HER LAST STAND. SARAH LUND RETURNS IN 'THE KILLING' SEASON THREE

Could THE KILLING's final season storytelling prove too high a price for even Sara Lund (Sofie Grábol) to handle? Image: DR 1 TV.

Sales of Faroese jumpers are likely to got through the roof again-and just in time to help desperate Xmas stores sales figures!-with the arrival of the third and final thrilling case for clever and intuitive Detective Sarah Lund to investigate, back into the dark and chilly streets, warehouses and high tech power worlds of Denmark in Forbydelsen-or THE KILLING for us Average Joe's in the UK. Having created the new term of Nordic Noir with it's two previous well-crafted and critically acclaimed seasons, whose success have also made it the envy of its TV making rivals and inspired a wave of imitators not just in native Denmark but worldwide (including the US's very own, only partially successful, re-make), THE KILLING's lead star Sofie Grábol, a noted thespian of her native land and now a well deserved television sensation and attractive sex symbol outside the series, along with its distinctive creator Soren Sveistrup, promise that the show will go our with a resolute and satisfying high-quality bang fireworks cocktail of drama, thrills, mystery and murder.

This time out, our heroine is about to celebrate her 25th year of ups and downs as a police officer- the only career she's ever known and loved, of which she's pretty much sacrificed everything in her life in the line and sake of her duty- when she's called to action investigating the mysterious and seemingly random death of a sailor, whose body is found in a scrap heap. What follows over the next ten weeks is a collision course return into the unstable mixing realms of social and political agenda, and its resultant grey palette of emotions, revelations and ideologies. The heart of the worlds financial institutions-already a hotbed of scum and villainy if I ever I saw any!- comes under Lund's almost fearless microscope and then into the very corridors of the Danish Prime Minister no less! In her prior rocky dealings with state and power brokers she has already fallen foul of her country's own security service and its paymasters, resulting in the death of one of her detective partners. Now, on the fierce eve of the country's all-important election, is it possible that, this time around, she may have strayed too close to the fire in her dogged pursuit of the truth?

Trailer: Forbrydelsen 3 (The Killing Season 3) - YouTube
The Killing (DK) Season 3 starts on 17 Nov 2012 [BBC4] - See description for music - YouTube

Despite a few preposterous story and character moments here and there- drawbacks that come with the need to create a controversial and powerful tale capable of living up to heavy viewer expectations generated from the original smash-hit premiere- the second season of the KILLING, with its military theme and the cover-up linked to Danish soldiers in Afghanistan, was solid and entertaining, but ultimately lacked the emotional involvement of the previous story, as well as proving far too short, coming to a close just when it was getting interesting. It's story-telling roots more centre stage in Denmark, with it's people and multi-layered, recognisable problems, here's hoping that this final, surely emotional run, really does live up to it's promise when it starts on the UK's BBC 4 channel from 17th November.

Coming soon to UK Blu-ray and DVD...

More on THE KILLING SEASON THREE here: The Killing creator Soren Sveistrup: Sarah Lund will go out on a high in series three | Radio Times

Sofie Grabol, aka The Killing's Sarah Lund: 'I took off my, jumper and my gun, and cried all, the way home' - Features - TV & Radio - The Independent

Sofie Gråbøl: 'There's not going to be a fourth Killing' | Television & radio | The Guardian

UK FACEBOOK page for the series: Forbrydelsen II (The Killing) BBC Four

DARK DENMARK RETURNS: 'THOSE WHO KILL'

Serial shocker! Laura Bach as Deputy superintendent Katrine Ries Jensen, alongside Jakob Cedergren as Thomas Schaeffer in the new Danish series on UK TV: THOSE WHO KILL. Images: ITV/TV 2. 

It's time once again for UK viewers to immerse themselves in dark and disturbing high quality drama from Denmark, happily for us going far beyond their remit for selling Bacon, as ITV 3, finally discovering that there is life beyond re-runs, no matter how good, of Agatha Christie and INSPECTOR MORSE, finally get in on the act of selling popular foreign drama, starts it's premiere run of a new one-off detective series/crime drama THOSE WHO KILL, about a team of Denmarks' finest, which includes lead star Laura Bach as rising policewoman Katrine Ries Jensen and THE KILLING's Lars Mikkelsen as Magnus Bisgaard, chasing a serial killer with lofty and horrific ambitions operating within the heartland of Copenhagen after the gruesome discovery of a dead Polish prostitute. The following ten two hour episodes, ultimately being compressed into a run of six two hours in the UK, deal with a variety of other dangerous individuals to be apprehended.

Trailer: Those Who Kill trailer - YouTube

Bach and Cedergren with fellow actor Lars Mikkelsen as Magnus Bisgaard.

