Banijay Finland, behind MHz Choice U.S. pick-up “The Hanko Murder” and popular procedural “Maria Kaillo,” is growing its scripted lineup adding drag queen caper “Queen Heist,” ordered by go-ahead Finnish pubcaster Yle as an eight-part half hour, as well as late-life love feature “The Good Widow,” now in development.
Both the new titles examine real-life issues – self-discovery in “Queen Heist,” inter-generational relationships in “The Good Widow” – but have a large entertainment drive already seen in “The Hanko Murder,” a light crime Noir set in a sunny Finland at the picturesque coastal town of Hanko and mixing a murder and a father-daughter relationship.
Billed as “fast-paced comedy,” “Queen Heist” is created by Cristal Snow, a Finnish musician, TV presenter and drag artist and directed by his sibling Viivi Huuska (“ToosaTV”) and produced by Max Malka, creator of the first Finnish Netflix Series “Dance Brothers,” a production from Banijay Finland where she serves as creative director. scripted.
In it, brothers Aapo and Eetu lose their jobs at a small-town sausage-factory. It’s their lucky break: They accidentally stumble on a life of drag-fuelled criminal escapades, reuniting with childhood friends, as what Banijay describes as “amateur thieves in amateur drag, on a road to unexpected self-discovery.
“Queen Heist” was developed at the Banijay Bootcamp, led by Steve Matthews, Banijay head of scripted, creative.
“The Good Wife” marks the latest from Josefina Rautiainen, whose debut feature “How to Shout” established Rautainen as a talent to track, picking up two industry nominations .
A romcom, “The Good Wife” delivers what Banijay calls “a liberating, unconventional take on late-life love and desire” “blending sharp humor and inter-generational chemistry.” It turns on Mirja, a 72-year-old widow who defies family and community expectations by forming an unexpected relationship with a much younger man she meets online. Producing is Minna Virkajärvi who scored well with six-season cop show “Roba,” still running since 2012 and miniseries “M/S Romantic” (2019), a four-time winner at Finland’s Kultainen Venla awards.
“We are ambitiously building a scripted portfolio defined by boldly creative projects, and these two original stories highlight how distinctive Finland can be,” said Malka.
She added: “With Queen Heist, Cristal has delivered a joyful romp that was bolstered creatively at Banijay Bootcamp, then commissioned by Yle. Meanwhile, Minna is shaping The Good Widow into a surprisingly funny comedy about choosing life, and romance, on your own terms. Both titles have the confidence and energy to cut through, with the potential to engage audiences in Finland and beyond.”
Banijay Entertainment’s Nordic slate features “Fallen,” with “The Bridge” star Sofia Helin, “My Brother,” a contender for a Nordic Scripted Series Award, announced Jan. 27, “Billionaire Island,” hailed by The Guardian as “like ‘Succession,’ but with salmon farmers,” medical drama “Still Breathing” from the makers of “Occupied” and “Beforeigners,” the anticipated “Wallander” reboot and “The Diary of a Ditched Girl,” starring Carla Sehn (“Love & Anarchy”).
Banijay Bootcamp is a creative programme for scripted talent, facilitating collaborative storytelling by pairing in-house development staff with writers in a dynamic residency.
“What I try and do is let labels be as local as possible. But if I see a project that we believe has that real chance of being an international hit, then I kind of bring some weight behind it,” Matthews told Variety at 2025’s Series Mania in an article where he drilled down on the nuances, latest wrinkles and contradictions of making local and international TV.
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