Antenna Group has partnered with acclaimed writer Tony Jordan to produce an original crime drama, Besa, a 12x45' crime series, commissioned by Antenna Group's free-to-air channel PRVA in Serbia, Planet TV in Slovenia and RTL in Croatia. Shooting starts in Serbia late April 2018, and tells the story set in the world of the Albanian mafia - one of the most secretive and most feared criminal networks in the world. Besa is due to be aired at the end of September. 

Besa, the traditional Albanian word meaning a code of honor, keeping a promise, is about Uros, a family man who runs a small business in Belgrade; he kills a young woman in a road accident, but unfortunately for him she is the daughter of an extremely violent mafia boss, so Uros is forced into committing crimes for the organization in an effort to save the lives of his family.

Created and executive produced by Tony Jordan (Eastenders, Hustle, Life on Mars, Dickensian, Hooten & The Lady, The Passing Bells) the Besa script was developed by Tony and a team of local writers; production will be on location across south eastern Europe. Tatjana Pavlovic is responsible for international distribution of the show.

Peter Smith, Director of Antenna Group, said: "Besa is a hugely compelling drama, in the style of crime series Gomorrah and Undercover, that draws on a gripping local subject which explores universal themes of morality, identity and relationships. It's a character-driven piece appealing to local and international audiences.

Tony Jordan, showrunner and executive producer, said: "Besa is a unique story that delves into the little known world of the Albanian mafia – its customs, unimaginable brutality and surprising moral codes. It is a great time for me to be working on this original European drama because there is definitely a growing interest from international audiences for high-end scripted content in other languages. The story and its carefully crafted characters will have global appeal; I am looking forward to working with Antenna Group and the team of writers to bring this unique story to audiences all over the world."