SPi and RTP start the first Portuguese Microdrama project
RTP and SPi are starting the first Portuguese microdrama project, an innovative fiction format made for mobile devices and digital consumption. This initiative puts RTP, once again, at the forefront of national fiction by establishing itself as a pioneer in the production of vertical format content and positions Portugal as a reference in new ways of storytelling.
José Fragoso, Director of RTP1, says: "RTP is breaking new ground for national fiction, responding to a very recent trend that is already relevant in several international markets: the professional production of fiction series for digital distribution, designed and structured to be made and viewed in vertical format, adapted to mobile phone screens. Each story is told in very short episodes, each less than two minutes long. For the creative teams, this process will be a new challenge, from writing to directing, including the work of the actors and actresses and the production. In the end, it will be up to the viewer to decide how many episodes they want to watch, where, and at what time."
Produced by SPi, this project consists of five micro-dramas, each with 20 episodes lasting one and a half minutes, exploring various genres from thriller to comedy. The original idea is by Pedro Lopes, with screenwriters Inês Gomes, Susana Romano, and Marina Ribeiro. Filming will take place between December and January 2026 and the content will be available in vertical format on TikTok, Instagram, and RTP Play.
According to João Maia Abreu, Executive Director of International Business and Co-productions at SPi: "With this partnership between RTP and SPi, we are starting a new chapter in Portuguese fiction. Microdramas, or vertical dramas, represent a way of storytelling that reflects our times—more agile, direct, fast, and optimized, deeply connected to the way audiences currently consume content."
Microdramas are taking the world by storm. More than just a trend, they are already a new reality that is gaining momentum with technological advances and changing consumer habits. Their format brings us a new language of fiction suited to an era in which viewers take, on average, less than three seconds to decide whether they want to continue watching a video. Microdramas open up a new space for telling intense stories that can have a big impact on audiences, ideal for watching in short periods of time.