International Crime Drama Series in Development
6x 50’ eps per book.
The DS Manolis franchise is an international crime‑drama series adapted from the acclaimed novels by Peter Papathanasiou, published in the UK by Maclehose Press and backed by Quercus — the same publisher behind the global phenomenon The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The books have earned major critical recognition, including The Times naming The Stoning “crime debut of the year” and The Guardian praising it as “deliciously dark outback noir”. With strong readership across the UK, Europe and Greece, the series arrives with a built‑in international audience and a multi‑book foundation for long‑form television.
The franchise spans Australia and Greece, blending outback noir with European noir as second generation Greek‑Australian detective George Manolis navigates corruption, identity, migration and the hidden tensions shaping modern societies. The first two instalments — The Invisible and The Stoning — form the basis of a multi‑season television universe. The series will launch with the Greek‑set story The Invisible, positioning the project immediately within European noir and establishing global reach before returning to Australia with The Stoning. A key British character, Lee Cook, provides a natural UK narrative anchor and strong casting pathway.
The project is being developed with two of Australia’s most respected crime‑drama creatives:
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Kris Wyld — creator/showrunner of Wildside, East West 101, White Collar Blue, and one of the defining voices of Australian crime television
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Peter Andrikidis — director of Underbelly, Janet King, The Code, and a leading figure in premium Australian drama
The DS Manolis franchise is designed as a high‑end, internationally scalable crime universe with strong UK, European and Australian appeal, supported by award‑winning source material and a world‑class creative team.
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Heartbeat – 3‑part biographical drama
Through the eyes of an investigative journalist, the life and legacy of Dr Victor Chang — migrant, pioneer, and visionary heart surgeon — unfolds in a powerful three‑part drama that charts his groundbreaking achievements and the tragic end that shook Australia.
Co‑production partner sought (Australia /UK).
Bitter Pill – 8‑part crime thriller
When her son dies from a counterfeit EpiPen, human rights lawyer Anna Glowinski uncovers a pharmaceutical trafficking network across Europe — and the corruption at the heart of her own family.
UK, Poland & Romania co‑production partners sought.
Dark Fears – 6‑part supernatural anthology
What if Britain’s forgotten folklore returned to haunt us today? Six chilling tales where everyday trust turns into terror — What if the neighbour you trusted was never human? What if your child was swapped at birth? What if your dream lover was a demon?
Streamer / broadcaster partner sought.
MyLife.com – 8‑part romantic comedy / satirical drama
A fame‑hungry influencer’s quest for viral stardom spirals into chaos. Think Fleabag meets Emily in Paris with the satirical bite of Bridget Jones. The tone is irreverent, fast-paced, and emotionally grounded. The series uses comedy to explore serious themes: identity, authenticity, and the psychological toll of performative living.
Sweet Dreams - 6 x 60-minute episodes (limited series)
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Dramaworks Projects
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Bitter Pill
A six-part crime thriller
Bitter Pill is a crime drama that exposes the murky depth of the fake pharmaceuticals industry and how organised crime in central Europe and Italy manage to steal drugs to make counterfeit versions which are then sold into the medical supply chain as fakes.
Human rights Lawyer Anna finds herself in a roller coaster ride of corruption and deceit at the highest level of Politics. Her only child dies after being given fake pharmaceuticals for a life-threatening illness. Investigate further, she finds herself tangled up with the local mafia and a dangerous unknown political enemy.
Teaming up with a local cop with many dark secrets of his own, Anna now finds herself in a situation with man on a suicide mission and he’s determined to bend the rules at any cost.
Will the risks bring results, or will they both be killed in the process.
Set in Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
The Golden Hour
“ Crime doesn’t pay unless people think your old and stupid… then it pays“
A six-part comedy drama series set in Central Europe.
The Golden Hour tells the story of three elderly pensioners who decided to take back control of their lives. Friends in their youth and now living separately in a small communist apartment block close to the edge of town, they find themselves battling a corrupt and greedy developer, who falsely fabricates structural defects, leading to a condemned notice being served. Unknown to our Pensioners, the” tentacles” of corruption are spread far and wide and lead to the core of a family mafia syndicate involved with many other corrupt activities.
It’s a funny dark comedy about taking back control and fighting for the things you believe in. Under the radar, the pensioners take on the crooks at their own game. Who would believe pensioners would take up a life of crime and rob the criminals…and criminals don’t go to the Police.
Seven Souls
8-part Supernatural thriller, which explores the dynamics of life after death.
Seven Souls is a supernatural thriller in which a talented heart surgeon suffers a catastrophic car accident and wakes to find himself caught between heaven and hell.
Suspended as a ghost between life and death. His body lies in a coma on life support. His misdeeds in life require his atonement before he can return to the living. He’s tasked with helping seven souls to cross to the other side. Unfortunately, some have hidden agendas and secrets they don’t want to share, others are guilty of carrying out crimes that have gone unpunished. Only by helping the seven souls cross over, will he escape the purgatory of being in the afterlife.
His journey is one of Atonement and if he can succeed, he will return. But unfortunately, the souls he’s tasked to help have other agendas.