Birgitte Hjort Sørensen’s Dark Horse among 6 hot Danish series pitched in Berlin

The Danish Series Showcase at Berlin’s European Film Market, was co-organised by DR Sales, REinvent International Sales, TrustNordisk, DR, TV2 Denmark and the Danish Film Institute.

Two edgy and innovative YA series - Dark Horse and Killjoy - commissioned by TV2 Denmark were exciting new offerings, next to Carmen Curlers season 2, the already announced premium crime show Oxen (read our separate story - Jacob Lohmann, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen join SF Studios/TV2’s Oxen crime series: CLICK HERE), realistic prison drama Prisoner (read our separate story - Sofie Gråbøl, Daniel Dencik join DR Drama’s Prisoner: CLICK HERE) and comedy Agent (read our separate story - Nikolaj Lie Kaas’s comedy series Agent starts filming for Zentropa/TV2 Denmark: CLICK HERE) competing at the Berlinale Series.

Sold by REinvent International Sales, Dark Horse (6x42’) is created by rising talent Sara Isabella Jønsson (Copenhagen Cowboy, Unruly). Karoline Lyngbye (Superposition) serves as concept director, and Katrine Brocks (The Great Silence) as episodic director.

The story turns on 17-year-old Anna and her dominating mother Eva (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen of Borgen, Game of Thrones) who return home from Beijing to a small town in Denmark. Desperate to fit in, Anna begins stealing and selling ketamine to impress a group of local teens, and starts to lose herself along the way.

“Imagine being 17 - and having a mum trying to be 17 as well! said Jønsson to the crowded industry audience, stressing that “the two women in her show are both going way too far to try to get some validation”. “The series will explore dependency - not just on substance, but also between two people who in their different ways, try to break free from their path, from an unchosen identity. The essence of the show is about finding roots - however rootless you might feel. It’s about standing on your own feet, no matter what age you are,” she said.

Producer Victor Cunha of Monolit Film, said the edgy, heightened drama, has universal themes that will appeal both to a specific young audience, but also to elder viewers. “Our ambition is to make it distinctive and to make it reflect Denmark today,” he said.

The series produced by Cunha with Pernille Tornøe with support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond will start filming next week. The premiere on TV 2 Denmark is set for 2024.

Killjoy (6x30’) is a provocative and quirky comedy series about a young woman Nanna - who is living the seemingly perfect life with the perfect partner, until she is confronted with the fact that she actually fakes all her orgasm. With this realisation comes a desperate need for release in all aspects of her life.

“We’ve created a space for women’s voice, a colourful drama with humour and musicality,” said well-known versatile comedic duo and co-creators Emma Sehested Høgh and Jennifer Vedsted Christiansen. Sehested Høgh also stars in the main role, while Vedsted Christiansen directs.

“Its’s a show about togetherness, intimacy and we hope it will resonate with and challenge viewers around the world,” said the duo in their lively presentation.

The series due to premiere on TV2 Play March 26, is produced by Claudia Saginario (Cry Wolf), co-founder of Uma Film with Stinna Lassen, Marie-Louise Gyldenkrone and Vibeke Windeløv.

Lassen was also on stage - as executive producer of the second season of DR Drama’s period feelgood drama Carmen Curlers, for which writer Mette Heeno earned a nomination at the 2023 Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize.

As reminded by Lassen, the true story of the Danish hair curling invention which put Danish women in the workforce in the 1960s, was DR Drama’s biggest success in 6-7 years, with 1.2 million average viewers. “The key selling elements were the nostalgia, the relevance of the series which deals with existential and current subjects such as gender issues, and believing in oneself. “

“In season 2, the Americans arrive! said Lassen, who also mentions that the new season will be more political - turning on the years 1965-66, while still focusing on the sense of community and women getting their first full time job. The premiere on DR is slated for the fall 2023.

DR Sales recently inked major deals with Walter Presents for the US, Ireland and North America, on top of earlier sales closed with Filmin (Spain), SBS (Australia), NPO (The Netherlands), RTP (Portugal) and ERR (Estonia).

The anticipated new crime drama Oxen by the Int’l Emmy-winning duo Mai Brostrøm and Peter Thorsboe, adapted from Jens Henrik Jensen’s book series was pitched by SF Studios producer Michel Schønemann. The series produced with Germany’s Squareone for TV2 and ZDF is sold by REinvent. The premiere is slated for Q4 2024.

DR Drama’s realistic prison drama Prisoner was pitched by writer Kim Fupz Aakeson and director Frederik Louis Hviid, co-creators with director Michael Noer.

Hviid underlined the high level of authenticity of the series, filmed in a real prison, and depicting guards’ daily life and challenges. DR Sales handles sales on the series due to premiere this fall.

Meanwhile Zentropa producer Louise Vesth and actor/showrunner Nikolaj Lie Kaas gave a sneak peek of the Berlinale Series selected comedy Agent due to premiere this summer on TV2. TrustNordisk handles sales.

Watch out for the interview with Kaas and key cast on Friday.