Berlin, July 29, 2026. A fateful deal turns into a dance on the edge of a knife: The romantic young-adult series WICKED DEAL is currently in production in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Scotland. It is inspired by the novel of the same name by bestselling author C.R. Scott.

Liv Lightberg (Josie Hermer) secretly applies to the Royal Fonteyn Ballet Academy in Edinburgh—against the wishes of her mother, a celebrated ballet icon (Pheline Roggan). Liv is on the verge of failing the audition—until, of all things, she gets to prove her potential in a partner dance with the rebellious Ben MacAllister (Arne-Carlos Böttcher). And yet the two had previously clashed fiercely. Once accepted, Liv comes under pressure at the academy. When it becomes known who her mother is, the atmosphere takes a turn for the worse. Rumors swirl, and she’s met with malice and suspicion. To prove herself, Liv must pass the pas de deux exam or bury her dream for good. In her desperation, she asks Ben for help. He proposes a deal: He’ll train her—in return, she owes him a favor. He’ll only tell her exactly what that is after the exam. Liv agrees. During training, the two argue and provoke each other—yet they feel a strong attraction. But Liv doesn’t know what Ben will really ask of her in the end. The “Wicked Deal” could change everything.

The cast also includes Thure Riefenstein, Carlotta Truman, Pola Friedrichs, Lilly Krug, Alexander Minevskiy, and Anton Nürnberg, among others. The series is directed by Florian Knittel, based on screenplays by head writer Paul Schwarz, Maria Hilbert, and Silva Raddatz. The six-part series WICKED DEAL is produced by UFA Fiction GmbH (producers: Helga Löbel, Kristina Henning, Markus Brunnemann) for ZDFneo. Niklas Cerezo Alarcón is the editor at ZDF. A premiere date has not yet been set.

Press contacts UFA Fiction:

Janine Friedrich
Head of Communications
janine.friedrich@ufa.de

Leah Dümmler
Communications Manager
leah.duemmler@ufa.de

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