Mediaset España, Warner Bros and Netflix come together for new Spanish drama 'Brigada Costa del Sol'
Spain's new TV-scene's Holy Trinity — broadcast network Mediaset España, Warner Bros. International TV Production España and Netflix — will produce a primetime cop thriller “Brigada Costa del Sol.”
The show is going to star Hugo Silva, Álvaro Cervantes, Jesús Castro, Miki Esparbé and Sara Sálamo and is set to screen on Mediaset España’s main Telecinco channel first and then will stream globally on Netflix in a first window, and in the second window for Spain.
The plot of “Brigada Costa del Sol” is set in southern Spain, spanning over 1977-82, and is inspired by the history of one of Spain’s first anti-narcotics squads, the Grupo Especial de Estupefacientes Costa del Sol. Primarily a thriller set in Torremolinos, the narrative follows the origin and massive success of the operation.
Shooting for the show is going to start from June 7 in Malaga and its surrounding environments. Expect intense police protocols with drama, romance and an intriguing voice-over by the protagonist, wherein he shares his “subjective and cynical viewpoint” regarding the hassles the unit goes through, as Mediaset España said in a statement Monday.
The show is a milestone of sorts as it marks a possible early direct involvement of Warner Bros. in primetime fiction drama series production in Spain.
Warner Bros. has been previously linked to Spanish TV fiction production but it is best known for its distribution and occasional promotional of the top Spanish movies.
As for WB ITVP España, in its last 15 years of operation, it has mainly been producing non-scripted content with recent shows such as “First Dates” and “Who Wants to Marry My Son,” both for Mediaset España’s Cuatro, and “Kitchen Nightmares” for Atresmedia’s LaSexta.
Netflix has been a newcomer on that front, as its first original series in Spain, "The able Girls" was produced in 2016.
They teamed with Bambú Producciones for the show and has since partnered with Zeta Audiovisual for its second, teen mystery drama “Elite,” which is pending its launch.
Along with Vancouver Media and Atresmedia, Netflix has also agreed to produce a new season of SVOD TV global phenomenon “La Casa de Papel” (“Money Heist”) and has also co-financed RTVE’s cult series “The Department of Time” and Atresmedia’s “La Catedral del Mar."