Living gives Brick a fat commission

UK producer Sam Brick, who set up her own indie last October, has landed a cabsat commission from LivingTV that taps into parental angst about their offspring’s unhealthy lifestyles and diets.

Chubby Children (6×60′), due to launch in September 2006, looks at the obesity epidemic among young people by following families with children whose weight is out of control. Obesity expert, professor Paul Gately, is attached to the series.

Acknowledging that with shows like BBC3’s Honey We’re Killing the Kids the fat kids theme is already a familiar one, LivingTV commissioning editor Steve Regan said he was “taking a new approach to an already popular genre.

“Rather than the usual finger wagging at parenting, the emphasis will be on a lighter way of solving the issues that face so many children and their parents today. LivingTV is moving away from po-faced experts pushing avocado dips towards a more fun and forward-thinking way of looking at childrens’ body image.”

The show’s exec producers are Regan (Football Icon, Janet Street Porter Saves the Monarchy, Coked-Up Britain) and Brick for Sam Brick Entertainment, while series producer is Emma Clarke (Supernanny, Risking it All).

Last year Brick set up her prodco after returning from America, where she ran September Films’ LA outpost. She has since hired her own LA chief, former Sky One producer Hazel Steward, and in the UK has landed a paranormal talkshow commission from ITV1.