SkyShowtime, Secuoya Studios, Stellarmedia Roll on ‘Shades’

SkyShowtime confirmed Friday that production in underway on “Shades” (“Matices”), its new original series in Spain, made in collaboration with Secouya Studios and Stellarmedia and featuring a Spanish star cast renown internationally from involvement in big Spanish series and movies.

The new series stars Maxi Iglesias (“Valeria”), Enrique Arce (“Money Heist”), Hovik Keuchkerian (“Reina Roja”) and Juana Acosta (“La templanza”)

Also starring are Fariba Sheikhan (“The Unit”), Miriam Giovanelli (“Nacho”), Eusebio Poncela (“Merlí. Sapere aude”), Raúl Prieto (“The Snow Girl”), Luis Tosar (“Cell 211”) and Elsa Pataky (“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”).

SkyShowtime carries other Spanish titles in Spain described as SkyShowtime Originals, such as ViX/The Mediapro Studio production “Las Pelotaris 1926.” The upcoming SkyShowtime Original series “Shades” marks, however, its second locally commissioned original in Spain, after “Mamen Mayo,” announced early June, and a comedy/family drama produced by Nostromo Pictures in association with SkyShowtime. 

A psychological thriller, but with a playful element in line with lighter crime set ups of ensemble cast mysteries such as the “Knives Out” franchise, “Shades” begins with a celebrated and charismatic psychiatrist who gathers six of his patients at an far from everywhere winery in order it seems to complete their treatment. Even among its most complex and difficult patients, his famed method has a high success rate. 

However – of course – “after an unusual ceremonial tasting, an unexpected turn of events occurs with a fateful ending. Following the arrival of an intuitive police lieutenant who takes over the case, the truth is uncovered about the patients’ traumas,” the synopsis runs.

Described in production terms as the result of a collaboration between Secuoya Studios and Stellarmedia and in association with SkyShowtime, “Shades” is directed by Stellarmedia’s Sergio Cánovas (“Girls Night Out”, “The Strand”). Cánovas also serves as creator and executive producer along with Javier Naya, Alex Meriweather and María García-Castrillón.

With ex-Netflix exec Juan Mayne appointed regional content director for Spain and Portugal in October 2023, “Shades” looks like just part of an ongoing build in locally commissioned Spanish SkyShowtime Originals at the service.  

“Mamen Mayo” and “Pelotaris 1926” were just “the tip of the iceberg” in terms of local content investment in Spain, Kai Finke, SkyShowtime chief content officer, said at a Conecta Fiction keynote in June.

“We’ve understood that in order to operate successfully streaming services across our region and European footprint, it is absolutely key for us to tackle local programming. We’re working on a lot more projects as we speak,” Finke added at Conecta Fiction. “You can definitely expect an increasing volume of local-language submissions from scratch.”