Serious Kids has secured the worldwide distribution rights (ex Ireland) to live action family thriller The Unreal, a 4 x 24’ spooky mini-series from Dyehouse Films in Ireland for RTÉ.
The series excelled in its Sunday evening serialised roll out on RTÉ One in October 2024 and a second season has already been commissioned. Targeted at kids 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.
Whilst on a family holiday at a woodland campsite with no WIFI, Kevin Kelly discovers a strange VHS tape of a an old children’s TV show The Pooka that unleashes the character into the real world. The Pooka wreaks havoc, Kevin is blamed, with only the eccentric campsite caretaker initially believing 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 and when Kevin finds another VHS of an old sitcom called The Kellys, the family realise that they too have escaped from fiction into reality and the caretaker has plans to erase them as well.
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 which leans beautifully into those ‘quirky’ shows we all watched when we were kids.
Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children’s & Young People’s Content at RTÉ
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.
Bonnie Dempsey, Director and Co-CEO of Dyehouse Films
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.
Genevieve Dexter, Founder and CEO of Serious Kids
The Unreal was commissioned by RTÉ and received support funding from Coimisiún na Meán and Irish Government S481 tax credit. The second season is commissioned and finalising funding applications with a delivery expected Q4 2025.
