On January 21, 2024, the new series 'Famagusta' premiered on Alpha Cyprus and Mega Greece channels, directed and produced by Andreas Georgiou and Koullis Nikolaou. The series centers around the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of 1974. The script is by Vana Dimitriou, with Dimitris Tokaris contributing to the writing, particularly the stories of the missing persons.

The series stars Giannis Bezos, Koralia Karanti, Christos Loulis, Andreas Georgiou, Emilia Ypsilanti, and Giorgos Zenios in the role of the grandfather.

The series begins with Grigoris Valtinos in a guest role portraying Archbishop Makarios and reciting the famous phrase from his July 15th address, 'Greek Cypriots, the voice you hear is familiar.'

The language used was noted by 'X' users, as the protagonists do not speak in the Cypriot dialect, presumably to make it easier for the audience in Greece to follow without subtitles.

The plot revolves around a young boy separated from his mother during the Turkish invasion of Famagusta. In the first episode, we clearly recognize who the lost son of the family is by a birthmark on his arm.

There is also a chance meeting between the mother and her lost son, played by Christos Loulis, at an orange festival organized by the family, aiming to revive the famous event of Famagusta.

The other son of the family (Andreas Georgiou) learns he has a life-threatening illness (the illness is not specified) and decides to reconnect with his partner. He buys a caravan to travel around Cyprus and Greece before 'leaving' life.

Undoubtedly the most touching moment of the first episode of 'Famagusta' was the unique appearance of Despoina Bebedeli, who played Charita Mantoles, a distinctive figure of Cypriot drama. Her guest appearance was not randomly added to the script; her moving performance captivated the audience.

Without giving away too much, the first episode also features a death that will undoubtedly play a significant role in the storyline, which is planned to run until mid-July 2024.

In Greece, the series averaged a 23.9% viewership in the key demographic, peaking at 26.1% between 21:30 – 21:45. Overall, it averaged 30.5%, with the highest rating being 33.2% in the same quarter-hour. In Cyprus, it averaged 35.5% in the key demographic, peaking at 38.5% in the last quarter-hour, and an impressive 43.5% overall, with the highest being 47.2%, also in the last quarter-hour.

It is a well-made series from a production team known for quickly winning over audiences, but undoubtedly, one could say after watching the first episode that it is a series made to 'serve' viewers in Greece.

Source: Avant Garde