Four Nordic series from DR, SVT, NRK, YLE, in first New8 drama slate

Less than two months after the New8 co-production and distribution partnership between DR, SVT, YLE, NRK, RÚV, ZDF, NPO and VRT was announced (see our story - DR, SVT, NRK, Yle, RÚV team up with ZDF, NPO, VRT in New8 Alliance), the European pubcasters have unveiled this week at Content London the first batch of series, set to premiere in their respective territories from 2025.

"We are proud to present this wide range of high-end dramas, a varied bouquet of stories that we strongly believe will become important and appreciated by European audiences", said NRK’s head of international financing drama Hans-Jørgen Osnes, one of the initiators of New8. “It’s nice that we're now getting a wider range of series that reflect other European societies, and not just the Anglo-Saxon ones,” added SVT’s head of drama Anna Croneman.

The first-year slate ranges from heart-warming stories tackling ethical issues, arts and culture with a twist, and true events that have changed the world as we see it. Three of the four Nordic shows are indeed inspired by compelling true stories.

Vanguard (5x45’) produced by Sweden’s FLX for SVT dramatises the story of the larger-than life Swedish media mogul and entrepreneur Jan Stenbeck, to be played by Jakob Oftebro, under the helm of Goran Kapetanović (Caliphate). Head-writer Alex Haridi (Quicksand), has written the script based on Per Andersson's book ‘Stenbeck: a biography of a successful businessman’, as announced in Cannes, (see our story Jakob Oftebro to play media magnate Jan Stenbeck for FLX and SVT). It’s a a tale about fearless entrepreneurship, a will to change the world, and sibling rivalry in a family that never healed from their feuds. 

"Stenbeck was a fascinating person, who clearly accelerated the paradigm shift between the industrial era and the new age as we know it today,” noted Croneman. According to FLX producer Lejla Bešić, filming is due to start February 19, 2024.

Meanwhile Denmark’s True Content Entertainment, DR, Germany’s X-Filme and ZDF have partnered in The CumEx Files (working title), about the notorious Cum-Ex trading scheme, commonly viewed as the biggest tax fraud in history. Indeed, at least €150 billion were unlawfully taken from European taxpayers through this massive financial crime, orchestrated by high-profile lawyers, wealthy investors and major banks. The eight-part series from showrunner Jan Schomburg will be co-directed by Germany’s Dustin Loose and Denmark’s Kaspar Munk (The Rain, Kamikaze).

In Holmlia Love (6x45’) produced by Norway’s Monster Scripted for NRK, creator Mikael Diseth and director Andre Chodron are focusing on the true story of a racist crime that happened in the Oslo-multicultural neighbourhood of Holmlia.

The series is set in Holmlia, in the summer of 2000. Two 15-year-old best friends, Nader and Benjamin, are enjoy sunny days at the beach. Six months later, one of the boys is brutally killed by neo-Nazis, and the other grapples with survivor's guilt. Parents, friends, and neighbours, struggle to cope with the consequences.

Filming is due to start February 20, 2024, according to Monster producer Malene Andgrav.

From Finland, Queen of Fucking Everything (6x45’) produced by Rabbit Films for Yle, is a “strong female-led crime without police, toned with grim humour,” according to Rabbit Films’ head of scripted content Minna Haapkylä. The series is written and directed by Tiina Lymi (Syke, Roba, Stormskerry Maja).

Linda Saarniluoto, a successful real estate agent, falls from high society to the lowest classes, only to fight her way back to a different kind of elite: the criminal one. In order to survive, Linda needs to recreate herself in these two worlds, push the boundaries of her morals and her need for love, and ultimately become the ‘Queen of Fucking Everything’.

Cast & crew will soon be announced on the crime comedy set to start filming in February.
Rabbit International will be handling sales outside the co-producing territories.

The non-Nordic series part of New8 are the following:

• Elixir ((NPO/NTR/BNNVARA, The Netherlands, 8x50’), produced by Topkapi Series, written by Maaik Krijgsman, and directed by Dana Nechushtan.
  
  Isabelle Rombauts is unexpectedly appointed the CEO of the family-owned company Rombauts Pharma, a prominent player in the global pharmaceutical market. Soon, she is confronted with serious malpractices and must weigh her own conscience against the interests of her influential family.
• Kabul (ZDF, Germany, 6x52’), produced by 2425 and Cinétévé, co-written by Olivier Demangel and Thomas Finkielkraut, co-directed by Kasia Adamik and Olga Chajdas.
  Kabul, August 14, 2021. The Taliban are at the gates of the city, and France prepares to evacuate its embassy. But the sudden fall of Kabul the next day rushes all the plans. French, Italian, German, American diplomats and the police must improvise the evacuation of hundreds of Afghans and refugees to the airport. While chaos reaches the city, the Afghans will soon have only two choices: to kneel or to run away.
• Push (ZDF, Germany, 6x45’), produced by Bantry Bay Productions, created by Luisa Hardenberg, co-directed by Katja Benrath and Mia Maariel Meyer. Portrayal of three midwives of different ages, who love their job but face crucial challenges both professionally and privately.
• This Is Not A Murder Mystery (VRT, Belgium, 6x55’), produced by Panenka, in co-production with Deadpan Pictures, RTL, Proximus and New8. Distributed by Studiocanal. Directed by Hans Herbots and Matthias Lebeer, based on an original idea by Matthias Lebeer and Christophe Dirickx.
  
  Whodunit show, in which up-and-coming artist René Magritte travels to London for the First International Surrealist Exhibition, unfolding at the magnificent estate of the exuberant Lord James. After a number of fellow artists fall victim to a mysterious killer, Scotland Yard shows up and no one is allowed to leave the premises. Magritte (one of the prime suspects) must figure out what happened in order to clear, or condemn, his own name.