Tribe Sequel Picked Up By Five & Seven : by Jules Grant
18 Mar 2005

Cloud 9 Entertainment's sequel to futuristic teen drama The Tribe has been greenlit after two major broadcast commissions from UK terrestrial Five and Seven Network Australia.

The New Tomorrow (26x30'), a children's sci-fi adventure series, is currently at the script stage, with production due to start in April. It will be delivered from September 2005. The series will be filmed and produced by Cloud 9 throughout Australasia. Southern Star will distribute the series, following a deal to distribute Cloud 9's catalogue in January.

The new series starts from the same premise as The Tribe - a world with no adults, in which children have to re-create their own society. The new version will be aimed at a younger audience of 8-12 year olds.

The new version of the series sees three main tribes of children: The Barbs, a primitive bunch of kids; The Ants, a disparate bunch of children hanging on to the past; and The Privileged, described as a "slightly decadent, hedonistic gang".

In contrast to The Tribe's disused shopping mall setting, The New Tomorrow's backdrop is snow-capped mountains, streams and rolling landscape. The show will transmit on Seven Network and Five's Shake strand in Autumn. The original has been licensed to over 40 worldwide broadcasters.

Cloud 9 is behind hits including The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson and the Enid Blyton Secret Series. Its ceo Raymond Thompson is the exec producer of Cloud 9's portfolio, with previous credits including the BBC's 1985 drama Howard's Way.

Cloud 9 wound down its London-based distribution arm Cumulus in November 2004 to concentrate production in New Zealand and Australia. It later appointed Southern Star as global distributor.

Jules Grant
18 Mar 2005
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