With the news that the Scandinavian based streaming service Viaplay is set to launch in the UK we thought it would be a good idea to look at the full list of scripted Viaplay Original series that are already available plus those that have already been announced. The list of currently available shows includes a bunch that are – or have been – on other UK platforms. It will be interesting to see if these shows all gradually switch to Viaplay’s own platform as and when any current rights deals come to an end and especially where new seasons of those shows end up.
Rights issues can be complex so it’s by no means certain that all the current or upcoming “Viaplay Originals” will automatically become available on their streaming service in the UK or internationally. International rights on shows may have been pre-sold – either to a broadcaster or distributor – prior to confirmation of a UK launch and even for shows announced in future it may be that in some cases where production companies outside NENT Group (who own Viaplay) are involved Viaplay wont automatically retain rights in all their international markets. I’d imagine the vast majority of the new shows on this list will end up on Viaplay’s UK streaming service though.
EDIT: Viaplay launched in the US on Wednesday, 15 December 2021. The Viaplay Originals available on the service at launch are highlighted in red below. (List of shows available at launch courtesy of The Euro TV Place which also includes the impressive roster of Scandi shows from other broadcasters available on the service).
Currently available
*For shows that don’t already have a known UK broadcaster a trailer is included though note that – as the trailers are from Viaplay’s own youtube account – they don’t include English subtitles.
Alex – 2 seasons (12 episodes).
Ruthless and corrupt police officer Alex has come to terms with his dubious past and wants to go straight. But the gangsters he used to work for refuse to let him off the hook, putting both Alex and his family in danger.
Season 1 premiere date: 3 November 2017.
Press release announcing season 2: 10 October 2018.
Season 2 premiere date: 24 May 2019.
UK availability: Walter Presents (Season 2 only).
The Ambassador (Ambassadören) – 1 season (10 episodes).
At the Swedish embassy in Mexico City, the staff tries to do everything to promote the image of Sweden. But for the selfish ambassador Thomas Hofwander, it is mainly about lifting himself.
*This series is actually produced in 3 different languages with Danish & Norwegian versions with different casts.
Press release announcing the series: 13 March 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 11 October 2020.
Big Lars (Store Lars) – 1 season (8 episodes).
Nothing in Lars’ (Lars Hjortshøj: `Klovn’; `Langt fra Las Vegas’) acting career so far has really measured up. His only TV appearances have been on minor shows and in small and embarrassing roles. Throwing himself into an increasingly absurd quest for recognition, he discovers that only a successful relationship can make him `Big Lars’ at last.
Press release announcing the series: 5 March 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 23 April 2020.
Black Lake (Svartsjön) – 2 seasons (16 episodes).
Swedish drama series about a group of young friends and the unsettling chain of events that are set into motion when they visit an abandoned ski resort.
Season 1 premiere date: 20 October 2016 (TV3).
Press release announcing season 2: 13 July 2018.
Season 2 premiere date: 10 October 2018.
Original UK broadcaster: BBC Four.
The Box – 7 episodes.
Anna Friel plays the lead role of Sharon Pici, a Kansas City police detective locked in a room that she cannot escape. While the series begins as a character-driven thriller, it quickly evolves into a supernatural nightmare.
Press release announcing the series: 12 October 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 28 November 2021.
Box 21 (Roslund & Hellström: Box 21) – 1 season (6 episodes).
Two young women seek revenge on the men who lured them from eastern Europe to Sweden with false promises of a better life. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure takes hostages in a Stockholm hospital morgue. With the lines between criminal and victim rapidly blurring, police inspector Ewert Grens (Leonard Terfelt: ‘The Bridge’) struggles to untangle a complex and deadly web of secrets. Does the elusive Box 21 of the title hold the answer? ‘Box 21’ is the first of four NENT Group original shows to be based on the novels of crime writing duo Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström.
Press release announcing the series: 3 April 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 17 January 2020.
Current UK availability: Walter Presents.
A Class Apart (Zebrarummet) – 1 season (8 episodes).
When a student at the famous boarding school Tuna Kvarn is found dead, investigators are met with a wall of silence. Suspicions soon turn to pupils from a disadvantaged neighbouring state school – until a mobile film that reveals Tuna Kvarn’s humiliating initiation rituals appears on social media and triggers dramatic consequences.
Press release announcing the series: 25 November 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 22 August 2021.
Cold Courage – 1 season (8 episodes).
John Simm stars in this twisty London-set thriller about power and corruption. Two young Finnish women find themselves drawn together via the Studio – a clandestine group dedicated to bringing justice to those who seem beyond the law.
