Ne daj se, Nina is a Croatian and Serbian television series, and a re-made version of Colombian television series Yo soy Betty, la fea. The show began in 2007, and had its premiere on 29 October 2007 in Serbia, on Fox televizija. RTL Televizija broadcast the show in early 2008 in its winter schedule from 3 January 2008. After 12 episodes, which were screened in the 45 minute format, RTL Televizija replaced its soap opera "Zabranjena ljubav" with "Ne daj se, Nina" in its time-slot. The show is broadcast daily from Monday to Friday, in a half hour format. The first season of the show was completed in 2008. The series was filmed in Zagreb, Belgrade, Bosnia & Herzegovina and North Macedonia.
Plot
Nina Brlek is a kind, intelligent, and naive young woman. She grows up in Zagreb with her parents Vlado and Mira and her brother Davor. Brlek has excellent grades and perfect curriculum, but fails to find a good job because of her looks. She tries to get a job at H-Moda, a fashion company directed by Victor Glowatzky, who plans to retire, and pass his business to his son, David. This news is bad for David's nemesis Petar Vidic, who is the main editor of H-Moda's magazine Helena and his lover Monika. He is also Barbara Vidic's brother, David's fiancé. Barbara hires her recently divorced friend, Patricija Vuckovic, who is pretty but not intelligent enough for the job of David's secretary. Barbara wants Patricija keeps an eye on David, who is a famous bachelor and womanizer. Nina gains the job of David's confidant secretary.
Cast
Characters
Nina
At first, Nina is naive, and she lets everyone joke about her. Later, she became stronger. She is, at first, very rewarded by David. He gives her a new office, a laptop computer, two promotions, a higher salary and a vacation during her first mount in H-MODA. Eventually, she falls in love with David and almost tells him, but he makes up with Barbara in end of episode 45. Alex blackmails Nina and says he will quit if Nina does not become a model. Nina loses weight and she is ready to grace the catwalk, but Marko steps in and he saves the situation. Martina and Nicola become rivals, and Nina must choose who is her real friend. After this, Nina falls in love with David and is jealous of Barbara. Nina is not invited to David and Barbara's wedding.
David
David loves Barbara and has depression but he volunteers to visit a geriatric hospital and read the old peopleHarry Potter novels. Barbara makes up with him. David has funny situations with Marko, his best friend. David has cheated on Barbara many times but he stays with her. David has problems with Petar Vidic when Petar tries to leave the company. David admits that he had sex with Patricija before his relationship with Barbara.
Marko
Marko is marketing director and David's best friend. They studied management in Vienna. He likes to make jokes with David. He tried to make a relationship with Koraljka.
Barbara
Barbara has strong ideals. She is Petar's sister and has been in love with David since they were children. She hates Nina but loves Patricija, her best friend. Barbara calls Patricija for lunch and they gossip about Nina. When she finds that David has slept with Patricija before their relationship, she breaks down at the wedding. But she forgives David and starts to plan the wedding. Sofia calls the wedding planners and flowers arrangements people and she is buying wedding invitations and drives Barbara crazy. Barbara makes out with Sofia and they start to be friends. Everybody calls her Barbie.
Petar
Petar is shareholder and editor in chief of Helena. He wanted to become a president of the company, but he lost. He tried to sabotage David many times, but he failed. He is Barbara's brother who uses her to remove David.
Martina
Martina owns a restaurant. She make sandwiches, vegetables and sometimes some strange meals. She became very good friends with Nina and tells Nina that David's father hired her because she is ugly and David never would sleep with her. Martina's friendship with Nina starts when she helps Nina to beat up a computer guy who tries to break Nina's computer, steal her reports and give them to Petar Vidic. Nicola and Monica have an idea to make potatoes. Everyone, especially Sanja, eats the potatoes. When Martina finds out that Sanja, Koreljka and Nina adore Nicola's food she and Nicola start a war. When Petar became Monica's puppet, Monica orders him to fire Martina. Petar with help from Kovacevic fires Martina but Marko reinstates her and raises her salary. The rivalry between Martina and Nicola is unresolved at the end of season 1. The rivalry is solved but they still don't talk much.
Sanja
Sanja works in H-MODA and is one of Nina's best friends. She was Victor's assistant and is very close with Victor until he retires. Nobody knows about the secrets that Sanja hides to protect Victor and their presumed affair. She adores the potatoes that became her drug. She is married with two children.
Alex
Alex is the homosexual fashion designer in H-MODA. He is best friend with Monica and they make fun of Nina and give her nicknames. They want to gossip and talk about men. Ines is his assistant. Alex is shocked when Ricardo, his old lover, comes to the company. They kiss and start a relationship. When Monica and Patricija start a fight about one bag that Ricardo gives to Monica, they destroy the bag. Alex finds out that the bag is fake and breaks up with Ricardo. When Alex's parents come to town Nina acts like she is his girlfriend but Ricardo comes in and he want to make out with Alex. Alex designs Barbara's wedding dress. He makes fashion shows at the company's runway. One show of his was ruined because Barbara and Patricija had a fight when Nina falls down and when Marko comes on the runway in male underwear. His fashion shows are always ruined by someone else but Ines always help him.
Patricija
Patricia is an arrogant, unintelligent but very attractive woman. She got the job with help from Barbara. She started as David's secretary. She hates Nina and she wants Nina's job. Before Barbara and David were together, she had sex with David. She thinks that Petar and Marko are crazy about her, but she doesn't know that Marko uses her. Petar blackmails her because she was poor. He gives her money and she gives him sex but that wasn't the primary goal of Petar, who blackmails her and she gives him information about David. Then he uses Patricia to destroy their relationship. Nina asks Patricija for help to make Nina's wonderful woman. Patricija starts a love relationship with Zarko, an old, rich businessman.
Monica
Monica has strange taste and specific style. She is Petar's assistant and she is editor of Helena. She is romantically involved with Petar. She helps Petar to destroy David, but when all their plans fail, she opens VIP CAFE. She employs Nicola as a bartender but falls in love with him. They have sex and they start a relationship at the end of season 1. Monica calls Nina "three legs". Monica hates Patricija because she stole her, bag, shoes, and dress. She is best friends with Alex. She likes Nicola. Monica becomes editor-in-chief.
Violeta
Violeta is Serbian fashion start who came to H Moda to buy Helena's editorial license for the Serbian market. She holds a strong ideal for fashion. Nina saved her dog Buby after Petar tried to make sabotage during a dinner.
