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Nickelodeon picks up The Bureau of Magical Things

Kid's series from the prolific Jonathan M. Shiff Productions will screen in over 170 territories.

Aussie kids’ series The Bureau of Magical Things has been picked up by Nickelodeon channels, to screen in over 170 territories from October 8.

The 20 part series by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, filmed in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, premiered on ELEVEN in July.

Jonathan M. Shiff, Founder and Executive Producer, Jonathan M. Shiff Productions: “We are thrilled to see The Bureau of Magical Things so strongly supported by Nickelodeon who will introduce it to a global audience. It’s a real delight to bring children all over the world into a story full of surprise and adventure brought to life by an extraordinary cast of magical heroes.”

Fred Burcksen, President and CEO of ZDF Enterprises, said: “We are delighted that The Bureau of Magical Things has found its global home with Nickelodeon. Coming from the magical studios of our long term partner Jonathan M. Shiff, the series will capture audiences all over the world and is a perfect complement to Nickelodeon’s portfolio of outstanding children’s programs.”

Filmed in Brisbane and the Gold Coast of Australia, The Bureau of Magical Things combines magic, mystery, and a unique mythology to tell the story of Kyra, an ordinary teenage girl who is caught in a clash between an elf and a fairy then becomes magically transformed. As a “Tri-ling”—part human, part fairy, and part elf—Kyra teams with a group of magical teenagers and learns to use her newfound powers to keep the human world safe from the surprising, funny, and sometimes dangerous effects of magical chaos. But when these young guardians uncover a threat, humans, fairies, and elves must unite to save both their worlds!

The series stars Kimie Tsukakoshi (The Family Law) as Kyra, a confident teenage Tri-ling who exhibits powers of both fairies and elves; Mia Milnes as Lily, an optimistic and sweet fairy; Elizabeth Cullen as Imogen, a headstrong and ambitious elf; Julian Cullen as Darra, Imogen’s charming hipster elf brother; Rainbow Wedell (Terra Nova) as Ruksy, an orderly fairy and teacher’s pet; Jamie Carter (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) as Peter, Kyra’s longtime classmate and science fiction lover; Christopher Sommers (Hunters) as Professor Maxwell, a witty half-elf-half-human in charge of the local Magic School; Melanie Zanetti (The Leisure Class) as Orla, an elf agent working for the Department of Magical Intervention (DMI); and Nicholas Bell (I, Frankenstein) as Sean, director of the DMI and Lily’s father.

In the first half-hour launch episode, “A Magical Mishap,” ordinary teenager Kyra gets zapped when she touches a book that is the subject of a magical tug‐of‐war between a fairy, Lily, and an elf, Imogen. When Kyra wakes the next day, she can see and perform magic as a newfound Tri‐ling – part‐human, part‐fairy and part‐elf.

“The Bureau of Magical Things introduces a captivating fantasy world while promoting real world concepts like individuality, diversity and acceptance,” says Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships for Nickelodeon. “We think kids everywhere will find something relatable in these characters’ journeys to finding their true selves, while learning to embrace and accept what makes them different.”

Season one of The Bureau of Magical Things is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, financed with the support of Screen Australia, the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland and the City of Gold Coast and will be globally distributed by ZDF Enterprises. The show was originally broadcast in Australia on Channel Eleven.

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