Scripted

Welsh-language broadcaster S4C and UK commercial network ITV have announced their inaugural drama co-production, Santa Maria. The dark comedy series, set in Swansea, is scheduled to premiere in Welsh on S4C in early 2027, followed by an English-language broadcast on ITV later that same year.
Produced by indie outfit Triongl, the series was created and written by multi-award-winning screenwriter Siwan Jones (Con Passionate, 35 Diwrnod) and directed by Erin Richards (The Light in the Hall, Gotham). The narrative follows two families from very different sides of the tracks whose lives are slowly entangled by the actions of saintly but strung-out cleaner Maria. International distribution rights for the series will be handled by Sphere Abacus.

The production is backed by Creative Wales and equity finance from S4Ci’s Commercial Content Fund. Commenting on the project's cultural and strategic relevance, Gwenllian Gravelle, S4C’s Head of Film and Drama, said: “Santa Maria explores the striking contrasts of life in Swansea, where two very different worlds exist side by side. Set against the city and Mumbles’ iconic blue skies, this deliciously dark comedy-drama captures Swansea in all its diversity; vibrant, complex and unmistakably real. We’re incredibly excited to be collaborating with ITV for the first time, alongside outstanding partners, to showcase Welsh storytelling at its best. Thanks to the brilliant team at Triongl and the support of Creative Wales, we can’t wait for audiences to meet Maria and step into her world.”
From the commercial broadcasting side, Darren Nartey, Head of Content Acquisitions at ITV, welcomed the partnership by stating: "We are very proud to be bringing this fascinating, quintessentially Welsh story to our audiences across ITV, and look forward to it gracing our screens in 2027.”

Highlighting the structural and financial backing behind the project, Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, Adam Price, noted: “As a new government we’re committed to strengthening the Welsh creative sectors. We welcome the fact Creative Wales’ investment in this production has helped create jobs for our talented workforce, valuable experience for trainees, and is expected to deliver around £5.7m in economic return for Wales.”
Finally, reflecting on the creative execution and the scale of the alliance, Triongl’s Executive Producers Nora Ostler Spiteri, Alexander Spiteri and Gethin Scourfield concluded: “We cannot overstate how thrilled we are to go into production on Siwan Jones’ brilliant new drama series Santa Maria. We’ve assembled a brilliant cast and crew to put together a show that is warm, funny and vibrant - a far cry from our usual Welsh noir. S4C and Creative Wales, as ever, have been a great support to us in mounting the series and we’re delighted to be teaming up with ITV, S4Ci’s Commercial Content Fund and Sphere Abacus for the first time to bring Santa Maria to life.”