TV Drama In-Demand: Mysteries & Thrillers

These compelling drama series aim to have viewers hooked with their intricate twists and turns: ZDF Enterprises’ The Crimson Rivers, all3media international’s The Sounds, RTVE’s The Department of Time and The Mediapro Studio’s Caminantes.

The Crimson Rivers (Season 2)

Commissioned By: ZDF Enterprises
Produced By: Storia Television in co-production with Maze Pictures for France Télévisions and ZDF in cooperation with ZDF Enterprises
Cast: Olivier Marchal, Erika Sainte, Ken Duken, Nora Waldstätten, among others.
Writers: Jean-Christophe Grangé, Albin Michel, David Neiss, among others.
Rights Available: Worldwide rights outside of France are held by ZDF Enterprises.
Description: Set in a macabre world of gruesome crimes and harrowing rituals, this breathtaking and gripping series is based on the best-selling novel from Jean-Christophe Grangé. It follows detective Pierre Niémans and his partner Camille Delauney as they investigate a series of bizarre crimes in remote regions of France. Their cases invariably involve a shocking brutality far beyond the capacity of local police departments and provide an opportunity to discover an aspect of French history or beliefs grounded in local culture. Each case has a mystical touch, based on regional myths or forgotten customs. Encompasses 16×50-minute or 8×100-minute episodes.
Pitch Perfect: “Every once in a while, a drama comes along that is so brilliantly written and acted, it transcends language barriers and has audiences begging for more,” says Robert Franke, the VP of ZDFE.drama at ZDF Enterprises. “The Crimson Rivers definitely belongs in that category. Each case has a mystical touch, based on regional myths or forgotten customs, with Olivier Marchal portraying a striking Pierre Niémans.”
Slot Winner: To date, The Crimson Rivers has been sold to Netflix, NBCUniversal, Asmik Ace, Bontonfilm, Canal+ France and Poland, Edel, FTV Prima, GSN (Walter Presents), Ivi.ru, LNK TV, Okko, PTS, RTS, SBS, Showjet, Sonia Drago, Radio Canada, Top Media Distribution, TV3 Russia and many others.
Sales Contacts: Mirela Nastase, Director, ZDFE.drama; Sebastian Krekeler, Director, ZDFE.drama; Yuliya Fischer, Director, ZDFE.drama; Susanne Frank, Director, ZDFE.drama.

The Sounds

Commissioned By: CBC (Canada), Prime Time (New Zealand), Acorn TV (U.S.)
Produced By: South Pacific Pictures, Shaftesbury
Cast: Matt Whelan, Rachelle Lefevre, Matt Nable, Emily Piggford, Peter Elliott, Anna-Maree Thomas, Vanessa Rare
Writers: Sarah-Kate Lynch, Samuel E. Shore
Rights Available: All media outside of Australia/New Zealand, Canada and the U.S., from all3media international.
Description: Set against the backdrop of New Zealand’s gorgeous but sinister and remote Marlborough Sounds, the 8×60-minute The Sounds charts the demise of a picture-perfect marriage.
Pitch Perfect: From the producers of The Brokenwood Mysteries, a new female-led thriller set against a stunning New Zealand landscape. When Canadian Maggie Cabbot’s husband disappears during a local boat trip to Marlborough Sounds, her world falls apart. But as we dive deeper into the story, more secrets are discovered. Anguished wives, philandering husbands, grieving mothers and sabotaged business deals are all in the mix.
Sales Contact: Stephen Driscoll.

The Department of Time

Commissioned By: RTVE
Produced By: RTVE, The Mediapro Studio, Globomedia
Cast: Rodolfo Sancho, Aura Garrido, Hugo Silva, Nacho Fresneda, Macarena García, among others.
Writers: Javier Olivares, Pablo Olivares, Marc Vigil, Isabel Sánchez, Daniel Corpas
Rights Available: Worldwide free-to-air, cable and streaming, distributed by RTVE’s international sales area.
Description: This series offers a new concept of storytelling by mixing fiction with historical reality. Different journeys back in time are undertaken by a special patrol unit at the Department of Time, which has a key mission: to prevent the past from changing. Four seasons available for a total of 42 70-minute episodes.
Pitch Perfect: The series encompasses numerous landmark moments in history, ranging from the negotiations for the return of Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica, to Spain, to the picaresque Spain of Lazarillo de Tormes, and from Dalí and Lorca at the Residencia de Estudiantes (Student’s Residence) to the young Lope de Vega enlisted for the Spanish Armada. The main characters are not superheroes, but ordinary people who are exposed to extraordinary circumstances: Julián, a male nurse from the present day; Amelia Folch, the first woman to gain a place at university in 1880s Barcelona; and Alonso de Entrerríos, a soldier in the Flanders Regiments. Adventure, comedy and irony combine with feeling and emotion to reflect the day-to-day vicissitudes of a department that has been created to ensure that history does not suffer from time deviations that might alter the present. In the fourth season, past, present and future intertwine more than ever.
Slot Winner: This year’s season four appeared in the TV Time top ten ranking of “Shows on the Rise,” which includes the audience’s favorite fiction series. Honors include the Panda Award, China 2015; Ondas Awards, 2015; New York Festivals, 2016; Platino México, 2018.
Sales Contacts: María Jesús Pérez, Rosalía Alcubilla, Tony Perez, María José Loranca, David Priego.

Caminantes

Commissioned By: Orange TV
Produced By: 100 Balas (The Mediapro Studio)
Cast: Daniel Ibáñez, Alexandra Pino, Carlos Suárez, Songa Park, Lucas Miramón, among others.
Writers: José A. Pérez Ledo, Koldo Serra
Rights Available: Distributed by The Mediapro Studio.
Description: In August 2019, five teenagers disappeared while on their ‘Road to Santiago’ pilgrimage. Their track was lost in the mountains on the French-Spanish border. Two weeks after their disappearance, the police found their phones buried in the middle of the mountain along with their backpacks and various personal objects. Thanks to the videos recorded on their phones, we can now retrace the 40-hour-long nightmare they lived as preys of a maniac family. This horror/thriller consists of 7×20-minute episodes.
Sales Contact: themediaprostudio@mediapro.tv