Wonder Project, the studio behind HOUSE OF DAVID, is looking across the pond for its next round of scripted television, picking up three new series out of the UK and Ireland.
“The UK and Ireland have an incredible track record of developing distinctive voices and building shows that travel internationally without losing what makes them unique,” said Tristen Tuckfield, Wonder Project’s head of content acquisition, in the July 23 announcement. “That’s exactly what we’re interested in — stories that are deeply rooted in a specific world but broadly relatable because of the people and relationships at their center.”
The slate includes the exclusive US acquisition of LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL, narrated by Julia Roberts; the Aug. 6 US premiere of YOU & ME, executive produced by Russell T Davies; and REWARDING, a new original series co-commissioned with BBC Northern Ireland.
LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL, a six-part comedy drama from Avalon and Subotica, will be rebranded as a Wonder Project Original when it hits the platform. Based on Rónán Hession’s novel of the same name, the series follows two thirty-something friends who drift contentedly through quiet, board-game-filled lives until a string of unexpected events cracks their routines wide open. It stars Alex Lawther, Laurie Kynaston and DERRY GIRLS’ Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, and it already won over critics after airing on BBC One Northern Ireland, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
“Following its critical success in the UK and strong international sales, we’re thrilled to partner with Wonder Project to bring LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL to US audiences and continue building the series’ momentum around the world,” said Adam Barth, Avalon’s SVP of scripted and digital distribution, in a press release.
Related: Wonder Project Debuts First-Ever Stand-Up Comedy Lineup
YOU & ME, meanwhile, is a three-part relationship drama originally produced for ITVX by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios. Starring Harry Lawtey and Jessica Barden, the series follows two people picking through grief and tragedy in search of a second shot at happiness, and all three episodes land on Wonder Project Aug. 6.
REWARDING rounds out the trio: a six-part comedy from Conker Pictures, part of Banijay UK, set inside the world of domiciliary care and following support workers alongside their disabled and neurodivergent clients. The show began as a short pilot through BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen’s Green Lit scheme for emerging talent and draws on creator Matthew McDevitt’s own experience in the care system. Comedian Vittorio Angelone and Hannah McClean star, with a late-2026 premiere planned.
“We’re interested in creators who have a deep understanding of the worlds they’re writing about,” said Justin Rosenblatt, Wonder Project’s head of global TV. “REWARDING comes from a place of genuine insight, and that’s what gives the series its humor, specificity and emotional honesty.”
Eddie Doyle, head of content commissioning at BBC Northern Ireland, called it a natural next step for two of the broadcaster’s own commissions. “It’s wonderful to see LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAUL and REWARDING, both commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland, reaching a wider international audience through Wonder Project,” Doyle said.
The international push is the latest sign of growth for Wonder Project, which JESUS REVOLUTION director Jon Erwin and former Netflix executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten launched in 2023 with a simple pitch: build a trusted home for stories that “restore hope in things worth believing in.” That mission has already produced Wonder’s biggest hit, HOUSE OF DAVID, which Movieguide® reported drew more than 40 million viewers across its first two seasons and was renewed for a third this July.
None of the three new titles carry HOUSE OF DAVID’s overtly biblical framing, but they fit Wonder’s stated goal of finding character-driven stories families can trust — whether that’s two odd-couple friends rediscovering the world around them or a comedy that treats its disabled and neurodivergent characters with real dignity instead of as punchlines.
Wonder Project’s subscription channel is available on Prime Video for $8.99 a month or $89.99 a year after a 7-day free trial.
Read Next: Wonder Project Enters World of Children’s TV With ‘Imaginative’ New Series
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
