Set up in 2008 by producer Johan Mardell (photo) - former head of Fiction at SVT and Head of Production at Svensk Filmindustri and TV executives Rolf Sohlman and Lisa Dahlberg. Pampas Production has put its first major project Anno 1790 in front of the cameras. The 10 x 1 hour costume drama started filming last month and is the epitome of high quality commercial production that Pampas wants to bring to the Scandinavian and European market. The series is based on Mardell's original idea brought to the screen by main scriptwriter Jonas Frykberg (The Girl who Played with Fire). Set in Sweden during the dawn of the age of Enlightenment, it centers on Johan Gustav Dåådh (Peter Eggers), a doctor turned police investigator who has unconventional ways of solving crimes.
For Mardell, the idea was to bring a new twist to the crime genre by setting it during a fascinating period that would be visually exciting. Also in Anno 1790, the main character uses his cleverness of mind instead of modern gadgets to conduct the investigation. SVT immediately jumped on board as well as co-producers YLE, TV2 Norge, DR, ARD and Stockholm-Mälardalen region. Guldbagge winning cinematographer Geir Hartly Andreassen is lensing for director Rickard Petrolius. Other key cast members include Joel Spira (Easy Money) and Linda Zilliacus (Evil). Filming will last until March 2011 and SVT will air it in the autumn 2011. Anno 1790 is supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
Mardell who produced for SF the two Arn movies based on Jan Guillou's novels, is also developing Hamilton, a new feature film and TV series based on the Swedish novelist's literary superhero. "We will bring a fresh twist on the Scandinavian James Bond," said Mardell. Hans Gunnarsson (Evil) and Stefan Thunberg (Wallander series) are writing the script.