Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group) has launched Polish Murderesses, Black Dog and Freedom of the Swallow as its first scripted Viaplay Originals in Poland. The shows explore an eye-opening range of compelling and often groundbreaking themes and are in development with some of Poland’s most well-known and exciting creative talents. Polish, Nordic and international original drama will be a cornerstone of NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in Poland, alongside live sports, Hollywood films and series, and kids content.

Polish Murderesses is an adaptation of Katarzyna Bonda’s bestselling true crime book of the same name and tells the stories of a diverse group of women with one thing in common – they are all killers. Bonda is Poland’s most popular crime writer, with over 2 million books sold, and her work has been published in 15 countries. The series is produced by NENT Group’s Paprika Studios Poland.

Black Dog is a six-part psychological action drama that follows veterans returning from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, which were the Polish army’s largest combat operations since World War 2. The soldiers now face another battlefield: confronting poverty and physical and mental scars, as well as corruption among their former commanders. Black Dog is created by Artur Kowalewski (The Pack), the creative producer of ATM Grupa.

Inspired by Paula Er’s hit debut novel, Freedom of the Swallow uses an innovative narrative structure to depict the devastating impact of domestic abuse. The story of Olga, whose apparently happy marriage conceals a darker reality, is told from the perspective of various characters whose lives intertwine across six episodes. Freedom of the Swallow is written by Agnieszka Kruk and produced by Opus TV.

Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group Chief Content Officer: “Our storytelling has won prizes and thrilled audiences worldwide, and we’re so excited to apply our unique skills to developing Polish Viaplay Originals. We want to play a positive, long-term role in Poland’s creative industry, and will work with the best talents – whether they’re famous today or will be famous tomorrow. As these first three commissions show, our stories will be different and thought-provoking as well as entertaining.”

Viaplay is available in Poland from today, August 3 (www.viaplay.pl), priced at PLN 34 per month with an attractive launch promotion. Viaplay has now launched in nine European countries, with the US to follow in late 2021, the Netherlands in Q1 2022 and additional markets by the end of 2023.