The unforgettable mystery drama “Surface” is a new French series that revolves around the discovery of a child’s skeleton, resurfaced from a submerged village and reopens the case of a 20-year-old missing person.
Based on Olivier Norek’s bestselling novel, the six-part series produced by a quad drama on France TV follows Noemy Chastain (Laurus Met), the police captain of Paris.
Her assignment is interrupted by the discovery of the child’s body, and she decides to lead the investigation herself in the process of revealing secrets that not only haunt the town, but forces her to stand up to truths buried from her own past.
“Surface” premiered on Canneseries earlier this year, and after premiering on August 21, ahead of its Primetime debut on September 1st, it was an immediate hit on France TV streaming platform (approximately 720,000 views per episode).
The series is being sold internationally by Studio TF1, who is participating in this year’s Unifrance Rendez-vous’s Le Havre.
Talking to Variety, Quad Drama producer and CEO Iris Butcher said that she was so fascinated by Norek’s book that “I immediately thought about TV shows.”
In particular, the cold case aspect of the story provided “a very original way to do a crime show,” she added. In addition to Noemy’s very interesting character, Butcher said, “I was very excited by the idea of filming a crime show in a very far-flung part of France. We don’t go often. Most shows are set in Marseille or Paris or the suburbs. There was a lot of material.”
Bucher found the ideal director of the show at Slimane-Baptiste Berhoun. He led the hit 2022 sci-fi crime drama “Vortex,” featured by Netflix.
“He’s a great manager,” Butcher says. “There’s something unusual about him, but he’s very creative, but he also loves the technical side. For example, Vortex was his first virtual production in France.
Faced with the “Surface,” Berhoun and Smet filmed the underwater scene in a deep, 9-meter (30-foot) water tank at Lites Water Studio in Brussels, where the diving village was built.
Smet not only did her own dives during filming, but also learned to hold her breath for a long time for underwater sequences without scuba gear.
“She was amazing,” Butcher said. “She did a really great job overall with the series, but she especially accepted doing something very physically difficult.”
Butcher also praises Bellhorn’s knack for subtle humor, even in such a dark story.
“There are at least moments on the show where you can laugh or laugh. He has the ability to direct an actor that way.”
Certainly, these light moments often come in the interaction between the series’ strong ensemble cast. These include Costa Marini (“Andre”), Tomer Sisley (“Vortex”), Florence Muller, Otis Nugoy, Quentin Lacrotte Parismenter, Quentin Lacrotte Parismentier, Pauline Cereys, Lou Ant Diquero and Elois Ray.
The international possibilities of the show may be evident in the fact that Belgian RTL TVI and Switzerland RTS boarded the project early.
“Surface” is not a typical French-German co-production, but ARD’s participation and early funding ensured the show’s exclusiveness in Germany.
For Bucher, “Surface” is very similar to the type of production the producers are portrayed in, that is, the work centered around powerful female characters.
Certainly, Quad Drama adds a finishing touch to “Summer 36.” This is about four women from various backgrounds who find themselves involved in murder in Cote d’Azur. This is the third series in a collection of historic dramas that revolve around women produced on TF1 and Netflix, including 2019’s “Bonfire of Destiny” and 2022’s “Women at War.”