Season 1 premiere date: 3 May 2020.
Current UK availability: Britbox.
Conspiracy of Silence (Ingen utan skuld) – 1 season (8 episodes).
Robert Kastell returns to Sweden, presumed dead for the last 30 years. He now shares the same objective as former journalist Rolf Höglund – to take down illegal arms dealer Anders Spetz.
Season 1 premiere date: 14 September 2018.
Couple Trouble (Hånd i hånd) – 2 seasons (16 episodes).
Anders and Lise are married, in their 30s, love each other and have a wonderful daughter. They’ve been together for seven years now and the struggles of everyday life have started to affect them so much they end up on the verge of divorce. Anders and Lise aren’t prepared to give up on each other though and together start seeing a counsellor.
Season 1 premiere date: 30 August 2018
Season 2 premiere date: 13 February 2020.
Current UK availability: Sundance Now (Season 1).
Cryptid – 1 season (10 episodes).
The bizarre death of a high-school student triggers a series of mysterious events in the idyllic lakeside town of Mörkstad in Sweden. As the dead student’s friends edge closer to uncovering the truth, they are drawn into an ancient and terrifying secret hidden beneath the dark waters of the lake.
Press release announcing the series: 15 February 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 30 October 2020.
Darkness: Those Who Kill (Den som dræber – Fanget af mørket) – 2 seasons (16 episodes).
Investigator Jan Michelsen attempts to find the link between two abductions that happened ten years apart.
Season 1 premiere date: 1 March 2019.
Press release announcing season 2: 29 October 2019.
Season 2 premiere date: 28 March 2021.
Current UK availability: BBC iPlayer.
Original UK broadcaster: BBC Four.
The Defeated (Shadowplay) – 1 season (8 episodes).
In the first eight-episode chapter of ‘Shadowplay’, American cop Max McLaughlin (Taylor Kitsch: ‘True Detective’) arrives in Berlin in 1946 to help establish a new police force in the chaotic aftermath of World War II. Max’s goal is to take down Engelmacher Gladow (Sebastian Koch: ‘Never Look Away’; ‘The Lives of Others’), the Al Capone of post-war Berlin, and to find his brother Moritz (Logan Marshall-Green; ‘Prometheus’) who is pursuing and killing Nazis who have gone into hiding. However, Max is unaware that he is being ruthlessly used as a pawn in the early stages of what was to become the Cold War.
Press release announcing the series: 10 April 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 13 December 2020.
Season 2 was confirmed at the same time as season 1.
Current UK availability: Netflix.
Delete Me – 1 season (7 episodes).
Told in reverse time order across seven 20-minute episodes, `Delete Me’ follows teenage girls Marion and Marit through the infamous Norwegian graduation ritual `Russetiden’. As they come of age in a culture where appearance and status are valued more than anything else, they discover that a seemingly insignificant act of jealousy can be picked up online and change lives forever.
Press release announcing the series: 20 February 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 7 March 2021.
Dystopia – 1 season (8 episodes).
For a group of thrill-seeking young Swedes, an abandoned Cold War-era factory deep in the wilderness seems the ideal setting for a live roleplay designed to push them to their physical and mental limits. But the game soon turns deadly serious when a series of mysterious events unfold, awakening dark forces in each of them…
Press release announcing the series: 11 June 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 13 June 2021.
Face to Face (Forhøret) – 2 seasons (16 episodes).
Over the course of one day, Danish police detective Bjørn Rasmussen (Ulrich Thomsen: ‘Counterpart’; ‘The Blacklist’) interrogates the suspects in the mysterious murder of his own daughter. Both the stakes and the suspense rise relentlessly as Bjørn inches closer to the truth – but is it one he wants to know?
Press release announcing the series: 31 January 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 15 November 2019.
Press release announcing season 2: 2 December 2019.
Season 2 premiere date: 29 August 2021.
Furia – 1 season (8 episodes).
In `Furia’, a shocking killing in an idyllic Norwegian town leads police investigator Asgeir (Pål Sverre Hagen: `Beforeigners’) to undercover cop Ragna (Ine Marie Willmann: `Exit’), as she infiltrates a nationalistic subculture. A journey into a horrifying underworld of hatred follows, and a terrorist plot that reaches from Norway’s mountains to the very heart of Europe is revealed. But is everyone really who they seem to be? The series is co-produced by Norway’s Monster Scripted (`Nobel’; `For Life’) and Germany’s X Filme Creative Pool (`Babylon Berlin’) and public broadcaster ZDF, and is distributed globally by Keshet International.
