“It feels fantastic that Top Dog is nominated in Cannes! Regardless of the outcome of the competition, it is gratifying that C More and TV4, together with the talented team at Filmlance, have succeeded in bringing the unique authorship of Jens Lapidus to TV screens at such a high level that it is ranked as one of the best TV shows in the world right now. I am really looking forward to this autumn, when we get to show it to our viewers,” says Josefine Tengblad, Head of Drama for C More and TV4.

Top Dog is nominated in the CANNESERIES Long Form Competition and will be screened in the world-famous Grand Theatre Lumiere at Cannes Palais des Festivales, with seating for 2,300 guests. The category is decided by a panel of judges and the winner will be named on April 1. CANNESERIES runs simultaneously with the MIPTV fair in Cannes, from March 27 to April 1.

Thriller series Top Dog is based on the book trilogy by Jens Lapidus (VIP-room, Stockholm Delete and Top Dog) and centres on the clash between ambitious business lawyer Emily Jansson (Josefin Asplund) and former crook Teddy Maksumic (Alexej Manvelov). A mysterious disappearance brings together two completely different worlds, and an extremely ill-matched couple.

The script for Top Dog has been written by lead screenwriter Veronica Zacco together with Josefin Johansson, Amanda Högberg, Linnea Möller Lindh, Dunja Vujovic, Lovisa Milles, Gunnar A.K. Järvstad and Alexis Almström. Molly Hartleb (Vår tid är nu, Hinsehäxan) and Alexis Almström (Pink Cloud Syndrome) directed, with Molly providing conceptual direction. Top Dog is produced by Anna Wallmark, Olof Spaak and Teresa Alldén at Filmlance, a part of Endemol Shine Group, for C More and TV4 in co-production with ZDF and Film Capital Stockholm Fund, and is distributed internationally by ZDF Enterprises.

Top Dog will premiere on C More and TV4 in autumn 2020.

Last week, it was also revealed that thriller Thin Ice, with Lena Endre and Bianca Kronlöf in the lead roles, has been nominated in the International Panorama category at the Series Mania TV festival, where it is competing for the public prize. At the same time, Eight Months, based on the novel by Magnus Montelius, will take part in a pitch session during the MIPTV fair in Cannes. The project is under development at C More and TV4, and was revealed just over a month ago.

“We are very proud that two of our original series have been recognised with international nominations. The competition is tough, which makes it particularly pleasing and shows us that our excellent work together with the production companies to deliver high quality drama to our viewers is the right way forward. The fact that Eight Months which we are developing, has also been recognised internationally is great and bodes well,” says Josefine Tengblad.

About C More, TV4 and ventures in drama

The high-quality content that TV4 and C More are delivering to viewers and users makes us more relevant now than ever before. In an era when everyone watches on their own terms, we are creating content and services that move and engage - and that bring Sweden together. 

TV4 and C More are caught up in an expansive venture in Swedish drama and have during the past year premiered new original productions including Ture Sventon och Bermudatriangelns hemlighet [“Ture Sventon and the secret of the Bermuda Triangle”], Bröllop, begravning och dop [“A Wedding, Funeral & A Christening”] and Hamilton [“Agent Hamilton”]. The content portfolio also includes classic brands and audience favourites such as Solsidan [“The Sunny Side”], Gåsmamman [“Mother Goose”] and Beck.

About Filmlance

Filmlance International, one of the largest independent production companies in Sweden, has since the outset produced high-quality, award-winning films for cinema and TV for a worldwide audience. The company’s filmography includes more than 100 titles of critically and audience-acclaimed feature films, animated children’s films, TV feature films, TV series and short films. Filmlance is the proud producer of The Bridge, the TV series that has become a mega-hit worldwide and has won numerous awards. The Bridge has been sold to more than 188 countries and has generated five successful remakes. This spring, Filmlance will be in the news with several series and feature films including Kalifat [“Caliphate”], Tsunami and Spring, Uje, Spring [“Run, Uje, Run”]. Filmlance is part of the Endemol Shine Group.