Sram (Croatian TV series) explained

Creator:	Julie Andem
Director:	Jelena Gavrilović
Starring:	Lucija Stanković Jagor Katičić Borna Šimunek Gita Haydar Stela Korman Laura Barbić Severina Lajtman
Composer:	Mihovil Šoštarić
Country:	Croatia
Language:	Croatian
Num Seasons:	1
Num Episodes:	6
List Episodes:	Sram (Croatian TV series)#Episodes
Producer:	Bruno Mustić Ivan Lovreček
Location:	Zagreb, Croatia
Editor:	Tomislav Stojanović
Runtime:	20–22 min
Company:	CGM Films
Network:	HRT 1 / HRTi (Croatia) YouTube (International)
Last Aired:	present
Related:	SKAM

Sram (English: Shame) is a Croatian teen drama television series, a remake of the Norwegian series Skam. It premiered on 27 October 2024 on HRT 1 and HRTi in Croatia. The series is also released globally through YouTube, where it is available with English subtitles.

Sram is the eighth international adaptation of Skam, following French, German, Italian, American, Spanish, Dutch and Belgian adaptations.

Premise

Following the lives of a group of highschoolers, Sram explores everyday issues of teenage life, such as their friendships, romantic relationships and mental health. The series takes place in Zagreb, with the main characters attending Prirodoslovna škola Vladimira Preloga ("Vladimir Prelog Science School").

The first season centers on 16 year old Eva, her boyfriend Jakov, and their friends. Eva is a new student at the school, and she recently broke off her friendship with Sara, whom she confronts at a party in the first episode. After Jakov tells her to find some new friends of her own, Eva befriends Nora, Tina, Nika, and Sara, with whom she forms the "mrcine" squad. In order to improve their reputation, the girls attempt to get close to the most popular boys in school, while navigating their own love and friendship issues.

Characters

Actor	Character^[1]	Based on	Instagram	Season 1
Lucija Stanković	Eva Šilović	Eva Kviig Mohn	evaa_2008_	Central
Jagor Katičić	Jakov	Jonas Noah Vasquez	veoma.yaki	colspan="1"
Borna Šimunek	Lovro	Isak Valtersen	lovro360_	colspan="1"
Gita Haydar	Nora Klarić Selem	Noora Amalie Sætre	nora.klaric.selem	colspan="1"
Stela Korman	Nika "Nix"	Christina "Chris" Berg	nixotin_	colspan="1"
Laura Barbić	Tina	Vilde Hellerud Lien	tra_tincicaaa	colspan="1"
Severina Lajtman	Vanessa	Sana Bakkoush	vanessa_secret_beautyy	colspan="1"
Roan Vižintin	Nikola "Nix"	Christoffer "Penetrator-Chris" Schistad	nixola33	colspan="1"
Tin Lekić	Roko Marić	William Magnusson	roko.maric1	colspan="1"
Karla Šunjić	Sara Noršić	Ingrid Theis Gaupseth	saranorsic1	colspan="1"

Central cast

• Lucija Stanković as Eva Šilović (born 1 June 2008), the central character in the first season. She is dating Jakov, and she used to be friends with Sara. In the first episode, Eva meets Nora, Tina, Nikola and Nika at the party. Jakov advises her to find new friends, so she throws a party and invites Nora, Tina, and Nika, as well as Vanessa.

