Port Washington, NY – KOCH Vision leaps into the New Year with the acquisition of the North American Home Entertainment rights to BALLET SHOES, the delightful family drama which recently captured British hearts during its BBC One broadcast premiere on December 26. Based on the classic novel by Noel Streatfeild, BALLET SHOES was produced for the BBC by Granada and features Harry Potter’s Emma Watson along with an all-star cast in a heartwarming tale about family, fame and realizing your dreams.
HARRY POTTER’S EMMA WATSON FROM GRANADA
Port Washington, NY (January 25, 2008) – KOCH Vision leaps into the New Year with the acquisition of the North American Home Entertainment rights to BALLET SHOES, the delightful family drama which recently captured British hearts during its BBC One broadcast premiere on December 26. Based on the classic novel by Noel Streatfeild, BALLET SHOES was produced for the BBC by Granada and features Harry Potter’s Emma Watson along with an all-star cast in a heartwarming tale about family, fame and realizing your dreams.
The acquisition announcement was made jointly by Michael Rosenberg, President, KOCH Vision and Carol Lee, Vice President Home Entertainment North America, Granada International.
“This extremely well-produced drama was the must-see event for British television viewers during the holidays, and we’re thrilled to bring the story to U.S. audiences later this fall on DVD,” said Rosenberg. “Ballet Shoes is yet another example of KOCH Vision’s continued commitment to introduce exemplary programming from the U.K. and abroad to North America.”
In addition to Watson, the all-star cast for BALLET SHOES includes Dame Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain, Cold Comfort Farm), Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter, The History Boys), Emilia Fox (The Pianist, Cashback), Harriet Walter (Atonement, Babel) and Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones's Diary, Sense and Sensibility).
The timeless and uplifting story of BALLET SHOES revolves around three orphaned girls’ struggles to fulfill their dreams. Pauline (Emma Watson), Petrova (Yasmin Paige) and Posy Fossil (Lucy Boynton) are adopted by eccentric explorer Professor Matthew Brown (Richard Griffiths), whom the children affectionately call “Gum,” and raised as sisters by his selfless niece, Sylvia (Emilia Fox). When “Gum” goes missing, Sylvia makes ends meet by taking in lodgers whose actions change their lives forever. The girls are enrolled in theater school and put to work on the stage. This suits the ambitious Pauline, who longs to act, and Posy, a natural dancer, but Petrova, who dreams of becoming an aviator, suffers great frustration and disappointment. Their lives in show business are filled with triumphs, but hearts are broken and lessons are learned before “Gum” returns and ensures a happy ending for the Fossil girls.
The BBC One airing of BALLET SHOES scored a 19% share among Adults 16-34, winning its 90-minute time period and outperforming the 4-week average for this slot.
About KOCH Vision
KOCH Vision is the home video arm of leading music and video distributor KOCH Entertainment. A leading independent supplier of a broad range of product genres, KOCH Vision boasts a library of feature films, television series and miniseries, award-winning children’s and fitness programs, documentaries, live music concerts and more. It is the home of such notable properties as SELF Fitness, Yoga Zone, McLeod’s Daughters, Soundstage, Popular Mechanics for Kids, Wire in the Blood and Mile High. Visit KOCH Vision online at www.kochvision.com.
About Granada International
Part of ITV Worldwide, Granada International is one of the largest and most successful commercial television distributors in Europe. A unique catalogue of programming encompasses the best in UK network production, international co-productions, formats, Hollywood TV movies, classic film libraries and high quality programming from the worldwide independent production sector.
