AMC Networks Intl. Latin America has acquired RTVE hit, Spanish-Portuguese thriller “Sequía,” which will be broadcast throughout the region on its Europa Europa channel.
The story centers on the mystery behind two mummified corpses – apparent murder victims — that are discovered when a long submerged village emerges from the drying Campomediano reservoir along the Spanish-Portuguese border during a prolonged drought (“sequía” in Spanish).
While a Spanish inspector and investigative reporter suspect the bodies may be linked to environmental protests that took place to prevent the creation of the reservoir, a Portuguese detective is secretly investigating the possibility that one of the deceased could be the heir to the Souza Cardoso fortune who disappeared years ago.
Weaving between two time periods, the late 1990s and the present, when secrets begin to be revealed, the story follows two influential families in Spain and Portugal who inhabit beautiful areas of both countries as well as the day-to-day life of a poor and exploited underclass on both sides of the border.
Describing the series as “a blend of thriller and family noir,” director Joaquín Llamas says the story of “Sequía” arose from the need to address a cyclical problem — the lack of rain and poor water management – that has had a brutal impact on certain areas and on people on both sides of the border.
“Sequía” stars Elena Rivera, Rodolfo Sancho, Marco D’Almeida, Miryam Gallego and Miguel Ángel Muñoz.
The series, which was shot on location in the Madrid region, Extremadura and Lisbon, marks the first co-production between Spain’s RTVE and Portugal’s RTP, which produced the show with Atlantia Media and Coral Europa.
A major success in Spain, the series attracted 1.3 million viewers when it premiered in addition to 3 million views via the RTVE Play service. The series’ premiere in Portugal drew 400,000 viewers.
