Theo Papadoulakis
P.I.G.S.
When four misfit Mediterranean MEPs realize that the ‘minor’ food regulation they have signed off on is about to cause mayhem in Europe’s underbelly, they team up to defend their culinary heritage from corporate exploitation.
SYNOPSIS
While the rest of Brussels runs on strict schedules and efficiency metrics, P.I.G.S. stirs together four ingredients from the Mediterranean kitchen into a feast of political intrigue, with the future of European nutrition hanging in the balance.
The series focuses on four unlikely independent MEPs from Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain—countries derogatorily labelled “P.I.G.S.” during the 2014 financial crisis: MILTOS (48), a Greek telemarketer who ran for office to escape his creditors; ANA (28), a Spanish food influencer and vegan activist, ready to save the world; LUCA (34), a fallen Italian football star, here to prove his conspiracy theories; and ISABELA (55), a Portuguese political nepo baby, used to selling off to the highest bidder.
Nobody takes them seriously in the cut‑throat policy‑making world of the European Parliament. They can’t even seem to find their own offices, let alone stand each other’s company—especially when they are forced to work together. The four of them are assigned a tiny olive oil bill nobody cares about. Why should they care, then? They just sign it to pass and get it over with.
But when Miltos finds out the bill has an avalanche effect on small farmers, canned delis, and the whole agri‑food sector, he convinces the others to help him figure out who is behind it. In each episode, the P.I.G.S. con their way into sauna meetings, degustations, and lobbying plots, in an effort to nullify the bill that threatens to turn the crown jewel of their collective culinary heritage into tasteless, chemical mush.
CREATOR
Theo Papadoulakis
PRODUCER
Ioanna Davi
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Indigo View Productions
COUNTRY
Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium
FORMAT
45' x 8
GENRE
Drama, Political, Black Comedy, Crime, Environmental
Theo Papadoulakis
Theo was born in South Africa in 1974 and currently lives on Crete in Greece. He holds a BA in Radio and Television Production from Salford University and obtained his master’s degree in Film Directing from the Northern Film School in the United Kingdom.
His early short films, SAMOURE, PILALA, and LARGO have received twenty‑seven international awards and distinctions and have been distributed by networks worldwide, including Canal+ and Eurochannel. He became widely known for his work directing the highly successful series THE ISLAND (2009), a 26‑episode period drama based on the international best‑selling novel written by Victoria Hislop. THE ISLAND achieved the highest ratings in the history of private Greek television and has been sold and distributed by international networks in ten countries.
Theo’s most recent series, the 13‑episode teenage mystery‑adventure COMMANDOS AND DRAGONS, took Greek audiences by storm with its unique storytelling and impressive aesthetic. His other credits include the drama series THE A WORD (I LEXI POU DE LES; 2016), based on the original by Keshet International, which touched millions of viewers and was praised by critics for its performances and aesthetic quality.
He has also directed several documentaries, among them the recently Cannes Corporate & Media‑awarded 150 YEARS GRAND BRETAGNE: HOSTING HISTORY and INNER DRIVE, as well as promotional and tourism videos, which have jointly received more than 60 international awards and distinctions. Theo is currently in pre‑production with his debut feature, RECRUCIFIED, which is based on the novel Christ Recrucified by Nikos Kazantzakis, an international co‑production between Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Luxembourg funded by Creative Europe–MEDIA Co‑Development Support, the Hellenic Film & Audiovisual Centre (EKKOMED), SEKIN (Cyprus), the Ministero della Cultura (Italy), and the Luxembourg Film Fund.
He believes filmmaking is a somewhat uncontrolled process and that creativity flourishes when one is open to the unexpected. He is co‑founder and artistic director of Indigo View Productions.
CREATOR’S STATEMENT
When we first conceived P.I.G.S., we wanted to tell a story about how Southern Europe’s supposed weaknesses—our emphasis on family, food, and personal relationships—might be our greatest strengths. The European Parliament, with its endless corridors and byzantine procedures, seemed the perfect setting to explore this clash of cultures.