Main cast

• Jagor Katičić as Jakov (born 18 March 2007), Eva's boyfriend. He is best friends with Lovro and is seen spending most of time with him, which bothers Eva. Jakov advises her to find friends of her own. Jakov causes a quarrel between himself and Eva after Eva begins suspecting he is seeing Sara again.
• Borna Šimunek as Lovro (born 8 March 2007), Jakov's best friend and Eva's friend. He is a skateboarder and is always seen hanging out with Jakov.
• Gita Haydar as Nora Klarić Selem (born 26 March 2008), a girl Eva met at the party in the first episode. She supports Eva in her conflict with Sara and later sits with Eva in their German class. Nora is also a new student at the school; she used to live in Vienna, Austria.
• Laura Barbić as Tina (born 8 May 2008), another girl Eva met at a party. She studies cosmetology and is best friends with Nika. She wants to improve her reputation and comes up with the plan to get close to Nikola and Roko, the most popular boys at school. She ends up having sex with Roko, but he ignores her afterwards.
• Severina Lajtman as Vanessa (born 7 February 2008), a Romani girl. She is introduced in the third episode; she studies cosmetology and attends the same class as Tina. She is open about her ethnicity and notices that Tina does not want to be associated with her because of it, given that the two reside in the same neighborhood. Vanessa in an aspiring makeup artist and has her own Instagram business account dedicated to makeup; she gives Eva, Nora, Tina and Nika a makeover at the party at Eva's house.
• Stela Korman as Nika (born 21 August 2008), Tina's friend. In the first episode, she meets Eva at a party. She is best friends with Tina and she expresses interest in Lovro, whom she finds handsome.
• Roan Vižintin as Nikola (born 15 November 2006), a boy Eva confused with Nika at the party in the first episode. He seems to be romantically interested in Eva, although he dates Ines. When Eva begins to feel like her and Jakov aren't in a relationship anymore, she kisses Nikola at a party.
• Tin Lekić as Roko Marić (born 21 July 2006), described as the most popular boy in school; he is Nikola's best friend. Nikola attempted to flirt with Eva. Once he has sex with Tina, he beginds to ignore her.

Recurring cast

• Karla Šunjić as Sara (born 7 July 2007), Eva's former friend at the beginning of the first season. Sara gets in the way of Eva and Jakov's relationship as she convinces Eva that she has been spending time with him.
• Mirej Đurović as Ines (born 7 January 2007), a third grade student and Nikola's girlfriend. She comforts Eva at a party not knowing that she kissed Nikola.

Guest cast

• Dijana Vidušin as Eva's mother
• Kristian Bonačić as Žac
• Barbara Prpić as German teacher

Production and development

The making of the series was first confirmed on 9 April 2024 in an article by Variety.^[2] Sram is produced by CGM Films, which obtained the license rights for Skam in early 2022.^[3] The company had previously produced The Outsiders, a Croatian-English teen drama that was released on YouTube in 2022 and received Večernjak's Rose Award for best digital content.^{[4] [5]}

The series is directed by Jelena Gavrilović and written by Hana Jušić and Nikica Zdunić.^[6] The producers of the show are Bruno Mustić and Ivan Lovreček. According to Lovreček, Sram was created so that "Croatian teenagers finally get a show of their own," criticizing the lack of local television content aimed at younger audiences.^[7] Interviews with young people and expert research on their habits and mental health were conducted prior to writing the script for the series. Moreover, the producers of the original series overlooked the production of Sram; a "Skam Academy" workshop was held in Zagreb for the producers to get introduced to all of the key elements for successfully adapting the Norwegian format. The Croatian production team was also helped by the producers of the French and Italian adaptations.

A casting call for actors aged 15 to 19 was posted by CGM Films via their social media profiles on 26 March 2024.^[8] Over 600 people participated in the casting process, and the selected actors attended workshops with the show's director Jelena Gavrilović.^[9] According to Mustić, the production also looked for potential actors directly, by visiting places young people hang out at, as well as by contacting local dance and sports clubs in order to seek out talent. "Chemistry casting" was also conducted in order to ensure that characters function well together on-screen.

The Variety article from 9 April also confirmed the series will feature a character from the Roma community. In September 2024, the Croatian newspaper portal La Voce del Popolo revealed that the character was created specifically to dispel stereotypes about Romani people; it was also revealed the character's name is Vanessa.^[10] Each main character from the series has official Instagram and TikTok accounts.

In April 2024, it was announced that the filming of the series would take place in the Croatian capital of Zagreb.^[11] On 23 September 2024, HRT announced that the filming of the first season had been finished.^[12] Croatian web portal Dnevno reports that the total expenses for the production of the first season, which consists of ten episodes, amounted to 915,793.25€.^[13]

Broadcast and release

The teaser trailer for the series was released on 15 October 2024.^[14] On 7 October, Jutarnji list confirmed that each episode of the first season consists of at least five clips, i.e. sequences. The clips are released throughout the week in real time on the official YouTube and Instagram accounts, as well as on the website sram.hr. The first clip was released on 22 October at 13:43.^[15]

The full episodes, which consist of previously released clips, are broadcast on HRT 1 every Sunday at 21:10, starting from 27 October. Shortly after their television broadcast, the full episodes are released globally through the official YouTube channel of the series.

