22-05-2011

FNE at DISCOP Budapest 2011: TVP Picks Up Austrian Format

By Katarzyna Grynienko
    WARSAW: Public broadcaster TV Polska (TVP) is working on a Polish adaptation of Commisar Rex, the popular Austrian crime series about a German shepherd police dog. The shoot for the Polish version will start in July 2011.

    TVP told FNE that the Polish adaptation, entitled Komisarz Alex (Superintemdent Alex), is written by Grzegorz Łoszewski and the series will be directed by Robert Wichrowski. The lead role of the policeman partnered with the crime fighting dog will be played by Jakub Wesołowski, who was chosen after an extensive casting process that attracted the interest of a number of popular Polish actors. The cast also includes acclaimed Polish theater and film actress Kamila Baar. The premiere of the Polish version is planned for spring 2012.

    Komiesarz Alex will is set in Łódź, with city authorities plan to co-fund the project with 700,000 PLN (EUR 180,000). The original Commisar Rex has been one of the most popular foreign series on the Polish market, broadcast by TVP (www.tvp.pl) and currently by AXN Crime (www.axncrime.pl). It was first produced in Austria between 1994 and 2004 by Peter Hajek and Jan Mojto for ORF (www.orf.at) and Sat (www.sat1.de) The revival in 2008, a co-production with Italian station RAI (www.rai.it), has also been very popular in Poland.