New8 showcases second slate of international drama series

New8: international drama collaboration of eight public broadcasters
Copyright: ZDF/NRK

Following the success of the first series of New8, the new projects of this international drama collaboration of eight public broadcasters were presented today at Series Mania in Lille. The partners of New8 – SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RÚV (Iceland), NRK (Norway), VRT (Flanders, Belgium), NPO (Netherlands) and ZDF (Germany) – have coproduced eight drama series since the start of the collaboration in autumn 2023. The aim of New8 is to coproduce high-quality series across national borders that reflect the values of public service media and appeal to a broad audience.  

The projects selected for the second slate once again present an exciting variety of genres and topics. These range from historical and social drama series to family stories, crime series and mystery series. 

Marianne Furevold-Boland, Head of Drama at NRK, explains: "In a time of great change, it is more important than ever for us as public broadcasters to deliver unique, engaging and diverse content that sparks conversations and reflections – across borders. New8 provides us with a valuable opportunity to strengthen this ambition. Together, we are building a creative force that will greatly benefit both the production community and our shared audience." 

Jasmin Maeda, SVP International Fiction Coproduction and Acquisition at ZDF, says: "We're very proud to present our second slate of the New8 collaboration here in Lille at Series Mania. Once again, it illustrates the power of European coproductions: a huge variety in genres, topics, settings and storytelling. Three series from the New8 collaboration have already been selected for prestigious TV-Festivals, which proves the relevance and quality of the New8 slate – but also highlights that we as public broadcasters are indeed stronger together. As ZDF, sharing our expertise and working together with the other seven public broadcasters is an invaluable experience." 

Elly Vervloet, International Drama Executive at VRT points out: "Through New8, we can strengthen the production of top drama series that embody shared public values and elevate local creative talent to a global stage. As public broadcasters, we need to push the boundaries of drama and tell thrilling, recognizable and thought-provoking stories that make a difference." 

The programs in detail:  

Breendonk (VRT, Belgium, 6x54 minutes)  
Produced by De Mensen for VRT and Streamz, in coproduction with Anagram and New8, 
with the support of Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Screen Flanders, Creative Europe Development Slate, Norwegian Film Institute and the Belgian Tax Shelter. In collaboration with Fort Breendonk, Antwerp Commemorates and RTBF. Distributed by STUDIO TF1. Directed and created by Kevin Janssens and Filip Lenaerts. 
Set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II, "Breendonk" is a compelling historical drama series that tells the story of Elisabeth and Rik, two young lovers with opposing views on the war. Elisabeth, driven by a fierce sense of justice, joins the resistance, while Rik dreams of escaping to a safer future for them both. Their love is put to the ultimate test in 1942 when a failed resistance mission forces Elisabeth into hiding and leads to the arrest of Rik and his father, Leon. They are taken to Breendonk, a notorious SS-prison camp overseen by Flemish guards. How far would you go to protect yourself and those you love? 

Phoenix (ZDF, Germany, 6x45 minutes) 
Produced by Les Films du Cygne, Storia Télévisions and Maze Pictures, created by Matthieu Bernard and Louis Aubert, directed by Franck Brett.  
"Phoenix" tells the story of young people from different European countries who have kidnapped the children of the CEOs of the "Four Wastes" (four companies that pollute the world the most) in the run-up to an economic summit in the French Alps. Together with their victims, they are hiding in the mountains near the conference venue – with the aim to force the economic bosses to save the climate instead of continuing to pollute the world.  

The Machine (NPO/BNNVARA, The Netherlands, 6x54 minutes) 
Produced by Hollands Licht, written by Daan Windhorst, Nasja Covers, Michiel van Jaarsveld, and directed by Michiel van Jaarsveld. 
"The Machine" is a story of power, profit, and purpose. When a long-time employee unexpectedly becomes CEO of an Amsterdam-based global travel empire, the company seems almost unrecognizable from the adventurous startup she helped build with her friends two decades ago. Can she revive the company's original values, or will she be consumed by its relentless drive for profit? 

