ZDF Studios secures deals with Topic and SBS Australia for "Agatha Christie’s Hjerson"

"Agatha Christie’s Hjerson" was acquired by streamer Topic and Australian channel SBS as well as a list of other broadcasters and VOD platforms worldwide. ZDF Studios recently confirmed. “SBS is home to distinctive storytelling and premium drama, with a vast collection of insightful stories and inspiring entertainment available on our streaming service, SBS On Demand," Haidee Ireland, Channel Manager for SBS On Demand & SBS World Movies said. "We’re passionate about offering viewers content from Australia and across the globe, and thrilled to be offering Agatha Christie's Hjerson on the platform. Agatha Christie’s work never fails to entice audiences, and this fresh-take puts a modern lens on a classic tale. This whodunnit is sure to keep viewers guessing and on the edge of their seats, and is a welcome addition to our catalogue of classic and contemporary mystery thrillers.”

"Agatha Christie’s Hjerson" was produced by Patrik Andersson and Ulf Synnerholm at BR•F for TV4/C More, in co-production with ZDF, Nadcon and the Government of Åland, and in close collaboration with ZDF Studios and Agatha Christie Ltd. The series was produced with support from Nordisk Film & TV fund. The series was created and developed by Patrik Gyllström at BR•F and was written by Patrik Gyllström, Björn Paqualin, Jakob Beckman, Martin Luuk and Aron Levander. It was directed by Lisa James Larsson and Lisa Farzaneh.

The title now forms part of Topic's slate of content from over 40 countries. “I’m delighted that this excellent drama, which sees a spin off character from the Christie universe come to life for the first time, has found its way to North America and Australia," Yi Qiao, Director Drama, ZDF Studios said. "With Agatha Christie being world famous as one of the best-selling authors of all time, there is a never-ending demand for her work to brighten the small screen.”

In addition to these deals, Beyond North America and Australia, ZDF Studios has licensed the eight-part series to VOD platforms Google Play, iTunes, Amazon, Deutsche Telekom and Huawei for German speaking territories as well as Germany’s public broadcaster, ZDF. Other buyers include Viasat World, which covers Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Croatia and the whole of Southeast Europe, Keshet in Israel, NHK in Japan, VR Films in India, LRT in Lithuania and Walter Presents, Walter Iuzzolino’s Global Series Network for UK and Ireland. Commissioned by TVC/C More, Agatha Christie’s Hjerson is a playful, mystery drama with a contemporary meta twist. Winner of MIPDrama’s prestigious Coup de Coeur, this is the first time an offshoot character from a Christie novel has been adapted into a television series. Johan Rheborg stars in the leading role as detective Sven Hjerson, and his sidekick Klara Sandberg is played by Hanna Alström.

"Agatha Christie’s Hjerson" follows former investigator Sven Hjerson as he solves challenges Swedish criminal cases. Now retired from the limelight, living on the fringes of society, his life mainly consists of daily routines, a vegan diet, vinyl record collecting and an unhealthy appetite for gossip.“It’s not every day that we get to introduce our subscribers to a new Agatha Christie detective,” Vice President, Programming Strategy, Acquisitions & Sales, Topic, Jennifer Liang, said. “We are thrilled to welcome Swedish investigator Sven Hjerson to our global collection of elevated crime and suspense programs and excited to continue our successful collaboration with ZDF Studios.”