Press release announcing the series: 7 September 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 26 September 2021.
Hammarvik (Lyckoviken) – 2 seasons (16 episodes).
When police officer Johanna Strand returns to her hometown Hammarvik to attend her mother’s funeral, she expects to stay only for a few nights but the body of a young woman is found and she decides to stay and investigate what happened. Series created by best-selling Swedish author Camilla Läckberg which blends crime drama and soap opera.
Press release announcing the series: 7 October 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 20 October 2020.
Season 2 premiere date: 19 January 2021.
Press release announcing seasons 3 & 4: 8 June 2021.
Hassel – 1 season (10 episodes).
Stockholm, present day. When detective Roland Hassel’s father figure, chief and mentor, Yngve Ruda, is brutally murdered, Hassel decides to conduct his own, under-the-radar investigation to ensure justice is done. Turning to his closest allies within the “Triton” police unit, Hassel prepares his revenge.
Season 1 premiere date: 8 September 2017.
Current UK availability: Arrow TV.
The Head – 1 season (6 episodes).
Winter has fallen on the South Pole, where the sun will soon disappear for the next six months. A small team will remain at the Polaris VI Antarctic Research Station to continue their climate change research, led by renowned biologist Arthur Wilde. But when summer commander Johan Berg returns, he finds the group’s members either dead or missing. A killer is on the loose and Johan’s wife Annika has vanished. To find her alive, he must trust Maggie, a young doctor who is the team’s sole survivor – or is she? English and Danish language series filmed in Tenerife and Iceland.
Press release announcing the series: 10 June 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 6 December 2020.
Current UK availability: StarzPlay.
Hidden (Förstfödd) – 1 season (8 episodes).
Nothing is quite what it seems in ‘Hidden’, where dark secrets, unsuspected identities and supernatural forces converge against the captivating backdrop of modern day Stockholm.
Season 1 premiere date: 1 February 2019.
Home Invasion – 1 season (6 episodes).
What if an apparently normal family was really made up of aliens sent to invade Earth? Two burglars breaking into a house soon find themselves face to face with a close encounter of the absurd kind – especially when they discover that the family is having second thoughts about their deadly assignment. Six-part English language series stars Emmy-nominated actress Morena Baccarin (‘Deadpool’; ‘Homeland’) and Johan Glans (NENT Group’s ‘Swedish Dicks’).
Press release announcing the series: 5 June 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 20 June 2021.
Honour (Heder) – 2 seasons (16 episodes).
Defending the victims of injustice is more than a job for the four partners of the Swedish law firm Heder. But can the truth ever come to light when the lawyers themselves are hiding the darkest secret of all?
Press release announcing the series: 26 November 2018.
Season 1 premiere date: 30 August 2019.
Press release announcing season 2: 14 October 2019.
Season 2 premiere date: 25 April 2021.
Press release announcing season 3: 15 June 2021.
UK availability: StarzPlay (Season 1 only).
Huss – 1 season (5 episodes).
Katarina Huss (Karin Franz Körlof: `The Restaurant’; `A Serious Game’) has just graduated from Sweden’s police academy, and now needs to learn faster than ever as she starts work on the streets of Gothenburg. Solving crimes is just the beginning, as Katarina must get to know her colleagues and the local community, while also winning the support of her mother Irene (Kajsa Ernst: `Sthlm Requiem’) for her choice of career.
Press release announcing the series: 29 November 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 19 March 2021.
The Inner Circle (Den inre cirkeln) – 1 season (8 episodes).
David Ehrling, a politician in line for the top job, struggles to keep a lid on the secrets of his past. Political drama based on a bestselling novel by Swedish political strategist Per Schlingmann.
Press release announcing the series: 3 July 2018.
Season 1 premiere date: 22 March 2019.
UK availability: Walter Presents (since 24 September 2021).
The Lawyer (Advokaten) – 2 seasons (18 episodes).
As children, lawyer Frank and his sister, police officer Sara, saw their parents die in a car bomb explosion. As adults, they begin a quest for justice.
Season 1 premiere date: 26 February 2018.
Press release announcing season 2: 11 September 2019.
Season 2 premiere date: 10 May 2020.
Current UK availability: Walter Presents.
Love Me (Älska mig) – 2 seasons (12 episodes).
How can love change life? Through a story of friendship, grief and romance spanning three generations of Stockholmers, ‘Love Me’ embraces one of humanity’s biggest questions in a way that’s sometimes touching, often comic and always irresistible. Series written by, directed by & starring Josephine Bornebusch.
