Viaplay has announced the making of a new crime-drama show, titled The Hunt for Jasper S. The series will tell the story of one of the most notorious murder cases in the country’s history, and it is set to be “one of the first Dutch productions to employ the globally successful Nordic noir aesthetic”.

In detail, it will depict the search for a killer that impacted Dutch society like no previous crime. It will show how the Netherlands was, for the first time, confronted with bizarre and persistent conspiracy theories, fuelled by social media. An otherwise tolerant society showed its ugliest side, and accusations flew. The crime remained unsolved for years, until an investigative reporter and unprecedented use of DNA evidence finally blew the case wide open.

The show has been created by Willem Bosch (the TV series The Spectacular) and joins Something Stupid and The Guilty, becoming Viaplay’s third Dutch Original (see the news).

Commenting on the making of the show, Filippa Wallestam, NENT Group chief content officer, said: “This is a gripping, character-driven story about a specific time in Dutch history. Viaplay is internationally renowned for the quality of our original shows, and viewers will see that on full display here. We will blend local storytelling with our Nordic touch to create a compelling series that will have a lasting impact on Dutch audiences.”

Bosch added: “For over ten years, I’ve been researching the idea of turning the search for Jasper S into a series. I’ve always envisioned it as an extremely Dutch Nordic noir, so there’s no better partner for it than Viaplay. This is a collaboration that I’m really looking forward to.”

The Hunt for Jasper S. will premiere exclusively on Viaplay in the Netherlands and across Viaplay’s markets. It is being produced by Bosch and creative producer Pieter Kuijper (the TV series The Spectacular, Riphagen), and by Kennard Bos for Viaplay. On-screen talents are yet to be announced.