Arthur Conan Doyle Universe TV Series In Works At Imagine Kids + Family Based On The Improbable Tales Of Baskerville Hall

In a highly competitive situation, Imagine Kids+Family has landed the filmed content rights to Ali Standish’s upcoming multi-book series The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall, which tracks the imagined origins story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional characters, for development as a TV series that builds an integrated Arthur Conan Doyle universe spanning all his works.

The series follows a young Arthur Conan Doyle as he leaves his family to attend Baskerville Hall, a school for the extraordinarily-gifted, where he will seek to solve many mysteries with the help of his new schoolmates and teachers.  Here he’ll meet the characters that will become the inspiration for his many famous novels — including Professor Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and friends like James Moriarty.  At Baskerville Hall,  Arthur uncovers a mystery that will lead to an epic adventure and will be the springboard to the creation of an inter-connected and far-reaching Conan Doyle universe.

“The characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are some of the most compelling and enduring ever put to paper. What drew us to this book series was the creative twist of putting the young Conan Doyle into the story himself, showing how his professors and friends formed the foundation of his life’s work,” said Stephanie Sperber, President Imagine Kids+Family. “We see this as an opportunity to build a world that connects the Sherlock and all other ACD novels into one unique interconnected world for kids and adults around the world.”

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall is a collaboration between Working Partners, part of the Coolabi Group of companies, and The Conan Doyle Estate, the official guardians of the works of the Arthur Conan Doyle franchise.

London-based Coolabi Productions, Working Partners’ sister production company, will co-develop and co-produce the series adaptation alongside Imagine Kids+Family.

“Working Partners is excited to be entrusted to work with the Conan Doyle Estate to develop a world where audiences would meet the genesis of existing characters, plus new and diverse characters; making Sir Arthur Conan Doyle more relevant than ever to a 21st century audience,” said Chris Snowdon, Managing Director, Working Partners. “Imagine Kids+Family, with such a rich story-telling history, are the perfect partner to bring this new Conan Doyle canon to life.”

Chelsea Eberly of The Greenhouse Literary agency licensed three books in The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Standish to HarperCollins in a pre-emptive deal. Publication of the first book is set for fall 2023, with the second book in the series set to be released in fall 2024, and the third book targeted for fall 2025.

“Brimming with rich mystery, puzzle-filled plots, and classic and beloved characters reimagined for the contemporary reader, this captivating world is perfectly crafted for the middle-grade audience, and we are so thrilled to be launching this publishing franchise that will appeal to a new generation of sleuths and adventurers,” said Alyson Day, Executive Editor, HarperCollins Children’s Books.

As one of the most famous fictional character in the world, Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed in some 250 movies or TV shows to date. For the first time, Baskerville Hall brings together characters from all of Conan Doyle’s works of fiction—from Sherlock Holmes to The Lost World, to his many other adventure stories—to create one interconnected “ACD Universe”.

“We have long discussed the idea of bringing all of our great ancestor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s brilliant characters, not just Sherlock Holmes, into the limelight – effectively creating a new fictional universe,” said Richard Pooley, step-great grandson of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. “A dream came true when Working Partners proposed that the Conan Doyle Estate work with them in creating The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall.”