In-Demand: Crime & Thrillers

These offerings, set to be available at MIPCOM, aim to deliver criminal intent and thrilling tales: ZDF Studios’ Top Dog, Dear Vivi and High Spirits and LEONINE Studios’ Troppo.

Top Dog Season 2

Commissioner: ZDF Studios
Producer: Filmlance
Key Cast: Josefin Asplund, Alexej Manvelov
Writer: Veronica Zacco
Distributor: ZDF Studios
Description: (6×45 min.) From the producers of Bron, the hit series Top Dog returns.
Pitch Perfect: Emily has left Leijon and is working for a billionaire who is trying to build a biotech center and is relying on a “flexible” type of lawyer like Emily to negotiate the deal. Teddy is back in the crime world and his nephew Nicola gets arrested and suspected in a gang settlement murder.
Sales Contact: Mirela Nastase.

Dear Vivi

Commissioner: ZDF Studios
Producer: Seven Dogs Filmproduktion
Key Cast: Torben Liebrecht, Maria Simon, Julia Beautx, Vico Magno, Ulrich Tukur, Julius Nitschkoff
Distributor: ZDF Studios
Description: (7×45 min.) Written and produced by Natalie Scharf, Dear Vivi is an emotional family drama and thriller combo that uncovers the mystery behind the shocking murder of a wife and mother in seven suspenseful episodes.
Pitch Perfect: Life is good for the Klettmanns, who live in a posh suburb of Munich. Peter is a successful lawyer and Anna is a housewife and mother to their three children. But everything changes in an instant on Anna’s 44th birthday, when Peter kills his wife in the heat of the moment and ends up in custody awaiting trial. While his motive poses a mystery and only takes shape by delving into his past, Vivian takes on the role of head of the family.
Sales Contact: Mirela Nastase.

Troppo

Commissioner: ABC (Australia)
Producers: EQ Media Group, Beyond Entertainment, AGC Television
Key Cast: Thomas Jane, Nicole Chamoun, David Lyons, Sun Park, Yerin Ha
Writer: Yolanda Ramke
Distributor: LEONINE Studios with worldwide rights, excluding Australia and the U.S.
Description: (8×60 min.) A disgraced ex-cop is falsely accused of a disturbing crime. He escapes to the wilds of Far North Queensland and becomes entangled with an eccentric private investigator on her first case.
Pitch Perfect: “Troppo has all the ingredients for a thrilling crime story and will resonate with audiences worldwide. It’s based on the well-known Crimson Lake novels by New York Timesbest-selling author Candice Fox, was created by an award-winning team, features internationally known actors and takes us to exotic locations.” —Patrick Phelan, Director, World Sales
Slot Winner: Sold to Viaplay (Scandinavia, Netherlands, Poland & Baltics), Freevee (U.K./Eire, Germany/Austria, U.S.), with more negotiations in process.
Sales Contact: Patrick Phelan.

High Spirits

Commissioner: ZDF Studios
Producer: Bavaria Fiction
Key Cast: Désirée Nosbusch, Leslie Malton, Suzanne von Borsody, Rainer Bock, Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Writer: Sathyan Ramesh
Distributor: ZDF Studios
Description: (2×90 min.) A story about friendship and love, family dependencies and quarrels, failed life plans and new beginnings.
Pitch Perfect: A female-driven family drama from award-winning director Sabine Derflinger (Step On It, Johanna Dohnal—Visionary of Feminism, Tatort) that tells the story of the wavering, collapse and resurgence of a family dynasty centered on three strong women who hold all the cards.
Sales Contact: Mirela Nastase.