Founder and President of Toronto based LoCo Motion Pictures
Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) and Toronto based LoCo Motion Pictures have announced a deal that will see WBITVP acquire global (excl. Canada) distribution rights to How To Buy A Baby, the International Emmy nominated CBC Digital Original.
The scripted format, created by Wendy Litner, is a darkly funny and achingly honest comedy-drama that follows a couple who can’t make a baby the fun way. So they struggle to conceive with the help of a doctor. And a nurse. And an embryologist. And an ultrasound technician. And unsolicited advice from everyone they know. The series provides a voyeuristic view of a marriage under pressure and shows just how much suffering a couple will endure for a bundle of joy. Deeply moving and awkwardly hilarious, ‘How To Buy A Baby’ proves that even the most difficult experiences can connect us to our humanity and make us laugh.
WBITVP Sweden are the first of WB’s opcos to adapt the format with S1 of locally titled Alla Utom Vi (Everyone Except Us) having premiered on Sweden’s Discovery+ platform in February as a 10×22’ series. A second season has been commissioned.
Commenting on the deal, Andrew Zein, SVP Creative Format Development and Sales at WBITVP said: ‘We’re delighted to be working with Lauren and her company LoCo Motion to bring this fantastic dramatic comedy to our broadcast partners and their audiences around the world. It’s a show that is perfect for this time – genuine, honest and richly humorous. More and more we’re seeing audiences attracted to real and relatable stories and characters through a comedy lens – something that this format really delivers’.
Lauren Corber, Founder and President of Toronto based LoCo Motion Pictures, added:
‘We’re thrilled to be expanding our partnership with WBITVP to bring this unique, honest and compelling comedy to the international market. Tackling contemporary and universal themes, ‘How To Buy A Baby’ is an authentic and entertaining story that engages the audience from beginning to end. Wendy has done such an incredible job of balancing the humour and the heartache in a way that is so relatable. We receive daily messages from our Canadian viewers about how meaningful the series is to them and we’re so excited for the opportunity to bring this story to audiences around the world’.
Produced by LoCo Motion Pictures for CBC in Canada, the original digital series garnered critical recognition winning Best Comedy at the 9th annual Indie Series Awards and Best Original Digital Series, Fiction in 2019 at the Canadian Screen Awards (CSAs). In 2020, the series was nominated for 6 CSAs. ‘How to Buy a Baby’ also won Best Comedy Writing at the International Academy of Web Television as well as nominated for Best Fiction Series at the Rockie Awards and was an Honouree Comedy: Long Form or Series at The Webby Awards.