Henki (NRK, Norway, 6x45 minutes)  
Produced by Klynge and Scanbox, created by Jan Trygve Røyneland, written by Jan Trygve Røyneland, Harald Rosenløw Eeg and Fleming Klem. Directed by Erika Calmeyer. 
The year is 1985. Henki Hauge Karlsen is a 28-year-old gay bartender who is fired after disclosing that he is infected with HIV. Angered and humiliated, he decides to take his case to court. But what he thought would be a fight for justice turns into three years where his life is laid bare for the Norwegian people to scrutinize and moralize. Henki eventually wins in Supreme Court but dies shortly after the verdict. 
"Henki" is the story of a boy who never asked to become a celebrity but sacrificed himself in the fight for dignity. 

Cold Song (SVT, Sweden, 6x45 minutes)  
Produced by Miso Film, written by Maren Louise Käehne and Julie Budtz Sørensen, directed by Mikael Marcimain. 
"Cold Song" is a gripping and suspense-filled drama about the strength and fragility of family ties. Restaurant owner Siri and her husband, the writer Jon, lead a hectic life in Stockholm with their two daughters. Every summer, they seek peace in Siri's childhood home on the west coast. This summer, Siri plans an unwelcome 75th birthday party for her mother Jenny, and the nanny Mille is hired to help out. When Mille disappears during the party, the family is forced to confront hidden secrets and guilt. What happened to Mille, and who is responsible?" 

Generations (DR, Denmark, 6x60 minutes) 
Created by Anna Emma Haudal, the ambitious "Generations" joins the ranks of high-quality Danish drama. 
The story begins with the discovery of a mummified infant’s body during a renovation in a Frederiksberg apartment. Martha, an 87-year-old resident, unexpectedly confesses to the crime, triggering a journey into family secrets long buried.  
The series subtly explores the lingering shame and guilt carried through three generations of women and their longing for redemption and transformation. "Generations" is a story of a family unknowingly passing down its traumas—a warm and relatable series that intertwines family drama with a compelling story. 

Death of a Horse (RÚV, Iceland, 6x52 minutes) 
Produced by Act 4 in coproduction with Windlight Pictures, written by Birkir Blær Ingólfsson, Jonas Margeir Ingolfsson and Judith Angebauer. 
"Death of a Horse" has a classic suspenseful crime engine but with a twist – this time the murder victim is a horse: Blesi is found dead, after unexpectedly becoming the frontrunning horse in the National Championship, making his value a life-changing amount. The police refuses to investigate, as the killing of a horse doesn't constitute a murder. So the owner runs her own investigation. But the eccentric community of Icelandic horse-farmers doesn't want the scrutiny and soon lives are at stake – some of them human. 

The Dark Ones (ZDF, Germany, 6x45 minutes)  
Produced by Network Movie, Studio Zentral, created by Arne Nolting and Jan Martin Scharf, directed by Lea Becker. 
"The Dark Ones" is about dangerous beings that invade people's lives on an island in the North Sea. But they are neither monsters nor demons. They are human – just like us. In fact, they are the worst possible versions of ourselves. Shady doppelgangers who have made the wrong decisions at crucial moments in their lives and would do anything to start all over again. Now they are here to swap places with us – and the only one who can stop them is Soma, a young woman who is searching for her origins. 

The first eight series of the coproduction initiative have been already produced and some of them successfully published in the territories: "Vanguard" (SVT), "Elixir" (NPO), "Queen of fucking everything" (YLE), "Holmlia Love" (NRK), "Other People's Money" (DR/ZDF), "This is not a murder mystery" (VRT), "Push" and "Kabul" (ZDF). Some of them have already been honoured nationally and internationally. These include ZDF's New8 series "Push" (German Television Award 2024) and ‘"Kabul" (Series Mania 2025 – International Competition), as well as "Other People's Money" (Berlinale 2025 - Panorama section) and "Generations" (Series Mania 2025 – International Competition), both of which were brought into the cooperation by the Danish broadcaster DR.  

Kontakt 
Bei Fragen zum Thema "New8" erreichen Sie Lisa Miller, per E-Mail an miller.l@zdf.de 
Sie erreichen die ZDF-Kommunikation per E-Mail unter pressedesk@zdf.de

Mainz, 26. März 2025 
ZDF-Kommunikation  
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