Press release announcing the series: 23 November 2018.
Season 1 premiere date: 11 October 2019.
Press release announcing season 2: 9 September 2019.
Season 2 premiere date: 13 September 2020.
The Machinery (Maskineriet) – 1 season (8 episodes).
Family man Olle (Kristoffer Joner: ‘The Revenant’; ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’) wakes up on a ferry between Sweden and Norway with no memory of how he got there. What happened? Why is there a gun, a balaclava and a suitcase full of cash next to him? And can he escape both the police and his own secret past?
Press release announcing the series: 3 September 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 24 May 2020.
Press release announcing season 2: 20 August 2021.
Max Anger – 1 season (8 episodes).
A man scarred by battle and a mysterious past, Max Anger (Adam Lundgren: `Chernobyl’) at last has a shot at a peaceful life when he falls for Pashie (Evin Ahmad: `Beyond Dreams’), his colleague at Russia-focused think tank Vektor. But when she suddenly disappears, Max is plunged into a world of crime, corruption and international intrigue in St. Petersburg, where the fates of both Pashie and an entire country hang in the balance. Based on Martin Österdahl’s bestselling novels.
Press release announcing the series: 16 June 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 6 June 2021.
Mountain Rescue (First Responders) (Åreakuten) – 1 season (10 episodes).
Series following the daily lives of hospital, police and rescue personnel in the beautiful yet sometimes hazardous Swedish mountains – where the heady altitudes set the scene for equally dramatic emotional highs and lows.
Press release announcing the series: 23 August 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 28 June 2020.
Current UK availability: Walter Presents.
Occupied (Okkupert) – 3 seasons (24 episodes).
In the near future, Norway is occupied by Russia on behalf of the European Union, due to the fact that the newly elected environmental friendly Norwegian government has stopped the all important oil- and gas-production in the North Sea.
Season 1 premiere date: 4 October 2015 (TV2).
Season 2 premiere date: 29 September 2017.
Season 3 premiere date: 5 December 2019.
Current UK availability: Netflix.
Previous UK availability: Sky (Seasons 1 & 2).
Partisan – 1 season (5 episodes).
Johnny (Fares Fares) finds himself in Jordnära, a secluded Swedish village home to an idyllic community – at least on the surface.
Press release announcing the series: 8 August 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 16 August 2020.
Press release announcing season 2: 17 June 2021.
Professionals – 1 season (10 episodes)
After their advanced medical satellite explodes on deployment, billionaire futurist Peter Swann, and his fiancée, medical visionary Dr. Graciela “Grace” Davila, turn to a hardened former counterintelligence officer.
Season 1 premiere date: 23 November 2020.
Pros and Cons (Friheden) – 2 seasons (18 episodes)
A married couple must dust off the skills of their youth when they are forced to carry out one final million-euro con. Can they save their marriage, secure the money and pick up their eight-year-old in time for curling practice?
Season 1 premiere date: 24 October 2018.
Press release announcing season 2: 8 January 2020.
Season 2 premiere date: 22 November 2020.
Red Election – 1 season (10 episodes).
A terrorist plot in London is the dramatic backdrop for ‘Red Election’, where Danish secret service agent Katrine (Victoria Carmen Sonne: an EFP Shooting Star at the 2020 Berlinale) and British intelligence agent Beatrice (Lydia Leonard) are pitched together in a desperate race against time. Caught in a web of lies, murder and power struggles, they soon realise they can’t trust anybody. And is the deadly conspiracy only part of a far-reaching geopolitical masterplan?
Press release announcing the series: 12 May 2021.
Season 1 premiere date: 3 October 2021.
Rig 45 – 2 seasons (12 episodes).
Two days before Christmas, Andrea is sent by Benthos Oil to investigate a fatal accident on the company’s North Sea rig. Faced with silence and a raging storm that cut off communications, she and the crew soon realize a killer’s on board.
Season 1 premiere date: 8 June 2018.
Press release announcing season 2: 15 March 2019.
Season 2 release date: 6 March 2020.
Current UK availability: StarzPlay.
Seizure (Besatt) – 1 season (8 episodes).
Four young Norwegians are found dead in an empty swimming pool in a bizarre case that rapidly brings detectives Max (Anders Danielsen Lie: ‘Oslo, August 31’) and Sander (Anders Baasmo Christiansen: ‘Kon-Tiki’) face to face both with their own demons and a dark sequence of increasingly inexplicable events.
Press release announcing the series: 22 August 2019.
Season 1 premiere date: 31 October 2019.