Created and written by author Elsebeth Egholm and Stefan Jaworski, and known in its native language as Den Som Draeber, THOSE WHO KILL is not quite in the same league as the original and outstanding first series of THE KILLING, which happily caught and took by surprise the attention of TV audiences so quickly, but it has a gritty atmosphere (both series share the directing work of Birger Larsen) and overall interesting storytelling that certainly raises it up above a lot of the detective/crime dramas currently being made and shown on British television, mostly starring Trevor Eve!, so it's definitely worth at least a look at the opening episodes...

THOSE WHO KILL is also out on DVD in the UK from March 26th. 

THE NEXT "IRON LADY" OR A "WOMAN OF STRAW"? "BORGEN" SEASON ONE

Fielding press fire, Birgitte Nielborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) takes to the political spotlight in BORGEN. Images: DBC.

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Well, rising star politician turned Prime Minister Birgitte Nielborg (played by the lovely Sidse Babett Knudsen) is going to find out whether this is true the hard way in the new Danish political drama series BORGEN, created by Adam Price, showing in double-bill episodes starting from tonight on the UK's BBC 4 (and BBC HD): a channel which continues to deserve its great success and accolades in showcasing great overseas drama within their now unique and unmissable Saturday night strands, having first hit the big-time when they lucked out with the incredible popularity and general addictiveness that was the original and best version of THE KILLING. In fact, one of BORGEN's likely strengths is that its from the same producers/writers of that show, which had strong doses of government intrigue and skulduggery hard-wired into its sub-plots, so we can expect high quality writing and characterisation, strong casting and atmospheric direction within the cold, often repressed, but intriguing climes of Denmark. Borgen is the actual setting for the show, the name of the Danish parliament (also known as the Gothic sounding "The Castle"!) where all the drama begins for the aforementioned Nielborg, a sharply intelligent and determined woman whose rise to fame in the political arena as both a politician and role-model wife/mother sees her quickly having to live up to the strong ideals she promised her constituents when originally elected to office. But with so much corruption, power plays, forged alliances, frightening Spin Doctors and back stabbing from both colleagues within her own party and from her bitter, revenge fuelled rivals, is it possible to maintain such a strong defencive wall to forge ahead with what needs to be done, and at the same time maintain a healthy and happy family life against the pressures and consequences of office? Will the unwanted road to compromise surely become inevitable?

Family values. Birgitte with husband Phillip (THE KILLING's Mikael Birkkjaer) and children at a press frenzy.

Terrific series title sequence: Borgen - Title sequence & identity on the Behance Network

With a strong and believable central performance from Knudsen, and fine acting support from the likes of Johan Philip Asbaek as Birgitte's clever Spin Doctor Kasper Jull, and Birgitte Hjort Sorenson as his ex-girlfriend, fiery and ambitious newswoman Katrine Fonsmark, adding interest to the series concurrent sub-plot strands, its no wonder that BORGEN's original ten episode run, dubbed by some critics the "Danish West Wing" would go on to great critical and public acclaim within its home territory, along with sure-fire second and third season commissions. Plans are also underway for a re-make by the US TV channel NBC, following the prior AMC success in adapting THE KILLING, where it will surely be intriguing to see who they cast in the lead role, and whether the chosen actress can live up to what has been established on screen by the charismatic Knudsen...

Birgitte holds her own in a political debate during the opening episode.

Birgitte with her main men: advisers Bent Serjo (Lars Knutzon) and Kasper Juul (Johan Philip Asbaek) 

BORGEN will also be released on DVD in the UK from 6th February from AMAZON: Borgen - Series 1 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Johan Philip Asbæk, Mikael Birkkjær, Søren Malling, Thomas Levin, Emil Poulsen, Freja Riemann, Adam Price: Film & TV). 


Season Two of BORGEN is also available on DVD outside the UK. 

SCREAM II! THE DARK RETURN OF "FORBRYDESLEN" (AKA "THE KILLING")

Fighting dark times and dark crimes requires a unique combatant: the return of Sarah Lund (Sofie Grabol) in FORBRYDELSEN 2. Images: ZDF/YELLOW BIRD FILMS.

