BBC Children’s sets up Girl Troop vs Aliens, renews Gladiators: Epic Pranks

Gladiators: Epic Pranks follows silliness behind the scenes at Sheffield Arena

BBC Children’s has commissioned a live-action comedy-adventure series about a quartet of 12-year-olds taking on extra-terrestrials and also renewed Gladiators: Epic Pranks.

Girl Troop vs Aliens (10×25′) follows four best friends at an annual summer camp that becomes besieged by aliens. Based on a 2019 Edinburgh Fringe show, the series is created by playwright Madeleine Perham with lead writer Julia Kent (Malory Towers, Hunter Street).

The series is being filmed in Liverpool and produced by Lime Pictures-owned Lime Kids at the All3Media-owned producer’s new studio facility L16 for the pubcaster’s CBBC channel. Worldwide distribution rights are being handled by Canada’s Boat Rocker Studios.

Last month, BBC execs at Annecy told delegates they were looking for fast-paced, character-driven comedy with a British twist and international appeal to stop the migration of younger viewers to inappropriate YouTube content.

Meanwhile, Gladiators: Epic Pranks, the spin-off to the hit primetime reboot of Gladiators, will return for a second season (20×15′).

Made for CBBC by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK, it sees Gladiators daring each other to do silly things in public and pranking audience members and each other behind the scenes at Sheffield Arena.

The executive producers are Dan Baldwin and Lou Brown for Hungry Bear Media, and Barry Poznick and Dom Bird for MGM Alternative UK. The original American Gladiators series was created by Johnny C Ferraro and Dan Carr and developed by Ferraro.

Gladiators: Epic Pranks was commissioned by Sarah Muller, senior head of BBC Children’s commissioning for seven-year-olds and up, and the commissioning editor for the BBC is Melissa Hardinge.

Muller said: “Gladiators: Epic Pranks has been a huge hit with our audience so it’s only right we bring it back for more silly antics and outrageous fun.

“Audiences will also love the brand-new title Girl Troop vs Aliens, as our brave squad of girls take on an enemy that is literally out of this world! Both commissions demonstrate our commitment to delivering high-energy, high-quality homegrown content that brings families together and keeps kids laughing, guessing and inspired.”