Hot Picks: Safe Harbor

From the creator of Ozark, and starring a plethora of European talent, Safe Harbor has all the hallmarks of a bona fide hit.

While the eight-part crime drama’s main language is English, its roots are firmly planted in the Netherlands, as the action centres around the city of Rotterdam, one of the largest ports in the world and the prime entry point for drugs into Europe.

Best friends Tobias, played by Alfie Allen (Game Of Thrones), and Marco (Martijn Lakemeier, Marie Antoinette) are struggling tech entrepreneurs who cross paths with Sloane Walsh (Charlie Murphy, Happy Valley), her sociopathic brother Farrell (Jack Gleeson, Game Of Thrones) and their father, drug kingpin Kieran (Colm Meaney, Gangs Of London).

The tech duo quickly become embroiled in a turf war between Irish and European drug cartels, with their only chance of survival using their technological know-how to outsmart the criminals.

It is a sub-genre of crime that is proving popular with buyers, as RTÉ’s Kin and Sky’s Gangs Of London show, but James Copp, co-head of content at co-producer Night Train Media and exec producer, says where Safe Harbor differentiates itself from its established peers is that it “doesn’t take itself too seriously”.

He continues: “Safe Harbor has a little bit more colour, a little bit more heart and a little bit more fun. There are characters in this show that you really won’t have seen before.

“Viewers who loved Ozark will love this, because there’s that same aspect of people working to keep themselves alive and make something happen.”

Night Train-owned distributor Eccho Rights has already held screenings in the UK, US, Spain and Portugal, where Copp says the show has received “strong feedback”.

He points out the value of having a drama that is primarily English language, both in terms of attracting buyers and from a storytelling standpoint. It “makes sense”, due to English being the default for international trade, and because of its setting in Rotterdam, which draws people from across the globe.

For Mylène Verdurmen, who commissioned the series for RTL-owned SVoD Videoland, it was an easy decision to make the show in English and Dutch. She says: “It’s an important show for Videoland to go more international.”

Verdurmen also highlights Safe Harbor’s position in the streamer’s crime catalogue, stating that it is a “big step up” from its previous commissions – in terms of the quality of writing and directing, as well as the A-list international and Dutch cast.

She anticipates Safe Harbor will land well with its intended audience of primarily younger and older males who like crime dramas, while Copp believes it will find an audience beyond that demographic – with, for example, viewers who enjoy Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys.

He says: “It’s got loads of fun violence, action and thrills, but also has a real sense of humour. It knows exactly what it is, and it pokes fun at its own characters. I could see us beating out other crime shows, with people looking for something a little less grim. Certainly outside the UK – which has a taste for harsher crime - I think it will do really well.”