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At the Series Mania Forum 2026, the panel “Coming Next From the Nordics: Finland, Norway and Sweden”, held on Tuesday, March 24 and organized by APFI in collaboration with the Norwegian and Swedish institutes, offered a compelling overview of upcoming scripted projects from across the region.
The showcase reaffirmed the Nordics’ position as a key creative hub within the global television landscape. The selected titles reflect a clear strategic direction: from historical epics to contemporary crime and character-driven drama.

Royal Blood: A Nordic Historical Epic (Norway - 6x45')
Among the most ambitious projects presented was Royal Blood, a large-scale historical drama set during the turbulent years leading up to 1814, when Norway breaks free from centuries of Danish rule and enters a new union with Sweden.
Against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the series explores the shifting geopolitical balance across Scandinavia, as European powers redraw the map of the continent. The narrative unfolds across the royal courts of Denmark and Sweden, as well as within Norway’s emerging political elite, following characters born into privilege yet constrained by it: a Danish crown prince struggling to assert authority, a strategic Swedish royal figure securing dynastic power, and a Norwegian nobleman determined to shape a new national identity.
Produced by Miso Film and distributed internationally by Fremantle, Royal Blood positions itself as both an intimate character drama and a sweeping portrait of a region in transformation, where power is no longer inherited unquestioned but renegotiated in the name of modern democracy.

Bandstand – Folkparken: Music and Coming of Age (Sweden - 6x45')
Sweden’s Bandstand – Folkparken offers a more intimate, character-led story set in the summer of 1957.
The series follows Erik, a young man inspired by the energy of live music, and Margit, a talented pianist raised within a strict religious environment. Their encounter sparks both a creative and emotional awakening, as music becomes a means of expression and rebellion against predetermined life paths.
Created by Ulf Kvensler and commissioned by TV4, the series combines nostalgia with universal themes of identity, desire and self-determination, positioning itself as an accessible yet emotionally layered drama.

Still Breathing (LIS): A Nordic Take on Medical Drama (Norway - 8x42')
With Still Breathing (LIS), Norway brings a contemporary hospital drama grounded in realism and ethical complexity.
Set in a mid-sized Norwegian hospital, the series follows a group of young interns navigating the pressures of medical practice. At its centre is Petra, a driven doctor striving to deliver the best care for her patients while facing increasing tension between institutional demands and personal values.
Created by Karianne Lund and produced by Rubicon Production, the series reflects a broader trend toward character-driven storytelling that interrogates professional and moral dilemmas within contemporary systems.

Dead Women Talking: Redefining Nordic Noir (Finland - 6x45')
Finland’s Dead Women Talking offers a fresh perspective on the crime genre by shifting the narrative focus toward victims and female investigators.
The story follows two young journalists who host a podcast investigating crimes against women. While revisiting a series of murders from the 1980s, they uncover new leads that place them in direct danger.
Produced by Helsinki-filmi for YLE, the series aligns with evolving audience expectations for more socially conscious crime narratives, where the emphasis moves from perpetrators to the voices that have historically been silenced.

Citizen of Heaven: Faith and Power Under Scrutiny (Finland - 4x45')
Also from Finland, Citizen of Heaven explores psychological and spiritual conflict within a secluded religious sect awaiting the end of the world.
When a former convict is elevated to prophetic status after performing a supposed miracle, internal tensions begin to surface. At the same time, an investigative journalist questions the mysterious disappearance of the sect’s matriarch, suggesting that darker truths may lie beneath the surface.
Produced by Just Republic and commissioned by Elisa Viihde, the series blends elements of thriller and character drama, continuing the Nordic tradition of exploring belief systems, power structures and moral ambiguity.

When Nobody’s Listening: Crime, Technology and Moral Boundaries (Sweden - 6x45')
Sweden’s When Nobody’s Listening closes the lineup with a high-stakes crime thriller inspired by real events.
The series follows a police unit that gains access to encrypted communications through the Encrochat platform, unlocking unprecedented intelligence on organized crime. However, this breakthrough raises difficult ethical questions: should lives be saved at any cost, or is collateral damage inevitable in dismantling criminal networks?
Written by Stefan Thunberg, directed by Daniel Espinosa and produced by Nordic Drama Queens for SVT, the series combines procedural tension with a strong moral core, reflecting the evolution of Nordic crime drama toward more complex, dilemma-driven narratives.