Those dark and heavy clouds of murder, intrigue and complex emotion remain more omnipotent than ever around the city of Copenhagen with the upcoming sequel to the hit Danish series FORBRYDELSEN-better known to UK BBC 4 viewers as THE KILLING. This new series, originally shown in its home territory in 2009, soon returns to British television and looks set to be even more atmospheric, fast paced, unsettling and downright addictive than the original first series run, which quickly became a wild-fire, word of mouth hit here (and now begins a daily episodic re-run on BBC 4 starting this Sunday evening-a much welcome lead-in to Season Two). The fictional world of great TV detective heroes welcomes back the terrific Sofie Grabol as the dedicated and often fearless Sarah Lund-one of the only women in the world who can make wearing Faroese jumpers and rain proof coats look reasonably cool!- now languishing in a demoted job position in Southern Denmark after the tragic events regarding her almost obsessive investigation into the Nanna Birk Larssen case, until she's suddenly and unexpectedly recalled back to help her once superiors investigate the brutal murder of a very successful, high profile female lawyer within her luxurious home. At first despised and unwelcome by her old colleagues, especially after the brutal death of her ex-detective partner Jan Meyer (Soren Malling), and having to enter into a new working relationship with an equally uneasy police officer, Ulrik Strange (Mikael Birkkjaer), and a tough new Justice Minister, Lund's analytical and intuitive skills soon begin to unravel the clues and break through the mist of alibis and potential motives from the dead lawyers family, work associates, not always so moral clients and friends, and leading her into a dangerous new realm of abusive power and control linked to a scenario that looks unlikely to leave the world's current headlines any time soon...

Trailers (contain possible spoilers): The Killing season 2 - Trailer - YouTube
Trailer - Forbrydelsen 2 - YouTube

New case, new partner: Lund with new Detective Ulrik Strange (Mikael Birkkjaer).

So, with such gargantuan acclaim for the prior season from audiences and critics alike, can this second season possibly top the original? Its a shorter run than the first-ten episodes instead of twenty-but they often say that less can certainly be more when done right. We surely hope this is indeed the case, and look forward to more of the talented Miss Grabol, and Detective Lund, in the future.


Look for more on FORBRYDELSEN 2 on KOOL TV in the not too distant future...

"THE KILLING": A NEW US INTERPRETATION

The poster caption says it all. Discover the mystery in the US version of THE KILLING. Images: AMC.

Murder is a universal language and none more recognisable than by those clever people behind the scenes at the AMC network with their swift purchasing of the American rights to adapt the hugely popular and atmospherically complex, plot interweaving and character packed Danish crime drama/thriller series FORBRYDELSEN (also known as THE KILLING) into a new version set and made specifically for US audiences (though I still can't believe that the majority of American audiences can't or won't get involved in European series/films with subtitles. People can't be that inhibited, surely!), which has swiftly become a viewing sensation and highly compulsive, must see TV for them in much the same its been with the original version showing in Europe (with a hugely successful run on the UK's BBC 4). Now taking place in Seattle, the series centres around the murder of young school girl Rosie Larsen (whose disappearance would be the subject of a brilliant marketing campaign in the States that hasn't been seen since the likes of the shrink wrapped in plastic form of the late Laura Palmer in the early nineties TWIN PEAKS), and the subsequent investigation and pursuit of the culprit/s by two key police officers Sarah Linden (Michelle Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman). The case soon sends the pair into the darkest areas of the human condition as the twists and turns test not only their emotional well being and determination but also that of the deceased girls family (at first pictured as a palace of domestic and loving security, played by excellent character actress Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton as parents Mitch and Stan Larsen, but soon fractured and revealed as far more complex with regards to inter-personal relationships and loyalties) and quickly enough everyone else around them, too, as the potential suspects grow larger and their interactions in such a tragic time become ever more inter-twined and diverted into unexpected paths and mystery, with important side links into the young girls educational and political interests (the latter's expanding sphere of influence represented by Darren Richmond, soon a prime candidate for Larsen's murder, as played by Billy Campbell-an actor once known in the eighties and early nineties for playing young heroes, but now comfortably settled into a career playing all kinds of memorable and seedy bad-guys!).

A terrible discovery for detectives Holder (Joel Kinnaman) and Linden (Michelle Enos).

A family devastated: Mitch (Michelle Forbes) and Stan Larsen (Brent Saxton).

Law and Order? Bill Campbell as politician Darren Campbell (centre) is a priority suspect in the murder case.

Truncated down from the Danish versions ambitious and always consistently well made/ produced 20 episodes to, for the US market, a more manageable 13-as it seems that, with the exception of 24 and, for the most part, LOST, most series with one over-arcing plot don't seem to sustain American viewers interest long enough- this new version of THE KILLING certainly seems to have comfortably made its mark straight from the offset with its opening episodes.

The case begins...

Trailer: YouTube - The Killing - Official First Look Trailer [HD]

On the kudos side, the new version does keep certain aspects of the 2007 original, too, like the series titles and music, the majority of its key characters (even if certain names/surnames have been changed), some of whom are similar looking and wear almost the same attire, and even skilfully recreating the brilliant and crucial to the show production design of the Larsen family house set. Critical reaction inside the US and from the aforementioned audiences, who have mostly never seen the Danish version, have been superior, and AMC have been very happy with such inspired and positive audience reactions and ratings figures-a second series is in the works. Overseas critics comparing the American interpretation to the Danish one have also responded favourably for the most part, though the foreign cast are still rightly regarded as the definitive, preferred versions of the characters, in particular original lead series star Sophie Grabol, superb as the fiery, straight-laced and very believable copper, Sarah Lund, and Lars Mikkelsen as the razor-sharp political maneuverer, Troels Hartmann.

