The eight-part series Caliphate (Kalifat) which premiered on SVT January 12, 2020, has been a resounding success for the Swedish pubcaster, reaching the same levels online as SVT’s hot period drama The Restaurant (Vår tid är nu), despite its controversial subject of ISIS recruiting among youngsters and the danger of fundamentalism.

Anna Croneman, Head of Drama said: ”Caliphate is the Swedish drama series that reached the highest viewing average per episode in Play [SVT’s online service] during the first month. It reached a large audience, great reviews and it engaged an incredible number of people in a spirited debate, which is still ongoing. What could make a Head of Drama at a public service company happier?”

According to figures released by SVT, the series’ opening episode kick-started with a TSR of 1.4 million viewers (726,000 linear plus 748,750 online), and a 24.8% share.

Already with the second episode, the viewing clearly shifted from linear (463,000) to online (712,263), with the closing episode attracted 426,000 linear viewers and 680,757 online, for a total average rating of 1.1 million. 

Based on an original idea by Wilhelm Behrman, who created the series together with Niklas Rockström, Caliphate centres on five young women, whose fate is intertwined in an examination of how religious fundamentalism can seduce individuals and destroy lives. 

Shot between Stockholm and Jordan, the series was directed by the Guldbagge award-winning director Goran Kapetanovic (My Aunt in Sarajevo).

In the title roles are Aliette Opheim, Gizem Erdogan, Amed Bozan, Albin Grenholm, Nora Rios, Yussra El Abdouni, and Amanda Sohrabi. 

Caliphate was produced by Tomas Michaelsson for Filmlance, in co-production with SVT and Film Capital Stockholm. Endemol Shine International handles distribution.

Read our interview with co-writers Wilhelm Behrman and Niklas Rockstöm: CLICK HERE.