Simon Fuller Adapting Norwegian Teen Drama for American Audiences

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LOS ANGELES: Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment is producing an English-language version of the hit NRK teen drama Shame for the U.S. and Canada.

The series, originally titled Skam, debuted in Norway in 2015 and has been a hit across multiple platforms. The NRK show uses narratives in real time with unknown actors and scripts that speak to a young-adult audience. Through a deal between Fuller and NRK, production is slated to start in 2017.

Fuller commented: “Shame is an important show. There is precious little content created primarily for a teen audience and Shame provides this with great honesty and integrity. This show packs a punch and is leading the way in exploring multiplatform storytelling. It has become an enormous hit in Norway and has the potential to become an influential show in America, where there is simply nothing like it. Scandinavia, and Norway in particular, is at the forefront of innovation and creativity in the shaping of the world’s digital and creative industries right now. I’m proud to be in partnership with NRK to take Shame to a worldwide audience.”

NRK’s head of youth TV, Haakon Moslet, said: “A lot of people in the TV industry have got their eyes on Skam this fall, but no one has got a vision as Simon Fuller. He wants to be true to the original idea and make Shame a series that can change the rules in the American TV market. We’re honored he wants to take ‘our baby’ to the next international level.”

NRK’s head of formats, Ole Hedemann, added: “By taking the rights to the U.S. and putting the power of Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment behind it, we feel certain that Shame‘s integrity will be respected, and that the unique authenticity that is at the heart of our show will capture a very large audience. Shame‘s secret, the accurate portray of high school kids, gives the audience something to think about—and at the same time, something to love.”