The BBC is adapting Marilyn Kaye‘s Gifted book series for kids and shifting the story to Scotland.
The children’s action adventure series will be reimagined as a 10-part drama series following a diverse group of young Scottish teens who discover they each have unique superpowers. When they realize they’re being targeted by a powerful organization known as the Bodkin, they must join forces to protect themselves and those they love.
Kaye’s six novels follow a group of American pre-teens. The BBC said more than 3,000 Scottish youngsters have applied to be in the show, which is being penned by The Worst Witch writer Emma Reeves. It is an international co-production between Glasgow-based producer Black Camel Pictures and Paris-based French producer Media Valley. The show has been commissioned by CBBC in association with NDR/ARD via One Gate Media in Germany, with additional support from Screen Scotland.
BBC Children’s has gone big on buzzy adaptations of late, making versions of Oliver Twist and The Famous Five.
Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Commissioning 7+ BBC Children’s and Education: “Gifted will bring audiences high quality action-filled adventures from the book series, brought to life in Scotland. We’re working with Screen Scotland to represent their vibrant creative industry with an exciting young Scottish cast and brilliant talent behind and in front of the camera.”
Arabella Page Croft, EP at Black Camel Pictures, added: “Scottish kids clearly have talent and they want to act! We are excited to produce this show for CBBC and bring these young talents and our beautiful capital city to a young audience globally.”
Gifted features on a slate for BBC Children’s that also includes a Gladiators spin-off titled Epic Pranks from Hungry Bear and MGM, and a behind-the-scenes doc series about a boarding school titled Stage Stars.
Patricia Hidalgo, Director BBC Children’s and Education says: “We continue to showcase homegrown dramas and series which aim to give our young viewers an insight into the diverse lives of children, characters and settings from across the UK with unique stories to tell which will resonate with them and with their families.”
