Tony Jordan Working on Albanian Mafia Drama

Tony Jordan is teaming up with the Antenna Group to produce an original crime drama, Besa, set in the world of the Albanian mafia.

The 12×45-minute crime series has been commissioned by PRVA in Serbia, Planet TV in Slovenia and RTL in Croatia. The show was created and executive produced by Jordan (EastEnders, Hustle, Life on Mars, Dickensian, Hooten & The Lady), who also developed the script with a team of local writers.

Production will be on location across southeastern Europe, and Besa is due to be aired at the end of September.

Peter Smith, director of Antenna Group, said: “Besa is a hugely compelling drama, in the style of crime series Gomorrah and Undercover, that draws on a gripping local subject which explores universal themes of morality, identity and relationships. It’s a character-driven piece appealing to local and international audiences.

“Tony is an unparalleled creative talent, recognized around the world for creating popular and acclaimed drama series. We are looking forward to working closely with Tony and Red Planet Pictures to bring this immensely exciting project to life.”

Jordan, showrunner and executive producer, said: “Besa is a unique story that delves into the little-known world of the Albanian mafia—its customs, unimaginable brutality and surprising moral codes. It is a great time for me to be working on this original European drama because there is definitely a growing interest from international audiences for high-end scripted content in other languages. The story and its carefully crafted characters will have global appeal; I am looking forward to working with Antenna Group and the team of writers to bring this unique story to audiences all over the world.”