Stella Blómkvist – 1 season (6 episodes).
Stella Blómkvist is a young, cute, libertine, tough, confident, intelligent, Icelandic lawyer with a flexible moral compass. A friend at the police calls her when there’s a criminal in need of a lawyer.
Season 1 premiere date: 24 November 2017 (Iceland), 9 February 2018 (Viaplay).
Press release announcing season 2: 29 October 2020.
Current UK availability: Sundance Now.
Straight Forward – 1 season (8 episodes).
After a family member is murdered, con woman Silvia decides to get even by robbing the crime boss behind the hit. But things go awry, and she has to flee to New Zealand and start a completely different life.
Season 1 premiere date: 17 April 2019.
Current UK availability: Acorn TV.
Suck It Up (Pørni) – 1 season (6 episodes).
Three teenagers and an ageing father to look after at home, thirty more children to care for at work and no time for any of them – being a working parent is far from child’s play for Pørni, brought to life by Henriette Steenstrup (`Ragnarok’; `Lilyhammer’; winner of the prestigious Dragon Award for Best Acting at the 2020 Gothenburg Film Festival for `Beware of Children’). And will she ever find a moment for her love life?
Press release announcing the series: 3 June 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 2 May 2021.
Press release announcing seasons 2 & 3: 14 May 2021.
Swedish Dicks – 2 seasons (20 episodes).
Two unlicensed Swedish private investigators try to make a living in Los Angeles.
Season 1 premiere date: 2 September 2016.
Season 2 premiere date: 25 December 2017.
Current UK availability: Netflix.
Previous UK availability: StarzPlay.
Thicker Than Water (Tjockare än vatten) – 3 seasons (27 episodes).
A mother sends postcards to her estranged son and daughter, inviting them back to the guest house they grew up in. She gives each of her children one piece of advice and leaves them to ponder the meaning.
Press release announcing revival for season 3: 18 September 2019.
Season 3 premiere date: 20 March 2020. Seasons 1 & 2 aired on SVT in Sweden.
Previous UK availability: Walter Presents (Seasons 1 & 2 only).
Threesome – 1 season (8 episodes).
The young Swedish couple David and Siri who have been together since high school have the love that is self-evident and strong, until they meet French art student Camille on a rainy night out.
Season 1 premiere date: 29 August 2021.
Thunder in My Heart – 1 season (8 episodes).
Series created by Swedish actress and singer Amy Deasismont which follows a group of young friends as they come of age and strive to meet the unexpected demands of adult life while coming to terms with their own identities, pasts, and passions.
Press release announcing the series: 28 September 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 23 May 2021.
The Truth Will Out (Det som göms i snö) – 2 seasons (13 episodes).
A troubled detective and his misfit team gain potent enemies when they reopen a famous case.
Season 1 premiere date: 21 August 2018 (Kanal 5), 23 November 2018 (Viaplay).
Press release announcing season 2: 30 January 2020.
Season 2 premiere date: 19 September 2021.
Current UK availability: Walter Presents (Season 1).
Try Hard – 1 season (8 episodes).
Sebastian (Ari Alexander: `Badehotellet’) is 24 years old, lives at home and spends all his time playing `Counter-Strike’. When his parents finally throw him out, Sebastian needs to start earning a living for the first time – and what could be better than starting a professional gaming team with his friends? Unfortunately, they are about to discover that becoming global superstars in the hyper-competitive world of esports is anything but a game… Danish esports comedy.
Press release announcing the series: 29 June 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 16 May 2021.
Two Sisters (Två systrar) – 1 season (8 episodes).
Series which explores the diverging lives of young Stockholm siblings Alicia (Dilan Gwyn: NENT Group’s `Love Me’) and Vanessa (Julia Ragnarsson: `My Aunt in Sarajevo’) as they climb the career ladder, fall in love and realise that growing up can also mean growing apart. Based on the bestselling novels by Swedish celebrities Hannah Widell and Amanda Schulman.
Press release announcing the series: 2 October 2020.
Season 1 premiere date: 5 September 2021.
Veni Vidi Vici – 1 season (10 episodes).
A Danish film director in decline. His films get bad reviews, and at home he is financially supported by the wife. He is forced to get a real job.
Season 1 premiere date: 13 April 2017.
Wisting – 1 season (10 episodes).
When a body is found in the snow, Norwegian detective Wisting and the FBI are drawn into a complex hunt for a serial killer.
Season 1 premiere date: 11 April 2019.
Press release announcing season 2: 15 October 2020.
Current UK availability: Acorn TV/Sundance Now.