Reception

Critical reception

Following the show's premiere episode, film critic Igor Tomljanović, writing for Index.hr, praised Lucija Stanković's performance as Eva, and noted that the narrative structure employed in Sram is an innovation in Croatian filmmaking. Tomljanović praised the work of the show's director Gavrilović, as well as the writers Jušić and Zdunić for securing "authenticity and spontaneity of the language, [which] in turn made it easier for young actors without experience to give an uninhibited, natural performance and speech."^[16]

Elle magazine's Mia Rendić praised the show's authentic portrayal of teenagers in Croatia and their struggles, saying: "Not only does she [the main character] face the problem of a new school, but she also acts like a normal teenager, bringing a boyfriend home when there is "no one there", going to Medika and helping a girl she meets in the club's bathroom, which will definitely remind you of your own experiences."^[17]

On the other hand, Josip Bošnjak, also writing for Index.hr, was far more critical of the show and HRT. He criticized the price paid for obtaining the adaptation licence, and claimed that the original series' plot isn't faithful to Croatian culture: "Is the public service, responsible for promotion and maintainance of Croatian culture, trying to convice us that... there isn't any interest for serious depictions of Croatian culture? Like, yikes! Norwegianly yikes, at that. Paid 915,793.25 euros."^[18]

Audience

According to HRT, the series' premiere episode accumulated a total of 2.5 million views across social media during the first week after its release.^[19] In the first two weeks after the premiere, the number of views on all digital platforms had risen to 11 million.^[20] The positive response the series received online after the release of the first episode made headlines in Jutarnji list,^[21] Slobodna Dalmacija,^[22] and Index.hr.^[23]

Music

The song "Anđeo" (English: Angel), performed by Hiljson Mandela and Miach, was released on 28 October 2024, a day after the first episode premiered, as the official soundtrack for the series.^[24] "Anđeo" debuted at numbers 13 and 3 on HR Top 40 and Billboard Croatia Songs, respectively.^{[25] [26]} In its second week, the song reached number one on both charts.^{[27] [28]}

Tracklist

You Look Like a Slut

"Prelude" (Carmen) – Georges Bizet
"Ima nema nas" – Pocket Palma
"Zauvijek" – Z++
"Klizim po mahali" – Cunami Flo
"Better Than Ever" – Yarin Primak and Mkada
"Ave Maria" (cello version) – Johann Sebastian Bach
"Tik tak" – Mimi Mercedez and Mili
"Elevate!" – Frank Bentley
"Anđeo" – Hiljson Mandela and Miach
"Mangio Pasta" – Peki and Grše
"Mamma Mia" – Grše

Cottage

"Tonem u noć" – Jymenik featuring Summer Deaths

"Blank Face" – Luzeri

"Dolje na koljena" – Vesna Pisarović

"Gangsta" – KUKU$

You Need to Find a Squad

"Slipping" – Jane & The Boy
"Skarabej" – Miach
"Tempo" – Miach
"333" – Neya

Leave Your Boyfriend

"Dreaming" – Stanley Gurvich

"Trendsetter" – Frank Bentley and Ziso

"Move" – Jane & The Boy

"Sram Original #2 Facetime" – Mihovil Šoštarić

"Sram Original #3" – Mihovil Šoštarić

"Ankaran" (instrumental) – Hiljson Mandela and Biba

"Gram" – Baks featuring Miach

"Fresh mala" – Špiro and Bejbe

"30CC" – 30zona and Crni Cerak

"Ankaran" – Hiljson Mandela and Biba

What Turns You On?

