Studiocanal is bringing Kate Kirby’s bestselling children’s books The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks to TV, and the studio behind the adaptation is called Deadpan Pictures. The irony is almost too good to be true.
The nine-book series follows 11-and-three-quarters-year-old Lottie Brooks as she navigates the chaos of growing up. She believes armed with her diary and a plan for total reinvention, everything will go great and not be embarrassing at all. That is the setup for a whole series of unfortunate events, and now it is heading to the screen.
Lottie’s Family
Lottie is the eldest of the Brooks family, and the books follow their chaotic and relatable adventures. The series has sold 3 million copies and been published in 205 countries. Kirby has created an unforgettable character whose humour, vulnerability, and optimism have captured the hearts of readers around the world, according to Studiocanal’s M-K Kennedy.
The Adaptation Team
Comic Josie Long (Skins) and Holly Phillips (The Athena) are adapting the books for television. The pair are tasked with turning the books’ spit-take laughs, mortifying embarrassments, and touching moments of levity into episodes that work for a wider audience.
“Lottie is a wonderful example of our commitment to developing family friendly franchises from beloved literary properties.”
Deadpan Pictures
Studiocanal is producing the series with Deadpan Pictures, which the studio calls a “Video Nasty producer.” The studio has dubbed the books the “pre-teen Bridget Jones.” The irony of a company named Deadpan Pictures adapting a story about embarrassment is the kind of branding decision that makes you smile even as you shake your head.
The Deal Structure
Demonstrating the newly-vertically-integrated nature of Studiocanal, its in-house book-to-screen label negotiated the deal. Its kids and family division is handling worldwide merchandising and licensing for the project. The deal with Kirby was negotiated by Hannah Ladds, and Kirby is represented by Chloe Seager at the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.
In the kids space, Studiocanal is also adapting Dermot O’Leary’s Toto the Ninja Cat and Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking with Heyday.
The BBC Connection
The books have shades of Adrian Mole, Sue Townsend’s hit 1980s book series. The BBC is currently reinventing that franchise for television, and the comparison suggests a shared territory of adolescent chaos.
What Comes Next
M-K Kennedy, Studiocanal Worldwide Television MD, said the books turn the chaos of adolescence into pure comedy gold. “We are thrilled to bring Lottie and her family to television,” he said.
The deal brings together a comic duo with a proven track record of making audiences laugh, and a studio with a name that seems designed to highlight the absurdity of the project.
The Numbers
- 9 books in the series
- 3 million copies sold
- 205 countries where the books have been published
- 11 and three-quarters years old: Lottie’s age
The Bottom Line
The books have already found a global audience through their print runs. Now Studiocanal is betting that Lottie’s story can translate to the small screen.
The combination of Kirby’s characters, Long and Phillips’ writing, and Deadpan Pictures’ branding suggests a project that understands its own premise. It is a story about a girl who wants to avoid embarrassment, made by people whose studio name seems to enjoy pointing out how inevitable it is.
The result could be a funny series that captures the experience of growing up without losing the specificity of Kirby’s world.
See the video the story is built around at Deadline.
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