WRITTEN BY: Annika Pham
The two series produced respectively by Nevis Productions and Apple Tree Productions will be pitched alongside Finland’s (Not) A Time to Die and Iceland’s Barbara.
The four Nordic series selected among more than 150 submissions will be vying for the Best Drama Series Pitch Award to be handed out on November 30 at Content London.
Rivals (6x42’) is being produced by Danish power-player Piv Bernth for her outfit Apple Tree Productions, also present at Content London with SVT’s Blackwater and TV2 Denmark’s Chorus Girls, running for best non-English drama series at the C21 Int’l Drama competition.
So far Rivals has received backing from TV2 Denmark, ITV Studios (majority shareholder in Apple Tree), the Danish Film Institute and the West Danish Film Fund.
The high-end series reunites Bernth with the director of The Killing (Forbrydelsen), Hans Fabian Wullenweber, most recently credited for DNA and Seaside Hotel (Badehotellet).
Seasoned author/writer Anders Rønnow Klarlund (Loving Adults, White Sands) is serving as creator and head-writer.
The drama is set in the Danish town of Elvenspring, where the river was straightened out a century ago to feed a power plant, at great cost to the environment. Municipal biologist Karin Felder, married to Frederik and mother of five, is fighting to return the river to its original course.
When Frederik suddenly dies, Karin has suspicions about foul play between her husband and his brother, industry magnate Jarl, who opposes the river project. At the same time, local news reporter Robert is digging into why his family history has been purposely obscured from Elvenspring. When a 100-year-old body emerges from the water, Karin’s work and family is put at risk, while Jarl and Robert are set on a collision course.
Speaking to us about the genesis of the project, Bernth said she was first approached by Klarlund in December 2022. “Anders is one of the best writers in the country and very, very dedicated to his work and inspiring to work with. The story he pitched to me was about an important theme: what have we done to our nature?! The setting is the beautiful Lake land Jutland, with hills, rivers, and lakes, but most of them are manmade, they are not nature’s own creation any longer,” explains the producer.
“It’s told as a family story, turning on the legacy from our ancestors, family honour, family feuds and power play up against a modern view on the climate challenges, saving the fishes, the plants, and the environment issues we deal with today. It is exciting, it is drama, it is fun, and it is ambitious. I couldn’t say anything, but let’s do it!”
Bernth says Klarlund is currently writing the six treatments for the first season, with a plan to start writing scripts in January 2024. Shooting is scheduled to start in May 2025.
The action drama The Winter Pack (8x45’) is being produced by Anni Faurbye Fernandez, Cindy Hanson and Moa Westeson for the Scandinavian powerhouse Nevis Productions, credited for DR’s Nordland’99, also vying for best non-English drama series at this year’s C21 Int’l Drama Awards.
So far Federation Entertainment and Nordisk Film are attached, with the main commissioner soon to be announced, according to seasoned producer and Nevis CEO Fernandez (Atlantic Crossing, Wallander).
The Winter Pack (Vinterpacket) is co-written by Christoffer Örnfelt (The Chestnut Man, Rita) and Mikkel Bak Sørensen (Hitman 2-3, Greyzone) based on Swedish author Jacob Lindfors’ book ‘series Vinterpacket’ about the top-secret world of Sweden’s Special Forces.
Fernandez said Nevis Productions has a pilot script, episode 2 treatment and the co-writers are working on the script for episode 2 and 3. Shooting is slated for late 2024.
The Finnish crime drama (Not) A Time to Die is being produced by Solar Republic’s head of drama Jemina Jokisalo (Money Shot), co-writer of the TV show with Markus Laitinen.
The series is being developed for Nelonen.
The crime show with a twist centres on the paramedic Kalle (40) and his colleagues, as they are faced with new challenges when criminal teen gangs from Sweden start spreading to Helsinki. Kalle learns that his nephew Roni (15) has been enrolled in one of the gangs, and he wants to help him out.
Jokisalo says the story is based on the book ‘You won't die (yet)’ by Finnish author and former paramedic Kari Hautamäki who contacted them. “During his time as a paramedic in Stockholm, Kari got to know the criminal street gangs (Dödspatrullen, Shottaz etc.) and was the one trying to save their victims. His book is based on his experiences,” says the writer/producer, adding that the theme of youth gang violence is very topical in Finland as they are starting to crossover from Sweden. “Also, the everyday work of a paramedic is very interesting and something that hasn't been explored very much in TV series,” she underscores. The TV show is due to start filming in the fall 2024.
From Iceland, the drama Barbara (6x30’) currently in development for Stöð 2 (Channel 2) is being written/directed by Haukur Björgvinsson (Heartless) for producer Tinna Proppé (Sisterhood, Operation Napoleon) and their new outfit Sellout - (see our recent story - Exclusive - Operation Napoleon’s Icelandic producer Tinna Proppé launches Sellout prodco).
Star actress Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir (Woman at War, The Garden) has been confirmed in the titular role.
The story centres on Daniel, a chess prodigy who suffers from a neurological disorder and uses an electric wheelchair. The latter has been raised by overprotective adoptive parents, until he discovers that the most popular TV show host of the country, Barbara, is his biological mother. The entire nation sees Barbara as a charming role model, but in reality, she is self-absorbed and hides inner demons. When Daniel suddenly appears, her life crumbles. With the support from the rebellious Hulda, Daniel will find the strength to break free from his protected life and connect with Barbara.
Start of production is pencilled for the summer 2024.
Content London which is expecting more than 3,000 international delegates unspools November 28-30.
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