NENT unveils trio of Polish scripted originals for latest Viaplay launch

Nordic Entertainment (NENT) Group has unveiled three original Polish dramas for its Viaplay streaming service as it launches in the territory today.

Filippa Wallestam (photo: Gunnar Ask)

NENT is in the midst of a global roll-out of Viaplay, which includes today’s launch in Poland and a planned launch in the US.

This comes with an original commissioning strategy in each territory and Polish Murderesses, Black Dog and Freedom of the Swallow are all now in development in Poland.

Polish Murderesses is an adaptation of Katarzyna Bonda’s true crime book of the same name and tells the stories of a diverse group of women with one thing in common – they are all killers. NENT-owned Paprika Studios Poland is producing the series.

Black Dog is a six-part psychological action drama that follows veterans returning from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, which were the Polish army’s largest combat operations since the Second World War. The soldiers now face another battlefield: confronting poverty and physical and mental scars, as well as corruption among their former commanders. Black Dog is created by Artur Kowalewski (The Pack), creative producer of ATM Grupa.

Inspired by Paula Er’s 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 six episodes. The series is written by Agnieszka Kruk and produced by Opus TV.

Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group chief content officer, said: “Our storytelling has won prizes and thrilled audiences worldwide, and we’re so excited to apply our unique skills to developing Polish Viaplay Originals. We want to play a positive, long-term role in Poland’s creative industry and will work with the best talents – whether they’re famous today or will be famous tomorrow. As these first three commissions show, our stories will be different and thought-provoking as well as entertaining.”