Children’s religious TV series to get new run

A HUGELY successful Irish-made children’s animated religious series is due for a new run of episodes on the small screen.

Shepherd Films, headed by Dublin solicitor and property tycoon Noel Smyth, produced The Story Keepers, which was first screened in 1998. It has since been sold to broadcasters in around 90 countries in 25 different languages, and has been a particular hit on RTÉ and ITV, where it was a regular top-rating show on Sunday mornings.

The show’s Irish connections were obvious in the Irish accent of Jesus, who appeared in the parables and other stories as told by the main character Ben the Baker and his First Century Christian family.

Gerard O’Rourke, Shepherd Films producer, said it is hoped that production on a second series may begin soon.

“The directors are waiting for certain deals but it is definitely planned to make a second series. But there would be at least a two-year time frame from the time we go into production before anything is seen on television,” he said.

Mr O’Rourke denied recent reports that the project had been stalled because of a distribution dispute between United States television firm Fox and global retailers Wal-Mart.

“We have a distribution agreement with Fox but if they have some kind of sub-contract with anybody else, it’s not our concern or any worry to us,” he said.

Fox is responsible for distribution of books and DVD/video retailing for the 13-part first series, as well as the Easter Story Keepers film, one of two spin-off feature-length editions.

As well as the majority shareholder Mr Smyth, supermarket executive Don Tidey and tax consultant Noel Corcoran are among the investors in Shepherd Films. They are reported to have sustained losses of around €3.5 million to date but Mr O’Rourke said income continues to pour in from worldwide merchandise sales.

“It wasn’t just a purely commercial venture - the series was made because of the Christian message and its biblical theme,” he said.

Mr Smyth is best known in business as a former chairman of Dunloe Ewart property group, from which he sold a 26% stake to Bord na gCon chairman Paschal Taggart for €47.2m in 2002. As a solicitor, he represented Ben Dunne at the Planning Tribunal.