Is there more to Mitch Larsen than meets the eye?

From the shielded safety of our protective and cosy armchairs, such horrors and danger, emotional loss and murder make for thoroughly addictive television, and as a huge fan of the original Danish version its going to be very interesting to watch and compare the first two episodes airing on the UK's CHANNEL 4 next week. And don't necessarily expect the US series resolution to match the original, either-this interpretation of THE KILLING may have a big and controversial surprise awaiting us at the end of its run!

Now on DVD, the original Danish version of THE KILLING.

The original Danish version-FORBRYDELSEN-is now available on DVD, and thoroughly excellent! Its second series is expected on the UK's BBC 4 later in the year.

CAUGHT IN THE "SPIRAL"

A day of life and death for the cast of the French series SPIRAL. Images: CANAL+

Following on from their huge viewing success with their two episodes a week screenings of the acclaimed murder/thriller series THE KILLING (which received huge audiences of half a million viewers a week-a record for a small digital UK channel), BBC 4 are trying the same viewing experiment, and hoping for similar success, with the new third series of the equally popular mainstream French detective series, SPIRAL, created by Alexandra Clert and Guy Patrick Sainderichin for SON ET LUMIERE productions (and which first debuted on the France station CANAL+  from 2005 onwards), about the exploits of six main characters in the volatile and intense French legal and justice system, including Police Captain Laure Berthaud (Caroline Proust), who, mired in previous problems from Season Two (including unceasing accusations of corruption and the death of one of her colleagues), tries to redeem her name during the investigation of a murdered woman found on the tracks of a disused railway station, with strong indications that there might now be a serial killer on the loose in the Northern Paris area of la Villette.

Captain Laure Berthaud (Caroline Proust) begins her murder investigation.

I have to say that I sadly, and accidentally, missed the two UK screenings of the previous series of SPIRAL (from 2006 onwards) but I heard it received excellent word of mouth reviews for its atmosphere and very intriguing characters/performances, as well as good critiques online (with several more new series already in the planning stages from CANAL+). I shall be watching Season Three and posting a review in the near future. And I'm sure it will make an excellent viewing appetiser before the much awaited return of THE KILLING later in the year...

Season One of SPIRAL is available on DVD in the UK.

"THE KILLING" REVEALED...

The fine cast of the excellent murder thriller series THE KILLING. Image: DR TV.

After eighteen previous episodes full of complex mystery, plot threads, red-herrings and foul deeds, including a shocking and unexpected death in episode seventeen that almost had me screaming "No!" at the TV screen last week, with its implications for the remainder of the story, what looks set to be the gripping finale two parts of the superbly made Danish murder thriller series, THE KILLING, have finally arrived on BBC 4 in the UK, airing tonight, and to anyone who hasn't seen it, I thoroughly, wholeheartedly recommend that you catch up with it on the BBC iPlayer system-it's quite easily one of the best modern day thriller/dramas of the last ten years, with brilliant scripts, wonderfully atmospheric direction and acting from a great and varied cast, headed by the excellent actress Sofie Grabol in her performance as a fine female detective character that easily surpasses many of the other great actresses out there worldwide who have played similar type roles in the past, making her interpretation feminine yet accessible and showing us how, for good and bad, just how determined in her job she really is to catch her murderous prey. Even if it may ultimately mean sacrificing her family life and career to do it. Oh, and she even looks good in bulky jumpers, too!

Watching TV of this caliber, I just wish that, with the current poor state of British drama, we could have made something as good as this here. The US TV market has already deftly acquired the rights to re-make the series (on the AMC channel, which is coming out later in the year), but nothing in my mind is going to top this original version with its uniquely Danish locales and characters.

Beyond this 2007 made investigation, another series of FORBRYDELSEN (Danish for THE KILLING) has been made and I hope that the BBC, recognising a hit show when it sees it (though I think it also deserved a terrestrial run on BBC2!), doesn't miss out on acquiring the sequel, an all-new case, for transmission, either. In the meantime, once this current run is over, and the culprit/s behind the murder of Nanna Birk Larssen are finally revealed, one thing's for sure... I shall definitely miss my two episodes a week fix of this memorable soon-to-be classic!

UPDATE 26/3/2011: At the end of the final episode, the BBC announced that they would be showing THE KILLING 2 later in the year, and even included a sequence from the opening episode. Roll on Summer!