FOX is developing American adaptation of Catalan TV hit ‘The Red Band Society’

Barcelona – American television giant Fox has confirmed its purchase of the rights to popular Catalan television series ‘Polseres Vermelles’ and it is working on a pilot episode. The show, created by Albert Espinosa based on his experiences of staying in a children’s hospital, is set for an American adaptation under the care of scriptwriter Margaret Nagel (‘Boardwalk Empire’) and prolific producer Steven Spielberg (‘United States of Tara’). The show has grown in success since airing in Catalonia, expanding its reach to international audiences and inspiring an Italian adaptation. ‘Polseres Vermelles’ is an original project from Catalonia’s Public Television Broadcaster.

FOX, responsible for other successful series such as ‘The Simpsons’ & ‘Glee’, currently has a pilot episode in development, although it is not certain whether the show will be released as an entire series until March. Spielberg’s production company DreamWorks is reportedly committed to working with FOX on the project.

The show in its Catalan form, known to English-speaking audiences as ‘The Red Band Society’, tells the stories of children and adolescents meeting and living in the children’s wing of a hospital. Two seasons of the drama have already aired in Spain, with Espinosa confirming a third on the way, being dubbed into Spanish as ‘Pulseras Rojas’. It has already been aired by three Spanish networks (TV3, Neox and TNT), and has reached countries such as USA, Mexico, Finland, France, Argentina and others.

Meanwhile, Italian audiences have already started to watch their own adaptation of the show (‘Bracialetti Rossi’), airing in RAI1’s primetime slot on January 26. This adaptation, which began production July 15 2013 in Apulia, was scripted by Sandro Petraglia and directed by Giacomo Campiotti.