After the submarine-set “Whiskey on the Rocks,” available on Disney + since Jan. 22 outside Sweden, French-Swedish producer Patrick Nebout of Dramanation is turning to the skies, with another Cold War satire spy thriller: the majority English-speaking “Learning to Fly,” Variety has learned in exclusivity.
The flagship European series is based on a concept by David Troncoso Conlin and Nebout who collaborated earlier on The Mediapro Studio’s “The Head”.
It is inspired by the extraordinary real-life story of Mathias Rust, a young West German teenager in 1987 who shocked the world by flying through Soviet air defences and landed a Cessna aeroplane right in the middle of the Red Square.
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The six-part mini-series, in early development, is produced by Germany’s Odeon Fiction, in co-production with Nebout’s Dramanation, Troncoso Conlin’s Studio60 and Finnish broadcaster Yle. Executive producers are Nebout, Troncoso Conlin, Odeon Fiction’s head of international co-productions Britta Meyermann, and Yle head of drama Jarmo Lampela.
Nebout said: “There were two iconic Cold War incidents in Northern Europe during the 1980s: the 1981 so-called “Whiskey on The Rocks” incident, which saw a Soviet submarine run ashore on the eastern coast of Sweden, and the 1987 daring flight of an amateur pilot who somehow bypassed Soviet air defence and landed on the Red Square.”
“‘Learning to Fly” is an espionage comedic thriller inspired by the Moscow Red Square landing, retelling the story of what may or may not have taken place behind the stage, as a small group of spies from both sides of the Iron Curtain conspire to change the course of history.
“I’m thrilled to reunite with David Troncoso-Conlin on the development of this great adventure, backed by Yle and powerhouse production studio Odeon Fiction.”
Meyermann added: “There are so many things that fascinate me about this incredible story: the boldness of the act, the historical context, the idea that a single person, a small act can have such a big impact. Add to that the almost absurd theories behind this story, and I think it cries out for an adaptation as a satirical spy thriller series. We’re in for some excellent entertainment with an amazing team. We’re thrilled to have YLE as the first broadcasting partner boarding the project.”
Lampela who partnered with Troncoso on the Spanish-Finnish crime show “The Paradise,” also from The Mediapro Studio, said he and the Spanish TV executive had been looking for the right project to renew their successful collaboration.
“Learning to Fly” was the perfect choice as Mathias Rust flew from Helsinki to Moscow, and a big part of the story will be set in Finland. The show perfectly fits our drama strategy, which is to deliver flagship international series, relevant to our viewers.”
Nebout said the writer’s room will include an international lead writer and a Finnish co-writer.
Following on the heels of “Whiskey on the Rocks”’s successful launch on Swedish pubcaster SVT last Christmas, scoring around 1.4 million combined viewers per episode which proved that viewers are ready to laugh at global diplomacy and powerplay, the project should attract interest from heavy-hitter TV players at this week’s TV Drama Vision showcase in Göteborg, where the project will be pitched for the first time.
Dramanation and Leonine Studios’ German banner Odeon Fiction are co-producing another ambitious English-language dramedy in development: “The Studio,” positioned as a “creative cousin of “Call My Agent”, “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Office.”