Beta closes the year with a major deal with Australia’s public broadcaster SBS, which has acquired a slew of Beta’s production highlights from all over Europe. Nearly 200 hours of entertainment are heading to SBS Australia, set to arrive in 2025 on the broadcaster’s flagship streaming service, SBS On Demand.
Included are the TV adaption of Elsa Morante’s iconic and acclaimed novel "La Storia" recently sold to the US and Canada (Mhz Choice), the Canneseries-awarded production "Operation Sabre" from Serbia, which is based on the true events of the assassination of the Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in 2003, as well as the German smash-hit "30 Days of Lust", which is in the same vein as "Fleabag" and ‘Girls’. Italian crime drama Cold Summer, based on the bestseller by former anti-Mafia prosecutor Gianrico Carofiglio, is also traveling to SBS Australia, together with the royal Dutch drama Maxima, as was recently announced.
Additional highlights for Australian audiences are all four season of absolute fan-favorite Sisi, all three seasons of Spain’s award-winning thriller La Unidad, both seasons of the Finnish crime drama Helsinki Syndrome, Lone Scherfig’s medical drama The Shift, as well as reruns of the international hit series Gomorrah.
Elsa Morante’s "La Storia" (8x1h) stars multi-awarded Jasmine Trinca (The Gunman, Saint Laurent) as Ida, a single mother of two sons, who hides her Jewish heritage and fights against poverty and persecution during the end of WWII and post-war Rome. The drama series won a prestigious Italian Nastro d’Argento for “Series of the Year” and broke viewership records on RAI1. It is produced by Picomedia, Thalie Images, in collaboration with Rai Fiction and in co-production with Beta Film.
Meanwhile, "Operation Sabre" (8x1h) follows the harrowing aftermath of the 2003 assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić. The series been a standout at festivals, winning the Special Interpretation Award at Canneseries and the Primetime Killer Award at Serial Killer Festival for Best CEE Drama. The series is produced by This and That Productions in co-production with Agitprop for Radio Television of Serbia.
FInally, "30 Days of Lust" (8xhalf hour) is the most relatable series about the essence of navigating life at almost thirty. The winner of the Audience Choice Award at this year’s Seriencamp currently ranks among the Top 10 shows among young viewers in Germany. The series is produced by Trimafilm in coproduction with SWR, funded by FFF Bayern and MFG Baden-Württemberg.
Cold Summer (8x1h) unravels an uneasy alliance between a small-time Mafia boss and an upright police sergeant in early ‘90s Italy, bringing down an organized crime ring. The series is produced by Clemart for Rai Fiction in association with Beta Film.