Tubi Acquires BBC Dramedy ‘Boarders’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Tubi has acquired BBC coming-of-age series “Boarders” in a deal with All3Media International, Variety has learned. The series is expected to launch in North American on the streamer in the first quarter of 2024.

Written by BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Daniel Lawrence Taylor, the series follows “five Black inner city school teenagers who find themselves on scholarships to one of Britain’s oldest and most prestigious boarding schools, St. Gilberts. The series will see these students navigate a new world, forming new friendships along the way while also going on journeys of self-discovery,” reads the description, per Tubi.

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“We’re excited to be bringing ‘Boarders’ to audiences in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and across LATAM as we continue to offer a variety of global programming at Tubi,” said Sam Harowitz, Tubi’s vice president of content acquisitions and partnerships. “At Tubi, we’re dedicated to telling compelling stories from all over the world and we know our highly engaged viewers will love the world and characters that Daniel has created just as much as we do.”

As Variety previously reported, Josh Tedeku (“Supacell”), Jodie Campbell (“Bulletproof”) and Myles Kamwendo (“The School for Good and Evil”) alongside Sekou Diaby and Aruna Jalloh lead the cast. Also featured among the cast is Derek Riddell (“Happy Valley”), Niky Wardley (“Queen of Oz”), Harry Gilby (“Tolkien”), Tallulah Greive (“Cinderella”), Rosie Graham (“The School for Good and Evil”), Georgina Sadler (“The A List”) and Assa Kanoute. In addition to creating and writing the series, Lawrence Taylor also plays a mentor figure to the students.

“I’m beyond excited that Tubi is bringing ‘Boarders’ to North America,” said Lawrence Taylor. “This is a quintessentially British coming of age school show with big universal themes of belonging, achievement, first crushes, forging friendships, and awkward sexual encounters that will hit home as hard for the North American audiences as much as it does for us Brits. It is jam packed with exciting new talent both in front of and behind the camera, and is filled with humour, pathos and straight up joy. I know the Tubi audience will love watching it as much as I loved creating it.”

Emma Dennis-Edwards, Yemi Oyefuwa and Ryan Calais Cameron also hold writing credits. Ethosheia Hylton (“African Queens”) and Sarmad Masud (“You Don’t Know Me”) directed the series. Lawrence Taylor serves as executive producer alongside Madeleine Sinclair and Susan Hogg for Studio Lambert, and Nawfal Faizullah and Ayela Butt for the BBC. The series is produced by Studio Lambert in association with All3Media International for the BBC

“Tubi is the ideal partner for this fantastic original comedy drama, and this agreement will ensure ‘Boarders’ reaches a huge corner of the global market,” said Sally Habbershaw, EVP Americas at All3Media International. “’Boarders’ showcases a wealth of brilliant new talent and brings to life a contemporary comedy of manners with a lot of heart.”

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