Still, we didn't want to make another cynical political drama about corruption and power. Instead, P.I.G.S. celebrates Mediterranean culture's warmth, humour, and resilience while acknowledging its real and peer pressure. Our characters aren't crusaders or anti‑heroes, but flawed, funny, and deeply human people trying to protect what’s important to them. Proving their intentions are good is hard enough—even more so when they have yet to break out of their own shell and realize their combined potential.
EU processes feel opaque, its politicians distant, and their impact unclear. Yet we are often flabbergasted by the colorful personalities of its members. This divide between voters and their elected officials is one of the causes of populism’s recent rise.
Our show confronts this head‑on, resisting easy moralizing to embrace a nuanced, provocative, and timely perspective. The show's unique tone surfaces through serious issues being handled with a light touch, real dangers faced with humour, and political intrigue seasoned with family drama and cultural comedy.
This allows us to demonstrate how EU policies affect real communities and families, while exploring the costs of individual political resistance. P.I.G.S. transcends the usual cynicism toward leaders and politics, showcasing how real power often operates outside official channels and in unexpected locations. These are the spaces our characters are fighting hard to preserve: places where people meet, talk, and break bread together.
Ioanna Davi
Ioanna Davi studied Economics and Management at the University of St. Andrews. She is the CEO and a co‑founder of Indigo View Productions and a producer of successful television dramas, as well as award‑winning short films and documentaries, among them the hugely successful and internationally sold twenty‑six‑episode period drama THE ISLAND (TO NISI), the collaborative documentary project INNER DRIVE, which was filmed in five countries, and the thirteen‑episode teenage mystery‑adventure COMMANDOS AND DRAGONS.
She has also overseen the development and creation of more than 300 commercials and tourism and awareness‑raising campaigns that have received accolades internationally. She is currently in pre‑production on her debut feature film RECRUCIFIED, directed by Theo Papadoulakis and based on the seminal novel Christ Recrucified by Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis; a co‑production between Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Belgium, supported by Creative Europe–MEDIA, as well as the national film centres of all co‑production countries.
Apart from the political satire/drama series P.I.G.S., Ioanna is also developing the investigative documentary THE DISCREET CHARM OF FORGERY, and ASTA THE HURRICANE, Indigo View’s first animated series for children.
PRODUCER’S STATEMENT
P.I.G.S. arrives at a crucial moment in European history, when standardization threatens to override cultural diversity. While the series takes a light, often humorous approach, it addresses serious concerns about corporate influence, cultural preservation, and European unity.
The show's unique blend of political intrigue, cultural comedy, and personal drama offers multiple entry points for viewers across Europe and beyond. Its exploration of local vs. corporate resonates well beyond its specific setting, while celebrating Mediterranean culture provides warmth and authenticity.
With four leading characters threading the story arcs between the countries of the South and Central Europe, the project is a natural co‑production between Greece, Italy, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, with significant portions to be filmed in each country. This approach serves the story and allows us to showcase each region's distinct beauty and character, while building on existing and budding production partnerships across Southern Europe, and allowing the multicultural, human mosaic element of the show to register both in front of and behind the camera.
Furthermore, focusing on food regulation as our central conflict turns complex political issues into something tangible and relatable. Everyone eats, cares about what they eat, and understands the importance of preserving culinary heritage. Through this lens, we creatively explore more diverse issues, such as European identity, democracy, and the balance between progress and tradition.
Production company profile
Indigo View was founded in 2005. The company’s portfolio ranges from highly rated fiction and documentary films and series to award‑winning short films with notable social impact, tourism, advertising, and awareness‑raising campaigns that have garnered more than 100 awards worldwide.
Indigo View has produced high‑end content for all major Greek audio‑visual outlets and European institutions while offering line‑production services to international houses filming in Greece. We strongly believe in the benefits of co‑production, with the prospect of developing a slate of projects for an international audience in the years to come.
Where are we at?
ESTIMATED PRODUCTION BUDGET FOR THE FIRST SEASON
4.800.000 €
FINANCING IN PLACE
€527.500
Production timeline
We plan to finalize the co-production set up by fall 2025, and continue with development and financing through 2026, in time to apply for Creative Europe-MEDIA TV and Online content and the Eurimages Pilot Co-Production Programme by spring. Filming is preliminary scheduled for the fall of 2026.