‘My Dear Mother,’ ‘The Last Divorce of Communism,’ ‘Von Fock’ Tease New Chapter for Baltic TV Shows: ‘Culturally Specific and Universally Relevant’

variety.com:

Marta Balaga With Baltic shows growing bigger and bolder and producers looking for more international collaborators, local creators reach for original stories and established IPs, delivering period dramas and timely satires.

However, crime shows, whether contemporary – like this year’s Berlinale Series Market Selects “My Dear Mother” – or set in the 19th century, still take the crown.

Or at least the top hat. “Melchior the Apothecary” Creators: Indrek Hargla, Elmo Nüganen, Olle Mirme Director: Elmo Nüganen Based on popular crime series books by Indrek Hargla – about an apothecary who heals the sick and solves mysteries – the show is set in medieval Tallinn.

Shot as a trilogy, which was a box-office success in Estonia, it’s sold by Global Screen as a miniseries. It features Märten Metsaviir and Maarja Johanna Mägi, who was chosen as one of Berlinale’s Shooting Stars and will be next seen in the Finnish remake of “Cold Feet.” “One reason the series is so captivating to watch is the world it creates: a medieval fairy tale setting that you can immerse yourself in,” says Mägi. “I believe [Baltic] shows are getting bigger and better: larger budgets make it possible to create something more creative.