Original UK broadcaster: BBC Four.
Upcoming shows
Billy the Kid – 8 episodes.
Epic romantic drama series from Michael Hirst (‘Vikings’) starring British actor Tom Blyth (‘Benediction’) as the famous American outlaw. The series is a co-production with EPIX Studios and MGM International Television Productions, in association with NENT Group. Otto Bathurst (‘Peaky Blinders’) is directing the first two episodes of the eight-episode first season. The series will be shown exclusively as a Viaplay Original throughout the Nordics, Baltics, Netherlands and Poland, with MGM handling distribution in the rest of the world.
Press release announcing the series: 10 November 2021.
Black Dog – 6 episodes.
Psychological action drama that follows veterans returning from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, which were the Polish army’s largest combat operations since World War 2. The soldiers now face another battlefield: confronting poverty and physical and mental scars, as well as corruption among their former commanders.
Press release announcing the series is in development: 3 August 2021.
Untitled Börje Salming drama.
Valter Skarsgård (`Arn’) takes on the title role in an ambitious English-language production that depicts Salming’s trailblazing journey from his humble roots north of the Arctic Circle to become an NHL legend.
Press release announcing the series: 16 April 2021.
Boys (Drenge) – 8 episodes.
Every Sunday morning, 10 young men in Silkeborg gather to sing in a church choir. Over the years, the group have formed a close bond, and after the bells fall silent, they meet to push their limits and test the forbidden pleasures of adult life. But when one of the boys drowns under mysterious circumstances, their unity and loyalty are put to the ultimate test.
Press release announcing the series: 10 December 2021.
Cell 8 – 6 episodes.
A man presumed dead is arrested on a ferry between Sweden and Finland, throwing detectives Mariana Hermansson (Mimosa Willamo) and Ewert Grens (Leonard Terfelt) into a mysterious and increasingly dark series of events. The case soon reveals a personal connection not only to Hermansson herself, but to a Death Row prisoner in the US and a grieving parent consumed by the quest for revenge.
Press release announcing the series: 21 October 2021.
The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen (Drømmeren – Karen Blixen bliver til) – 6 episodes.
`The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen‘ is the story of one women’s struggle to find her place in life while freeing herself from the expectations of family and society. The series takes place in the 1930s and follows Karen Blixen’s return to Denmark after many years in east Africa. Penniless, sick, divorced and with her dreams in ruins, `The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen‘ shows Blixen’s journey from her lowest point to become a renowned writer, including visualisations of her interior life and the magical universe of her stories. Connie Nielsen stars as Karen Blixen.
Press release announcing the series: 30 November 2021.
Elvira – 8 episodes.
35 years old and resolutely unambitious, Elvira’s day job consists of answering the phone in a brothel owned by her childhood friend (and policeman) Køster. But when a prostitute vanishes, Elvira feels an urge to investigate, which leads to dramatic consequences, unexpected emotions, and the discovery that she might be capable of achieving more than she ever imagined. Adapted from novels by Anne-Sophie Lunding-Sørensen.
Press release announcing the series: 12 October 2021.
Estonia: The Last Wave.
Few events in recent Nordic and Baltic history give rise to as many emotions – and theories – as those of 28 September 1994. The cause of the Estonia‘s sinking continues to be disputed, and in autumn 2020 a mysterious four-metre hole was discovered in the ship’s hull. The drama series `Estonia: The Last Wave’ asks what politicians and the military knew about the tragedy – and whether it was really an accident.
Press release announcing the series is in development: 7 December 2020.
Fadime – 6 episodes.
Fadime Sahindal was 26 years old when she was killed in Uppsala, Sweden, for allegedly breaking her family’s code of honour by having a boyfriend and speaking publicly on women’s rights. Fadime’s mother and sister both testified against her father in court, who was found guilty of murder. Based on the book `Du ska dö’ (You will die) by Ulf Broberg and the case’s prosecuting lawyer Leif Ericksson, the drama series `Fadime’ will depict the final five years of Fadime’s life.
Press release announcing the series: 31 March 2021.
Fenris – 6 episodes.
When a young boy from a small Norwegian town vanishes, rumours that wolves are responsible immediately swirl. Visiting biologist Emma Salomonsen (Ida Elise Broch) discovers the boy’s bloody jacket in the home of her father Marius (Magnus Krepper: `Queen of Hearts’), a controversial wolf researcher – and when Marius too disappears, Emma is forced to rely on her own instincts and understanding of wolves to uncover the dark truth.
Press release announcing the series: 23 November 2021.
