29/06/2022 - A product of a collaboration between continental Europe’s three main public service broadcasters, the TV series featuring a European cast will be available from next season

RAI Fiction has released a first image taken from Survivors, a mystery-drama composed of twelve 50-minute episodes, directed by Carmine Elia (The Sea Beyond, The Red Door) and starring Lino Guanciale, Luca Biagini, Barbora Bobulova, Stéfi Celma, Vincenzo Ferrera, Florian Fitz, Giacomo Giorgio, Pia Lanciotti, Sophie Pfennigstorf, Desirée Popper, Elena Radonicich, Fausto Maria Sciarappa, Manda Touré, Camilla Semino Favro, Alessio Vassallo and Adèle Wismes.

Available to view on RAI 1 from the next TV season, this work of fiction is co-produced by RAI Fiction alongside France Télévisions, ZDFneo, Rodeo Drive and Cinétévé, and it’s one of various projects to result from the Alliance between the three major public service broadcasters in continental Europe (Italy, France and Germany), which was initiated in 2018 in an attempt to compete in international markets and to promote the local audiovisual industry.

The story of Survivors revolves around the Arianna, a sailing boat carrying twelve passengers which sets off on an ocean crossing. After a few days of navigation, and on account of a violent storm, the boat disappears off the radar. One year later, just off the Venezuelan coast, the wreckage of the boat is discovered with only seven people still alive on board. What happened to the others? Each episode charts the complex events following the return of these survivors, alternated with the terrible period of time they spent adrift at sea, in order to gradually uncover the secrets of their journey.

Announcing the commencement of filming, Deputy Director of RAI Fiction Francesco Nardella stated that “Survivors is another landmark achievement of the fecund collaboration between RAI, France Télévisions and ZDF. Four young authors – Giovanni Galassi, Tommaso Matano, Sofia Bruschetta and Ivano Fachin – came up with the series, the concept and the plot, which lend themselves well to the natural collaboration between our three countries’ broadcasters”. According to Nathalie Biancolli, France Télévisions’ then Senior VP Director of International Fiction (acquisitions and co-productions), “Survivors brings together critical aspects of our missions: the promotion of young writers and highlighting our talents within the international market". Last but not least, SVP of International Fiction, Co-productions and Acquisitions at ZDF Simone Emmelius insisted that “Survivors is a thrilling series that brings together bright European talent both in front of and behind the cameras. Within the framework of the European Alliance with RAI and France Télévisions, it’s further proof of the added value that’s generated by talented Italian writers, gifted actors from France, Italy, and Germany, and the deeply committed production companies Rodeo Drive and Cinétévé. With its topics and its setting, it targets a modern, cosmopolitan audience, which we are primarily able to reach via our digital platforms ZDFneo and Mediathek".

Other Alliance projects which have already been made or are in production include the thriller series Mirage, directed by Louis Choquette and produced by Lincoln TV and Wild Bunch Germany; Il giro del mondo in 80 giorni, directed by Steve Barron and produced by Slim Film Television and Federation Entertainment in collaboration with France Télévisions and RAI Fiction; the event series Leonardo, written by Frank Spotnitz and Steve Thompson, which is produced by Lux Vide in collaboration with RAI Fiction, Big Light Productions and France Télévisions, in co-production with Sony Pictures Television; Il quinto giorno by Frank Schätzing, produced by Intaglio Films and ndF International Production in co-production with the European Alliance partners and with support from NENT Group, ORF and SRF (read our news).

(Translated from Italian)