BBC ACQUIRES TWO SWEDISH CRIME THRILLERS

The BBC has acquired two Swedish crime dramas, End of Summer and Jana – Marked for Life, for BBC iPlayer and TV channels from Viaplay Content Distribution.

End of Summer, based on former police officer Anders de la Motte’s bestselling Swedish novel of the same name, is a six-part psychological thriller starring Julia Ragnarsson (Midsommar, The Bridge) and Erik Enge (Tigers, The Sandhamn Murders).

The story begins in summer 1984 with 5-year-old Billy disappearing in rural Sweden, and the inconclusive police investigation that follows, shattering the family. Two decades later, Billy's sister Vera (Ragnarsson), meets a hauntingly familiar young man (Enge), which forces her to unravel the truth behind her brother's disappearance.

Viaplay produced End of Summer with Harmonica Films in a co-production with SF Studios and Film i Skåne. The series is directed by Jens Jonsson (Young Wallander) and Henrik Georgsson (The Bridge) with lead writers Stefan Thunberg (Wallander) and Björn Carlström (Hunters), who also produced the series with Per Janérus (Hunters).

Jana – Marked for Life, based on the bestselling novel by Emelie Schepp about a public prosecutor and former child soldier, stars Madeleine Martin (Dystopia, R.S.V.P.), Pernilla August (Star Wars, Young Royals), August Wittgenstein (Das Boot, The Crown), Zlatko Buric (Triangle of Sadness), Thure Lindhardt (The Bridge), Sigrid Johnson (Maria Wern), Johan Ulveson (Love Me), Fredrik Hallgren (Bonus Family) and Moa Gammel (Jordskott).

During an investigation into the murder of a high-ranking official at the Swedish Migration Agency, the main suspect is also found dead, and Jana immediately recognises something on his scarred body. To understand her own traumatic past, Jana must reach the killer ahead of the police.

The six-part series is created for television and directed by Felix Herngren (The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared) and Henrik Björn (Jordskott). Writers include Maria Karlsson (Easy Money Trilogy) and Daniel Sawka (Icebox).

The series is a Viaplay and FLX production, in collaboration with Wild Sheep and Reaz, produced by Sussan Treschow, and executive produced by Elin Kvist at FLX, Erik Barmack at Wild Sheep, and Martin Rea at Reaz.

Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “End of Summer is a complex and absorbing mystery drama in a beautiful setting. Jana – Marked for Life is an intriguing and suspenseful thriller. We are so pleased to be adding these two compelling series to our rich catalogue of Nordic Noir.”

More details will be announced in due course.