"The Unreal"
Serious Kids has just secured the worldwide distribution rights (excluding Ireland) to live-action family thriller "The Unreal", a 4 x 24’ mini-series from Dyehouse Films in Ireland for RTÉ. The series excelled in its Sunday evening serialized rollout on RTÉ One in October 2024, and a second season has already been commissioned. Targeted at kids aged 8-12 and their families, the series was written by Rodney Lee, directed by Bonnie Dempsey, and produced by David O’Sullivan and Nuala Carr.
The title was commissioned by RTÉ and received support funding from Coimisiún na Meán and the Irish Government’s S481 tax credit. The second season has been commissioned and is finalizing funding applications, with delivery expected in Q4 2025.
While on a family holiday at a woodland campsite with no WiFi, Kevin Kelly discovers a strange VHS tape of an old children’s TV show, "The Pooka", which unleashes the character into the real world. The Pooka wreaks havoc, Kevin is blamed, and only the eccentric campsite caretaker initially believes his story. Together, they hatch a plan to trap The Pooka and return it to its video world. But there’s a twist—The Pooka means no harm. When Kevin finds another VHS of an old sitcom called "The Kellys", the family realizes that they, too, have escaped from fiction into reality, and the caretaker has plans to erase them as well.
Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children’s & Young People’s Content at RTÉ, aligned the agreement with the company's strategy: “A key part of our ongoing strategy here at RTÉ Kids is to develop and deliver top-quality drama content for kids and family audiences. Dyehouse is one of the premier companies creating content in this space and has a pitch-perfect understanding of this audience, which is a rare find. 'The Unreal' is a smooth blend of spooky comedy that leans beautifully into those ‘quirky’ shows we all watched when we were kids," commented.
Also, Bonnie Dempsey, the Director and co-CEO of Dyehouse Films, described the elements that make the title appealing: “With Series 2 already in the pipeline, we are really excited to share 'The Unreal’s' unique blend of comedy, drama, and supernatural mystery. We were determined to deliver a binge-worthy folk horror for audiences who enjoy shows like Stranger Things and Doctor Who while also touching on important themes such as opening up about mental health issues in the family, the immigrant experience, confronting prejudice, and the impact of social media on teenagers—all wrapped up in a thrilling, rollercoaster of an adventure set in a world where not everything is as it seems. We hope to blow open the whole Unreal universe in Series 2 with some radical plot shifts and exciting new characters," expressed.
Finally, Genevieve Dexter, Founder and CEO of Serious Kids spoke about the message inherent in the title: “It’s really important for kids to be able to scare themselves silly in a safe environment. The experience develops their emotional resilience and their bonds with family and friends who have shared that experience. We are thrilled to launch this wonderful series this week, and thanks to Dyehouse Films for their trust in us," noted.
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