HBO is to air a satirical Scandinavian sci-fi series from the creators of Netflix’s Lilyhammer on its digital platforms in the U.S. The company’s Nordic division ordered Beforeigners from Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin and it will air on HBO Go and HBO Now in the States as well as airing on its OTT service across Scandinavia and Spain and on its linear channels in Europe.

The series, which stars Aquitted’s Nicolai Cleve Broch and Blade Runner 2049 star Krista Kosonen, follows a new phenomenon that starts happening all over the world. Powerful flashes of light occur in the ocean, and people from the past appear. They come from three separate time periods: The Stone Age, The Viking era and late 19th Century. No one understands how this is possible, and the people from the past, called ”beforeigners”, have no memory of what’s transpired. Only one thing is certain: they keep coming and there is no way back.

A couple of years later, Alfhildr, played by Kosonen and who comes from the Viking Age, is teamed up with burned-out police officer Lars Haaland, played by Cleve Broch, as part of the police department’s integration scheme. While investigating the murder of a beforeigner, they begin to unravel a larger conspiracy behind the origin of the mysterious mass arrivals.

Directed by Jens Lien, Beforeigners is HBO Nordic’s second original commission, following Lukas Moodysson’s comedy series Gösta, which recently finished filming in Sweden. It is exec produced by Hanne Palmquist, Steve Matthews and Antony Root. The 6×45 series is produced by Endemol Shine-backed Rubicon TV.

Palmquist, Commissioning Editor & VP Original Programming, HBO Nordic, said, “Beforeigners is a highly original and entertaining near future satire, set in a recognizable and yet transformed society where coexistence is a whole new ball game. I’m very proud that it’s our first Norwegian series – it’s funny, edgy and thought-provoking – a true HBO title.”

Root, EVP Original Programming and Production, HBO Europe, added, “Beforeigners represents exactly the kind of series we want to commission: bold, smart, author-driven, and with a distinctiveness that makes it a perfect fit for HBO. We’re excited to be working with Anne and Eilif to launch our production activities in Norway, and for Beforeigners to join our growing and varied slate of local original productions in Europe.”