Crime in the Canaries

Portocabo creative executive producer Alfonso Blanco reveals how broadcasters from Spain and Germany came together to back crime drama Weiss & Morales and discusses how the show utilises its Canary Islands setting.

Alfonso Blanco, the creative executive producer of A Coruña-based Portocabo, has spearheaded successful coproductions such as Hierro, a collaboration between Movistar Plus+ and Arte France that tells the story of a judge on her first case upon arrival at El Hierro.

Another notable project is Dry Water, a joint effort between Galicia’s regional broadcaster TVG and Portugal’s RTP, which explores a woman’s journey into the secrets behind her brother’s sudden death. The latest project, Weiss & Morales, unites two European broadcasting powerhouses, Germany’s ZDF and Spain’s RTVE, in an organic coproduction that brings Portocabo back to the Canary Islands. ZDF Studios is the distributor.

Blanco: For me, at the heart of Weiss & Morales lies a growing trend in European television: lighter, procedural series set against the warm, sunlit landscapes of the south. It follows the classic buddy-cop format, starring Miguel Ángel Silvestre (Sense8, Narcos) as a Spanish Civil Guard sergeant and Katia Fellin (Pagan Peak, Wild Republic) as an agent from Germany’s BKA.

Together, they must investigate the death of a German citizen in the Canary Islands, forcing them to bridge cultural differences while cracking a case in every episode. The idea was to bring quality content to broad audiences as well as setting out alliances with strategic partners to pave the way for future collaborations.

I believe this four-episode, 90-minute series goes beyond standard procedural drama. With an aspirational quality, it offers a glimpse into the everyday struggles of police investigators as they juggle the demands of their job with their personal lives.

Producing for two distinct audiences is always challenging, but in this case we set up a mixed team of Spanish and German writers. The room was led by Nina Hernández of Spain (Honor) with main writers Carlota Dans (Dry Water) and Ron Markus (Dogs of Berlin) from Germany, and this allowed us to bring both cultures into the picture. The Canary Islands seemed an obvious choice for the setting, as they are Spanish islands that are also home to many German residents.

The cultural clashes weaved into the main characters’ relationship built on the project’s multi-national foundations. As the series develops and the relationship between Weiss and Morales deepens, their initial assumptions about each other fall away, revealing the characters’ vulnerabilities. They then settle into a buddy-type relationship.

Although each episode investigates a different crime, each character has a series-long arc. Weiss and Morales have something in common: they each face a unique struggle. Nina Weiss confronts an identity crisis as she uncovers unsettling truths about her past, while Raúl Morales is about to be hit by the uncertainties of a marriage on which he is losing grip as he grapples with balancing fatherhood and household responsibilities with a demanding job. Weiss & Morales reflects on many themes: modern masculinity, identity, intergenerational trauma, and how to balance work and personal lives – all topics that make the characters’ struggles recognisable for the audience.

The German supporting cast includes Margarita Brioche (Nacht vor Augen) as Nina’s mother and Thomas Heinze (Marie Brand) as the German consul. Among the Spanish actors are Mariam Hernández (A qué estás esperando) as Raúl’s wife and Juanjo Puigcorbé (Alpha Male) as his father-in-law. Celebrated Canary Islands actors including Yaiza Guimaré (HIT, Hierro), Mónica López (Rapa, Hierro) and Luífer Rodríguez (Las Noches de Tefía), bring beautiful local accents and culture to the screen.

While researching on the Canary Islands, we discovered fascinating unexplored facets of island life, including industry, technology, renewable energy and science, alongside new-age wellness retreats and digital nomad communities. At Portocabo, we like to tell stories that have a certain signature naturalistic style; we like to think about character and plot but always while grounding it to the place where the story is taking place.

Weiss & Morales is also deeply rooted in the international culture of the Canary Islands, capturing a Spanish-German community that may not be a novelty for us but which we are sure will surprise a foreign audience, as well as anyone who has never travelled outside of the islands’ tourist resorts.

Filmed on two of the islands — Gran Canaria and La Gomera — the series showcases a wealth of natural settings, both interior and exterior, beautifully captured by Oriol Ferrer (The Other Side of the Track), one of Spain’s most skilled and experienced directors. He has again partnered with DOP Jaime Pérez (Rapa), and the series stands out for its inspiring visuals, crafted by a talented Spanish team. The original music is by two of our favourite composers, Santi Jul and Ivan Laxe (Cuñados). The show highlights the Canary Islands’ contrasting landscapes, from lush, exotic nature to brutalist urban architecture and industry, all framed by endless blue skies.

Unlike typical procedurals, Weiss & Morales delves into the human and everyday aspects of its characters, exploring the deeper reasons behind why and how ordinary people commit crimes. This sets the tone for a light, soft crime story that is easy to watch. Nevertheless, we couldn’t resist including topics about modern life that anchor the story and hopefully leave a positive impression on viewers.

As a Spanish-German partnership in front of and behind the camera, Weiss & Morales sits perfectly with the two European public broadcasters that are backing the series, Germany’s ZDF and Spain’s RTVE. In a contracting television business with increasing production costs, coproductions can secure the bigger budgets needed to heighten production values, as well as bringing together a cast filled with international talent.

ZDF is seasoned in this kind of coproduction model (The Killing, The Bridge), and creating alliances with RTVE shows a strategic move to set up new opportunities. Behind this vision is a long-standing friendship with my partner Peter Nadermann of Nadcon. We wanted to develop a series together on the Canary Islands with a story that could work for both markets and that could create high-end drama for public broadcasters. In a time of receding markets, it is much needed.

tagged in: Alfonso Blanco, Portocabo, Weiss & Morales