“Phoenix Rise,” fresh off its world premiere atCannes’MipJunior,is a “show about second chances,” say creators Matt Evans and Perrie Balthazar.
Produced byBBC Kids & Family Productions andcommissioned by Sarah Muller, BBC’s head of commissioning and acquisitions, 7-12, it’sdistributed byCanada’s Sinking Ship Entertainment. The showsees six marginalized students forming a bond at their new school in the U.K.’s West Midlands. With 20 episodes clocking in at 30 minutes, it’s targeting an audience of 10 years and older.
Alex Draper, Lauren Corah, Tara Webb, Krish Bassi, Imogen Baker, Orla McDonagh andJayden Hanleystar.
“Kids lead frantic lives. We wanted to capture that energy while also giving emotional moments some room to breathe,” Evans and Balthazar tellPvNewin a joint statement.
“It’s a fast-moving show which reflects the chaos and confusion of being a teenager. Something we all can remember!”
Previously, Evans has been a writer on “EastEnders” or “Riviera.” He will also work on the upcoming Sky Original drama “A Town Called Malice.” Another “EastEnders” alumni, Perrie Balthazar has penned “Coronation Street” and “Hollyoaks.”
They wanted to create a “hopeful place” for their characters, they say.
“In many children’s dramas, school is portrayed as a scary, uninviting, intimidating place. But for some, their school can be a place of friendship and fun. It can be a sanctuary, a respite from troubles at home and a place where they can learn to be themselves, whoever that might be.”
“While our kids go through some dark times, we always come back to our central themes of friendship and belonging. We wanted to celebrate the value the school experience can bring to kids from every walk of life.”
Evans and Balthazar “love” school-based shows, they admit, and want to reinvigorate the genre.
“We want to bring a fresh perspective by focusing on the outsiders and also shine a light on young people who aren’t often reflected on screen, the realities of coming from a poor background and having absent parents, for example, but still having to navigate the universal problems kids face today.”
The duo also wanted tofocus on a diverse group of people, reflecting the communities they come from and live in, with their characters’ respective backgrounds also revealed in the story.
“For example, Rani’s parents fled Iraq and settled in the U.K., but her story arc is of a shy, insecure girl who is finding her voice. It’s through this storyline that we hear about her parents’ journey and also her own.”
Interestingly enough, they show the positive side of social media: the fact that kids can use it to express themselves and bond with others.
“But we also explore the flip side, the havoc that can be wreaked by the hive mentality of socials.”
Their young protagonistsfind refuge in a newly formed group. Also because out there in the world, they can’t always rely on their parents, repeating cliches, telling them to blend in or even abandoning them altogether.
“If this show has one rule, it’s that our stories will never be about parents,” say Evans and Balthazar.
“They are present in our kids’ lives, but [they are] never the focus. At an age when friendship is pivotal, our gang creates its own family.”
Just like the protagonists of the 1980s classic “The Breakfast Club.”
“We were inspired by many of the high school films from the 1980s. As writers, we naturally gravitate towards the misfits and outsiders,” they state.
“Like many of those classic films, we wanted to celebrate difference and the triumph of the underdog.”
