Agries melisses

This period drama series, set in the plain of Thessaly in the 1950s and 1960s, falls neatly within the genre of "telenovela" (i.e. a type of soap opera with a finite structure and a full narrative arc, as opposed to the more common open-ended type of daily soap). It is the first of its kind (daily period drama) to be made in Greece, but it is reminiscent of similar international hits like "Seis Hermanas" (Spain, 2015-2017). As such, it is full of the familiar tropes and clichés of the genre, so you *have* to be prepared for them going into the series and you have to learn to accept them and love them for what they are, otherwise there is no point watching.

As a project, this series is blessed with an extraordinary amount of talent, from writing and (more so) directing, to acting:

1. The acting. The cast of this series mostly consists of stage actors; highly acclaimed actors with multiple theatrical accolades. This elevates the overall quality and the quality of some scenes in particular to remarkable highs.

2. The atmosphere: sets, costumes, photography - everything is done to a high standard. There may not be a great variety of shooting locations but everything looks and feels how it should. The eras depicted (late 1950s in the 1st season, mid-1960s in the 2nd) feel accurate enough to allow full immersion in the story. There's next to no anachronisms, my only accuracy qualm being the use of local dialect, or to be precise, the lack thereof.

3. Characters and storylines: not all characters nor all story arcs are great, but the world of the story is so rich that there's something for everyone. There's plenty of three-dimensional characters with complex stories, conflicts, and existential dilemmas; there's comic relief characters who still feel fully fleshed-out. There is a great deal of sensibility in the way the stories are built: despite the heavy use of tropes, none of them remains generic, they often get embellished with details and literary-level observations. Thematically, there is a huge range, which also covers hard and little-discussed social and ethnographic themes, under a very welcome and refreshing female gaze by showrunner Melina Tsampani.

4. Original music: also unlike other products of this genre there is loads of original scoring, both in terms of recurring themes and within individual episodes/scenes. The soundtrack by Alex Sid (Alexandros Sidiropoulos) is in itself a beautiful collection of songs which transport the listener to the world of the series (check it out on youtube - all songs are released there by PanikRecords).

In all, I don't feel guilty at all watching what, based on genre, ought to be a guilty pleasure. There's so many beautiful and well-executed elements in it and it makes me feel..."all the feels", which is the whole point for a piece of television drama. Truly a blessing in the difficult times of the 2020 pandemic.

This show is actually really really good. The writing is strong, the actors are wonderful, and the budget is a lot higher than most Greek shows I've watched (don't get me started!).

My only issue is the telenovela genre which consists of a LOT of episodes. Four days a week with an average run time of 50 minutes leaves room for filler and repetition.

That small aside, this is a drama series worth getting addicted to and I'm so thrilled I discovered it on ANT1 in the US. The actors are seriously so talented (most are theatre-trained and it shows) and they get really meaty material to work with from the writers. You can see them luxuriate over each word like they own it and they certainly do. And then the direction, cinematography, sets, and music all work together to create a really beautiful piece of television. Is this the start of a new age for Greek television and cinema in Greece? I certainly hope so.

The best Greek TV Series of 2019!! Simply great! Congratulations!

It's an incredible TV series with so many talented actors and actresses. The writing is good. Indeed the best Greek TV series of 2019.

The best greek daily series of all time.

Love it!!!

Plot: At the beginning of the series, the play takes place in 1958. We are located in the Thessalian plain and more specifically in Diafani, a small village outside Larissa. The powerful large landowner of the area, Doukas Sevastos, wants at all costs to acquire the land that three orphan sisters have in the plain, in order to use it to create a large industrial zone. These are the estates of the three Stamiris brothers: 28-year-old Eleni, 22-year-old Asimina and 18-year-old Drosos. The three girls have lost their father and mother and so the older sister, who is also the protector of the younger ones, is forced under pressure to enter into an agreement with Tsiflikas, in order to secure the future of her younger brothers, to get married. His eldest son, Sergio, and he to take the coveted estates as a dowry.

However, on the same night of her wedding, she and her sisters will paint their hands with blood, opening a vicious circle between the two families. At the same time, many other small and big stories are being played. The series depicts the way the people of the time lived, presenting the impact of the post-occupation period but also various folklore and ethnographic elements. The 3rd cycle takes place during the period of military dictatorship in Greece, from 1967 to 1974, presenting in an impressive way and with brilliant liveliness that time and its events.