French‑German thriller miniseries “Surface – Das versunkene Dorf” debuts on ARD

The six‑part miniseries “Surface – Das versunkene Dorf”, co‑produced by ARD Degeto Film, France Télévisions and Quad Drama, adapts Olivier Norek’s novel about the fictional southern‑French village of Avalone. Starring Laura Smet as Paris police commissioner Noémie Chastain and Tomer Sisley as diver Hugo Massey, the story follows a decades‑old missing‑children case that resurfaces when skeletal remains are found in the village’s reservoir.

Directed by Slimane‑Baptiste Berhoun, the series premiered on the ARD‑Mediathek on 17 July 2026 and had previously aired in France in September 2025, attracting three million views in its first week and a total audience of 5.6 million, the strongest launch for a fiction series on France 2 in ten years.

Production highlights include extensive on‑location shooting of the flooded village set and a notable cast featuring Laura Smet, daughter of Johnny Hallyday, and supporting actors Théo Costa‑Marini and Otis Ngoi.