Freedom of the Swallow – 6 episodes.
Inspired by Paula Er’s hit debut novel, `Freedom of the Swallow’ uses an innovative narrative structure to depict the devastating impact of domestic abuse. The story of Olga, whose apparently happy marriage conceals a darker reality, is told from the perspective of various characters whose lives intertwine across the six episodes.
Press release announcing the series is in development: 3 August 2021.
Harmonica – 6 episodes.
Harry (Jonas Karlsson: `The Perfect Patient’) and Monica (Josephine Bornebusch: `Welcome to Sweden’) were top of the pops as country music duo Harmonica in the 1990s, but their life has been out of key ever since. In a final effort to salvage their career and relationship, the couple embark on a tour of Europe that brings their problems to a crescendo but also offers them a chance to find harmony together at last.
Press release announcing the series: 28 January 2020.
Ida Takes Charge (Ida tar ansvar) – 8 episodes.
Newly arrived in Oslo, Ida cannot shake a constant feeling that disaster – especially terrorism – is just around the corner. So when she meets Axel, a young man with connections to the incel (`involuntary celibate’) subculture, Ida becomes convinced that he is a future school shooter – and that she has a personal responsibility to stop a catastrophe. Darkly humorous Norwegian drama series based on the critically acclaimed debut by young novelist Kjersti Halvorsen.
Press release announcing the series: 25 August 2021.
The Kingdom Exodus – 5 episodes.
Continuing the strange story of the neurosurgical ward of Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet, where an unforgettable cast of characters face mysterious events and the lines between good and evil are more blurred than ever.
Press release announcing first casting: 17 May 2021.
Last Light – 5 episodes.
Based on Alex Scarrow’s best-selling novel of the same name and originated by Viaplay Studios, Make It Happen Studio and REinvent, ‘Last Light’ tells the story of a family fighting to survive in a world suddenly thrown into chaos. The five-episode series stars and is executive produced by Emmy®-nominee Matthew Fox (‘Lost’), alongside star and three-time Emmy®-nominee Joanne Froggatt (‘Liar’; ‘Downton Abbey’). The series will be shown exclusively as a Viaplay Original throughout the Nordics, Baltics, Netherlands and Poland, with MGM handling distribution in the rest of the world.
Press release announcing the series: 10 November 2021.
Limbo – 6 episodes.
A late-night phone call changes everything for Ebba (Rakel Wärmländer), My (Sofia Helin) and Gloria (Louise Peterhoff). The news that their respective sons have been involved in a serious car crash puts their friendship and priorities to the ultimate test, and with Ebba’s son Jakob hovering between life and death, the three women find themselves in a devastatingly uncertain situation – in limbo.
Press release announcing the series: 7 October 2021.
Litvinenko – 4 episodes.
The drama will relate how two police officers were called to University College Hospital in London in November 2006 to interview a patient in declining health. The patient was Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who claimed to have been poisoned on the direct orders of Vladimir Putin. From his hospital bed, Alexander provided meticulous details about the events leading up to his illness, which would ultimately help detectives track down two Russians who had poisoned Litvinenko with Polonium-210, a highly toxic radioactive substance. The drama also focuses upon the story of Marina (played by Margarita Levieva: `The Deuce’; `The Blacklist’), Alexander’s fearless, dignified widow who fought tirelessly to persuade the British government to name her husband’s killers publicly and acknowledge the role of the Russian state in his murder. This series is co-produced by ITV. In the Nordic region, Baltic region, Poland and the Netherlands, the series will premiere exclusively on NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service.
Press release announcing the series: 30 September 2021.
Made in Oslo – 8 episodes.
At her Norwegian fertility clinic, doctor Elin (Pia Tjelta) offers patients a chance to become parents. Elin is always empathetic and professional – yet more than anything, she longs for the same opportunity herself. And as her frustration grows, Elin becomes prepared to risk her relationships and career in order to start a family of her own.
Press release announcing the series: 10 December 2020.
Margeaux – 8 episodes.
‘Margeaux’ tells the tragic story of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre from the points of view of an Israeli Mossad psychologist and the Palestinian coordinator behind the attack. The series is being filmed in multiple countries in Hebrew, Arabic, English and German with production originally set to begin in autumn 2019 but presumably heavily impacted by COVID-19.
Press release announcing the series: 11 March 2019.
North Sea Connection – 6 episodes.