"Someday Soon" (instrumental version) – Jackson Rau
"Like the Old Days" – Warmkeys
"Tokyo Drift" – Grše and Mimi Mercedez
"Nemoš to" – Tej and Špiro
"Dark Forest" – John Dada & the Weatherman
"Timeless" – Ann Paris
"Purify" – Roniit
"30CC" – 30zona and Crni Cerak
"Blossom" – Žena

You Know When Your Boyfriend's Lying to You

"I'm Not There" – Stephen-Ross McGruther
"Someday Soon" (instrumental version) – Jackson Rau
"Tuc tuc" – Senna M
"Ja sam vlak" – Emilija Kokić and Nina Badrić
"Šumica" – I Bee

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2024. LIKOVI - Sram. 15 October 2024. CGM Films / Croatian Radiotelevision. hr. sram.hr.
2. Web site: Barraclough. Leo. 9 April 2024. Coming-of-Age Drama 'Skam' Gets Croatian Remake 'Sram' (EXCLUSIVE). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240409130102/https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/skam-sram-beta-1235965012/. 9 April 2024. 9 April 2024. Variety. variety.com.
3. Web site: 15 October 2024. HRT predstavio globalno popularnu igranu seriju za mlade: Način na koji će se emitirati je prilično neobičan. https://web.archive.org/web/20241203105621/https://www.jutarnji.hr/kultura/film-i-televizija/hrt-predstavio-globalno-popularnu-igranu-seriju-za-mlade-nacin-na-koji-ce-se-emitirati-je-prilicno-neobican-15512444. 3 December 2024. 16 October 2024. Jutarnji list. hr. jutarnji.hr.
4. Web site: 1 June 2022. CGM Films Croatia's Post. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626131831/https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cgm-films-zagreb-london_video-originals-filmproduction-activity-6937824672671543297-ZrIk. 26 June 2024. 26 June 2024. CGM Films on LinkedIn. linkedin.com.
5. Web site: Sve što niste znali o domaćoj hit seriji Sram: Razgovarali smo s producentom Brunom Mustićem. Everything you didn't know about the hit series Sram: We spoke with the producer Bruno Mustić. 2 December 2024. Biloš. Kata. journal.hr. Journal. 4 December 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241204230030/https://www.journal.hr/kultura/film-kazaliste-tv/bruno-mustic-sram-intervju/. 4 December 2024.
6. Web site: 9 April 2024. Jelena Gavrilović to Direct Croatian Remake of Popular Series Skam for HRT. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626130303/https://www.filmneweurope.com/news/croatia-news/item/125673-jelena-gavrilovic-to-direct-croatian-remake-of-popular-series-skam-for-hrt. 26 June 2024. 26 June 2024. filmneweurope.com.
7. Web site: 9 April 2024. Ivan Lovrecek's Post . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626125633/https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ivan-lovrecek_coming-of-age-drama-skam-gets-croatian-activity-7183470956181409792-KxNq. 26 June 2024. 26 June 2024. Ivan Lovrecek on LinkedIn. linkedin.com.
8. Web site: 26 March 2024. Post by cgmfilms.hr. U potrazi smo za novim TEEN talentima za glavne uloge u svjetskoj HIT TV seriji.. We are looking for new TEEN talents for the main roles in the worldwide HIT TV series.. 26 June 2024. cgmfilms.hr on Instagram. Croatian. instagram.com.
9. Web site: Njegić. Marko. 25 October 2024. Globalno popularna serija za mlade dobila je hrvatsku verziju: gledatelji će pratiti tinejdžere u gotovo realnom vremenu. 26 October 2024. Slobodna Dalmacija. Croatian. slobodnadalmacija.hr. The globally popular series for young people got a Croatian version: viewers will follow teenagers in almost real time.
