FilmRise nabs US AVoD and SVoD rights to Canadian comedy Kids in the Hall

Canadian sketch comedy Kids in the Hall

MIPTV: New York-based studio and streaming network FilmRise has acquired AVoD, SVoD and FAST rights to the original version of classic Canadian sketch comedy Kids in the Hall, which aired for five seasons between 1989 and 1995.

Under the deal, announced on day two of MipTV in Cannes, FilmRise will launch the series across its FilmRise Streaming Network, including its FilmRise Comedy branded app.

There has been rejuvenated interest in the property in recent years following Amazon Prime Video’s greenlight of a reboot, set to launch later this year. Amazon also commissioned Blue Ant Studios to produce a two-part documentary chronicling the influential Canadian comedy troupe.

Jonitha Keymoore, VP, global content acquisitions at FilmRise, and Britta von Schoeler, president of Broadway Video Enterprises, negotiated the deal.

All five original cast members – Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson – will reprise their roles for the new iteration of the series.

The original version ran for 110 episodes during its initial run on Canadian pubcaster CBC. In the US, its first three seasons aired on HBO before moving to CBS.