The stunning scenery of Ireland’s west coast conceals a dark secret in `North Sea Connection’, in which Ciara (Lydia McGuinness) must confront the dramatic consequences of her brother Aidan (Kerr Logan)’s decision to transport drugs at sea. Threatened by a cartel and with a Swedish police officer (Alida Morberg) closing in, Ciara’s plans lead her family into a new series of unpredictable and dangerous events. The series is co-produced by RTÉ and distributed by A+E Networks® International.
Press release announcing the series: 11 October 2021.
Perfect People.
Ripped-from-the-headlines psychological thriller and family drama set in a world of genetically engineered children who, as they hit puberty, turn out to be less perfect than their designers had intended. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by British author Peter James.
Press release announcing the series is in development: 3 December 2019.
Polish Murderesses.
Adaptation of Katarzyna Bonda’s bestselling true crime book of the same name, telling the stories of a diverse group of women with one thing in common – they are all killers.
Press release announcing the series is in development: 3 August 2021.
Ronja the Robber’s Daughter.
The series `Ronja’ follows the adventures of a young girl born into a band of robbers in a medieval Scandinavian fortress. As Ronja grows up, she learns that the surrounding forest can be a magical and sometimes dangerous place filled with strange creatures. But when Ronja befriends the young boy Birk from a rival band, a vicious family feud ignites, at the same time as a notorious bailiff arrives to rid the area of robbers once and for all. Ronja and Birk flee into the forest and try to survive on their own. Family fantasy series based on Astrid Lindgren’s world-famous story `Ronja the Robber’s Daughter’. Hans Rosenfeldt (The Bridge) is writing the series.
Press release announcing the series: 6 September 2021.
Sisterhood (Systrabönd) – 6 episodes.
Who was really responsible for a young girl’s disappearance in Iceland 25 years ago? Ambitious police detective Vera (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir), dissatisfied with the original investigation, is led to an unlikely trio of successful and respectable women. Nurse Karlotta (Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir), minister Elisabet (Lilja Nótt Þórarinsdóttir) and chef Anna Sigga (Jóhanna Friðrika Sæmundsdóttir) have long lived in the shadow of a terrible crime – and will go to any length to stop it coming to light.
Press release announcing the series: 29 April 2021.
Sort Of – 8 episodes.
Sabi Mehboob (Bilal Baig) is a fluid millenial trying to find himself. When Sabi’s best friend offers the opportunity to move to the “most queer place in the galaxy”, Sabi instead decides to stay and take care of the children of the hipster family they babysit for after their mother has a serious bicycle accident.
Press release announcing the series: 18 August 2021 (in Swedish).
The Swarm – 8 episodes.
A group of scientists, tasked with investigating the strange behaviour of marine animals around the world, makes the chilling discovery that the ocean depths conceal a mysterious collective intelligence that is suffering the effects of human pollution and has now decided to fight back. English language series based on Frank Schätzing’s bestselling novel.
Press release announcing the series: 26 February 2020.
Trom – 6 episodes.
The six-part series follows journalist Hannis Martinsson (Ulrich Thomsen), who unexpectedly receives a message from Sonja, a young Faroese woman who claims she is Hannis’ daughter and that her life is in danger. Reluctantly returning home to the Faroes to investigate, Hannis discovers Sonja’s body in the bloody waters of a whale hunt. His search for answers soon brings him into conflict with the local detective chief inspector, Karla Mohr (Maria Rich; `Follow the Money’) as he uncovers a web of secrets in the close-knit community – but how far is he willing to go to learn the truth?
Press release announcing the series: 8 February 2021.
What About Monica – 8 episodes.
16-year-old Louise’s life is turned upside down when her best friend Monica is raped at a party. Burdened by guilt, Louise singlehandedly begins to investigate the crime, but the more she unravels the more complicated it becomes. When digging deeper into the case Louise discovers that everyone has secrets and forbidden emotions, and she begins to suspect that the rapist might be one within her group of friends. It all collides when Louise starts to develop feelings for the mysterious outsider, Thais, who – according to her friends – is the alleged rapist. Suddenly Louise is faced with a serious decision: shall she stick with her friends or follow her heart and defend Thais who she believes is innocent? Written by Julie Budtz Sørensen and based on her award-winning Danish podcast `Det med Liv’.
Press release announcing the series: 12 February 2021.
Who Shot Otto Mueller?
A famous businessman and former Soviet wrestling star is found murdered in his manor on his 65th birthday. Detectives interrogate eight family members in turn, and dark truths about a successful and powerful man who once killed a wolf with his bare hands gradually come to light. Everyone has a story about Otto Mueller – and everyone has a motive.
Press release announcing the series: 22 April 2021.
Square Eyed World 