10. Web site: 24 September 2024. Hrt. Approvato il rapporto sui programmi dedicati alle Comunità nazionali. Hrt. Report on programs dedicated to National Communities approved. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240924162953/https://lavoce.hr/attualita/fondi-per-le-minoranze-gli-obiettivi-della-riforma. 24 September 2024. 24 September 2024. La Voce del Popolo. Croatian. lavoce.hr. Babić. Krsto. Parlando del progetto denominato Sram [...], che dovrebbe essere lanciato nell’ottobre prossimo, il direttore generale dell’HRT ha notato che una delle protagoniste sarà una giovane rom di nome Vanesa, il cui personaggio è stato pensato proprio per sfatare i luoghi comuni che riguardano il suo gruppo etnico.. Speaking about the project called Sram [...], which is due to be launched next October, the general director of HRT noted that one of the protagonists will be a young Roma girl named Vanessa, whose character was created precisely to dispel the clichés surrounding her ethnic group..
11. Web site: 10 April 2024. U Zagrebu se snima serija po poznatoj franšizi. Evo tko je sve angažiran. A series based on a well-known franchise is being filmed in Zagreb. Here's who's involved.. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240615124855/https://www.jutarnji.hr/kultura/film-i-televizija/u-zagrebu-se-snima-serija-po-poznatoj-fransizi-evo-tko-je-sve-angaziran-15448671. 15 June 2024. 26 June 2024. Jutarnji list. Croatian. jutarnji.hr.
12. Web site: 23 September 2024. Serija "Sram" o životu tinejdžera, prijateljstvu, romantičnim odnosima.... The series "Sram" is about teenage life, friendship, romantic relationships.... live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240924144622/https://magazin.hrt.hr/mladi/film-sram--11771172. 24 September 2024. 24 September 2024. Croatian Radiotelevision. Croatian. magazin.hrt.hr.
13. Web site: Šojat . Tea . 2 October 2024 . Procurilo koliko je HRT dao našeg novca za novu seriju, vidi se da nisu štedjeli . HRT's spending on the new series has leaked, it's obvious they were not saving . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241002115104/https://www.dnevno.hr/magazin/tv/procurilo-koliko-je-hrt-dao-naseg-novca-za-novu-seriju-vidi-se-da-nisu-stedjeli-2535392/ . 2 October 2024 . 2 October 2024 . dnevno.hr . Croatian .
14. Web site: 15 October 2024. Hrvatska adaptacija popularne norveške serije za mlade "Sram" uskoro i na HTV1. 26 October 2024. Croatian Radiotelevision. Croatian. magazin.hrt.hr.
15. Web site: 7 October 2024. Pred prepunim dvoranama održana konferencija Blender: Film & Games 2024.. https://web.archive.org/web/20241113013315/https://sportske.jutarnji.hr/sn/sport-mix/sngaming/pred-prepunim-dvoranama-odrzana-konferencija-blender-film-games-2024-15509655. 13 November 2024. 10 October 2024. Jutarnji list. Croatian. sportske.jutarnji.hr. Hrvatska inačica ove popularne serije prije desetak dana je završila sa snimanjem, te će se prva sekvenca prve epizode (svaka epizoda ima pet sekvenci) 22.10. objaviti na You Tube kanalu, društvenim mrežama i službenoj web stranici serije..
16. Web site: 28 October 2024. Teen serija Sram poharala Europu, hoće li i hrvatska verzija biti jednako uspješna?. The teen series Sram took over Europe, will the Croatian version be equally successful?. https://web.archive.org/web/20241204235213/https://www.index.hr/magazin/clanak/teen-serija-sram-poharala-europu-hoce-li-i-hrvatska-verzija-biti-jednako-uspjesna/2610649.aspx?index_ref=naslovnica_magazin_ostalo_d_0. 4 December 2024. 28 October 2024. Index.hr. Croatian. index.hr. Igor. Tomljanović.
17. Web site: SRAM: Pogledali smo prvu epizodu hrvatske tinejdžerske serije koja je zapalila Internet. 2024-11-22 . elle.hr. hr. https://web.archive.org/web/20241203112302/https://elle.hr/articles/sram-pogledali-smo-prvu-epizodu-hrvatske-serije-koja-je-zapalila-internet/. 3 December 2024. Rendić. Mia. Elle. 29 October 2024.
