shop. I think he must have been at least a three year old cat to own a shop of lost and founds.

“Many moons ago, Oliver Postgate and my father Peter Firmin, offered me sweets for a funny photo of me and a gorgeous pink and white cat. The sweet dress my mum Joan made me and the horrible Victorian style shoes I had to wear seem like a dream.

“Who would have believed that Bagpuss would still be such a super star 50 years later. I still adore him. I see him occasionally when I pop into the Beaney museum in Canterbury. He’s in good company in an exhibition of all the puppets made by my father. I’m very proud of the fact that Bagpuss has supported The Hospices of Hope since 2002 and I will be visiting their hospital in Romania this year to paint a mural with some of the children.”

Fran Huxley, Coolabi representative, comments: “Bagpuss is a charming, quintessentially British brand that captures the hearts and minds of people across the world. We are delighted to wish Smallfilms’ magical saggy old cloth cat a very happy 50th Anniversary and to have such a wonderful range of collectables out this year to mark this lovely occasion.”

The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge is hosting The Smallfilms Gallery, renamed in honour of the studio, a family gallery showcasing work by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, who created their iconic children’s programmes from their studio near Canterbury. The exhibition, created in close conjunction with the Firmin and Postgate families and Dr Chris Pallant, Canterbury Christ Church University features the original Bagpuss, and many of the original film props.

As he enters his 50th year, Bagpuss continues his role as mascot to Hospices of Hope, the only UK charity dedicated to supporting hospice care in South and East Europe. He has held this role since 2002, when Oliver Postgate donated Bagpuss’ ‘pocket money’ to fund a specialist children’s wing at its Romanian partner hospice. Hospices of Hope celebrates Bagpuss’ birthday with a range of events including the Bagpuss Bash, a Bagpuss Bikeathon, family walks and more.