BBC Studios Developing TV Series Based On ‘Eve Stranger’ Comic Books

EXCLUSIVE: BBC Studios is seeking an L.A. exec to help discover the next generation of unscripted formats and collaborate with UK headquarters on new shows for the U.S. market, Deadline can reveal.

Apple TV+ announced on Wednesday it has ordered “Sago Mini Friends,” a new kids animated series based on the award-winning Sago Mini World app. The series for preschoolers is produced by Spin Master Entertainment and animated by Brown Bag Films, based on the characters developed by Sago Mini, including Harvey the floppy-eared dog and his best friends, Jinja the cat, Jack the rabbit, and Robin the bird.

EXCLUSIVE: Apple TV+ has greenlit Sago Mini Friends, a preschool animated series based on the popular and award-winning children’s app “Sago Mini World,” developed by Sago Mini. The series is produced by Spin Master Entertainment and animated by 9 Story Media’s Brown Bag Films.

EXCLUSIVE: Ben Rappaport (Younger) and Alexandra Chando (The Lying Game) have been cast as the leads of NBC’s untitled drama pilot based on the award-winning Dutch series Adam & Eva. The pilot is written by The Village creator Mike Daniels and will be directed by Stephanie Laing.

Peacock has put in development Cheeky, a comedy based on Ariella Elovic’s book Cheeky: A Head-To-Toe Memoir, from Saturday Night Live‘s Aidy Bryant, writer Sudi Green, executive producer Lorne Michaels, and Universal Television.

HBO Max is expanding its DC Comics footprint with a series order for “Detective Dead Boys,” based on characters created by writer Neil Gaiman and illustrators Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones. The show follows a pair of ghostly detectives as they investigate murders related to the supernatural.

EXCLUSIVE: Stephanie Laing (Veep) has been tapped to direct and executive produce the NBC drama pilot, Untitled Mike Daniels Project, an adaptation of the Dutch series Adam & Eva. The project comes from The Village creator Mike Daniels and producers David Janollari and Rob Golenberg & Alon Aranya.

What if you could live again and again until you got it right? Metaphysical reincarnation sci-fi about life, death, family, and more? Yep, it’s an adaptation of Kate Atkinson‘s acclaimed novel, “Life After Life,” which is a BBC series debuting this month in the U.K. And it features quite the cast too, Thomasin McKenzie, known for “Leave No Trace,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and most recently a small role in “The Power of The Dog,” Sian Clifford from “Fleabag” and Jessica Brown Findlay from “Downton Abbey.” They star in the series alongside James McArdle, and Jessica Hynes, with Patsy Ferran, Harry Michell, Laurie Kynaston, Joshua Hill, and Maria Laird rounding out the cast.

Peacock has assembled most of the main cast of Ted, Seth MacFarlane’s live-action comedy series based on his popular film franchise. Joining MacFarlane, who is reprising the voice of the lovable foul-mouthed teddy bear Ted, are series regular stars Giorgia Whigham (13 Reasons Why), Max Burkholder (Parenthood) and Scott Grimes (The Orville).

EXCLUSIVE: Erik McCurdy’s comic strip Stuffed is set to be turned into a television series.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeacock has given a straight-to-series order to the comedic thriller “Based on a True Story.”The series hails from writer, executive producer, and showrunner Craig Rosenberg. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan of Aggregate Films will also executive produce, with Roxie Rodriguez of Aggregate co-executive producing.

Charlize Theron is getting into the superhero producing business.

Manori Ravindran International EditorIn a bid to expand Prime Video in key African markets, Amazon Studios is recruiting a London-based head of Nigerian originals, Variety has learned.In a recent job posting, the streaming platform has said it’s looking for an experienced senior creative executive to work with its Nigeria originals team, and oversee both scripted and non-scripted content. The role will report directly into Ned Mitchell, the Los Angeles-based head of originals for Africa and the Middle East for Amazon Studios.“You will create a welcoming ‘Home for Talent’ to include creators and artists who represent the best of Nigeria,” reads an ad for the role.

“In the Heights” Star Anthony Ramos.In the comics, Williams is a Black teen prodigy attending MIT who builds her own suit by reverse-engineering Tony Stark’s Iron Man suit design. Williams is also a genius like Tony, if that’s not immediately clear.

EXCLUSIVE: eOne is developing a TV series based on the Paranormal Hitmen comic books from writer Brett Murphy and illustrator Wilson Gandolpho.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios, Screenplay, Disney Plus Hotstar Pact for “Doctor Foster” Indonesian AdaptationBBC Studios property “Doctor Foster” is being adapted by Screenplay Films for Disney Plus Hotstar in Indonesia. “Doctor Foster” is the story of a doctor whose life implodes when she uncovers her husband’s infidelity. The show title in Indonesia will be “Mendua” (Between Two Hearts) and Pritagita Arianegara (“Surga yang Tak Dirindukan 3”) will direct.

Discovery Italy To Adapt BBC Studios Formats ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ And This Is MY House’

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios’ BAFTA nominated amateur sewing competition format “The Great Sewing Bee” from Love Productions and “This is MY House,” the guessing game from Expectation, will be adapted for Discovery in Italy.The six-part Italian version of “The Great Sewing Bee,” is produced locally by Blu Yazmine and will stream air on Discovery June in June, followed by Real Time in the fall. Known locally as “Tailor Made – Chi ha la stoffa?,” the competition hosted by Tommaso Zorzi follows a group of competitors who will race against the clock in three sewing challenges each week in a bid to be crowned the country’s best amateur sewer.

Filmmaker James Gray (“The Lost City of Z”), who was most recently behind the Brad Pitt-led sci-fi film “Ad Astra,” is turning his sights toward a more grounded dramatic series for his next effort. Gray will be writing and directing a show based on the life of famed writer Norman Mailer, the celebrated and controversial author of such books as “The Executioner’s Song” and “The White Negro: Superficial Reflections On The Hipster.” Deadline reports that Gray’s series will be called “Mailer,” adding that the new project is based on the author J.