17/01/2014 - The Norwegian pubcaster’s new drama series about an investigative journalist licensed to European stations for €0.8 million or more than total drama sales in the last five years

Norwegian pubcaster NRK Drama’s new television series, Mammon, is not only popular in Norway, where it seats almost a million Norwegians in front of the box every week – it has also opened its doors to Europe.

Scripted by Vegard Eriksen Stenberg and Gjermund Eriksen, and directed by Cecilie A Mosli, the 6x58min thriller series has been acquired by broadcasters in the UK, Benelux, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, allegedly for €0.8 million or more than NRK Drama’s total sales in the last five years.

“The reception of Mammon has been a fantastic start to the new year,” said new NRK Drama chief Ivar Køhn, who left the job as the head of production and development at the Norwegian Film Institute for the assignment.

“Norwegian TV drama is currently in a very positive development; our TV films are not only appreciated by local viewers, they also get international attention, which means that foreign producers want to work with us on new projects,” Køhn added.

Starring Jon Øigarden, Terje Strømdahl and Ingjerd Egeberg, Mammon is the story of an investigative journalist, Peter Verås, who finds evidence of financial fraud, which points to his own brother. When the story breaks, the brother commits suicide; and his anonymous source seems to be the brother himself.

Meanwhile NRK’s Lilyhammer, produced with Rubicon TV, is about to begin shooting its third season with US actor (and guitarist) Stevie Van Zandt in the lead. The broadcaster’s largest export success has so far been sold to more than 150 countries.