18. Web site: Bošnjak . Josip . 2024-11-11 . SRAM je dokaz da Hrvatska nema vlastitu kulturu . 2024-11-18 . Index.hr. hr. https://web.archive.org/web/20241112020536/https://www.index.hr/magazin/clanak/sram-je-dokaz-da-hrvatska-nema-vlastitu-kulturu/2612587.aspx. 12 November 2024.
19. Web site: 30 October 2024. Prva epizoda serije za mlade "Sram" izazvala brojne pozitivne reakcije gledatelja. The first episode of the teen series "Sram" caused numerous positive reactions from viewers. 30 October 2024. HRT Komunikacije. Croatian. magazin.hrt.hr. https://web.archive.org/web/20241127023918/https://magazin.hrt.hr/zabava/prva-epizoda-serije-za-mlade-sram-izazvala-mnostvo-pozitivnih-reakcija-medu-gledateljima-11834515. 27 November 2024.
20. Web site: Šef HRT-a kukao o pretplati, nahvalio Sram: Ovo je dobro uložen novac. Index.hr. 13 November 2024. U ova dva tjedna Sram je na digitalnim platformama dosegao 11 milijuna pregleda.. In these two weeks, Sram has reached 11 million views on digital platforms.. 5 December 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241114022001/https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/sef-hrta-kukao-o-pretplati-nahvalio-sram-ovo-je-dobro-ulozen-novac/2615253.aspx. 14 November 2024. hr.
21. Web site: 28 October 2024. Nova HRT-ova serija izazvala nezapamćen interes, slijevaju se komentari iz cijelog svijeta: 'Hvala vam, Hrvati'. HRT's new series aroused unprecedented interest, comments poured in from all over the world: "Thank you, Croats".. 28 October 2024. Jutarnji list. Croatian. jutarnji.hr.
22. Web site: 28 October 2024. Gledate li 'Sram'? Nova HRT-ova serija oduševila, pljušte komentari: 'Hvala vam, Hrvati', 'Dajmo 22 minute ovacija...'. Are you watching "Sram"? The new HRT series caused a delight, the comments are pouring in: 'Thank you, Croats', 'Let's give 22 minutes of standing ovation...'. https://web.archive.org/web/20241203110600/https://slobodnadalmacija.hr/mozaik/scena/tv-reality/gledate-li-sram-nova-hrt-ova-serija-odusevila-pljuste-komentari-hvala-vam-hrvati-dajmo-22-minute-ovacija-1429257. 3 December 2024. 28 October 2024. Slobodna Dalmacija. Croatian. slobodnadalmacija.hr.
23. Web site: 27 October 2024. Gledatelji o novoj teen seriji na HRT-u: Nadmašila sva očekivanja, top je. Viewers about the new teen series on HRT: It exceeded all expectations, it's great. https://web.archive.org/web/20241204234407/https://www.index.hr/magazin/clanak/gledatelji-o-novoj-teen-seriji-na-hrtu-nadmasila-sva-ocekivanja-top-je/2610557.aspx. 4 December 2024. 28 October 2024. Index.hr. Croatian. index.hr.
24. Web site: 28 October 2024. Hit pjesmu za seriju 'Sram' napisalo je dvoje poznatih trap glazbenika: 'Željeli smo prikazati osjećaj izgubljenosti u ljubavi'. The hit song for the series Sram was written by two famous trap musicians: 'We wanted to show the feeling of being lost in love'. https://web.archive.org/web/20241203110256/https://www.jutarnji.hr/kultura/glazba/hit-pjesmu-za-seriju-sram-napisalo-je-dvoje-poznatih-trap-glazbenika-zeljeli-smo-prikazati-osjecaj-izgubljenosti-u-ljubavi-15516796. 3 December 2024. 28 October 2024. Jutarnji list. Croatian. jutarnji.hr.
25. Web site: HRtop40 45. tjedan 2024. (28.10.2024. – 03.11.2024.). top-lista. hr. 17 November 2024. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20241112205149/https://www.top-lista.hr/www/hrtop40-45-tjedan-2024-28-10-2024-03-11-2024/. 12 November 2024.
26. Web site: Croatia Songs (Week of 16 November 2024). 12 November 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241203030210/https://www.billboard.com/charts/croatia-songs-hotw/2024-11-16/. 3 December 2024.
27. Web site: HRtop40 46. tjedan 2024. (04.11.2024. – 10.11.2024.). top-lista. hr. 20 November 2024. live.
28. Croatia Songs (Week of 23 November 2024). Billboard. 20 November 2024.