Year’s ago US was TOP in crime TV series but nowadays I cannot think about more than CSI (?). Although The Wire is really top of the bill. I think some years ago UK took over the lead with Inspector Morse and others. But lately the Nordic Noir is reigning it seems. They remember of the quintessential film noir movies with Humphrey Bogart. Lately I have seen most of the TV series available on DVD and here is a list of series you simply should not miss if you like crime series.
Wallander
For me Wallander is the best of all. Wallander, intensely lonely, melancholic, lover of classical music and malt whisky and of course a real mastermind has stolen my heart. From 2005 to 2006, 13 new stories, starring Krister Henriksson as Kurt Wallander and Johanna Sällström as Linda Wallander, were produced. His relation with daughter Linda gives a special dimension to these first 13 stories of which Mastermind is the top story imo. Yellow Bird announced in March 2008 that 13 new Swedish language Wallander films were to be made with Krister Henriksson. This second series of 13 stories was released on DVD in 2009 and 2010. The Wallander series is very moody, especially these last 13 episodes where Wallander lives near the sea: old man and the sea…longing for this incredible beautiful 50 plus woman being his neighbor.
I have not seen the British TV series but I think one should really watch the Swedish series, these are really the best, especially when you can watch them in original language (with subtitles as we in Holland are used to). I still have to watch the film series – between 1994 and 2007, all nine Wallander novels were made into films in Sweden starring Rolf Lassgård as Wallander – and this film series should be even better than the TV series 
Beck
The Beck Swedish TV series – based on some of the characters from the Sjöwall/Wahlöö books – is also well made, but less moody than Wallander. Here is a review from IMDB:
- The Beck series revolves around Martin Beck, Gunvald Larsson and their colleagues at the police force in Stockholm, Sweden. Beck is a divorced, middle-aged man while Larsson is young, forward and a quite violent man (against suspects that is). Together they make a perfect team, investigating crimes committed in Sweden, around Stockholm. The movies have a well written storyline, with diverse crimes, with no fear of showing brutal murders, horrible cases, or to go outside the Swedish border, making this series of movies great! Plot twists are only to be expected at the ending, making sure that everyone is kept in the dark of the outcome until the very end, which isn’t always that easy to accomplish. The series of movies are well-known here for a couple of things; Gunvald Larsson’s short temper, and his great sarcastic lines! The neighbor of Beck, who always seem to be on sick-leave – wearing a lovely neck-collar, and who always is willing to give Beck some alcohol. And last but not least; the great actors! Peter Haber and Mikael Persbrandt are brilliant in their interpretations of Beck and Larsson.
They say these films are more routine TV-cop-show than the ealier ’93 Swedish series - based on six of the original Martin Beck novels (with Gösta Eckman marvelously inhabiting the lead role). I still have to watch this ’93 series. Here is an overview of all Martin Beck movies.
Millennium
The Stieg Larsson books seem to be world famous, but I have never read them. But after having seen the six Millenium DVD’s who will ever forget Lisbeth Salander !!! Here is a trailer of the first DVD ‘The Girl with Dragon Tattoo’. Some of the Millennium actors you will recognize from Wallander, Beck and maybe other nordic crime series The series rates high for suspension and plot, and especially the Lisbeth Salander character is intriguing !! When you insert the 1st DVD on a Friday evening, good chance you have seen all six at Sunday evening. Great story !!
Varg Veum
At the moment I am watching a box of 6 Varg Veum DVD’s. These films are based on a series of crime novels written by Gunnar Staalesen, about the private detective Varg Veum, who lives in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway. The books have been translated to several languages. The series is about private investigator Varg Veum. Having seen 2 out of 6 DVD’s I would rate the series as entertaining but not that special like Wallander, Beck and Millenium. But worth seeing for sure.
Those who Kill
Those who Kill is based on an original idea by best-selling Danish novelist Elsebeth Egholm. It follows the inquiries of a special unit at Copenhagen’s police force, consisting of detective inspector Katrina Ries Jensen (Laura Bach) and forensic psychiatrist Thomas Schaeffer (Jakob Cedergren). The pair specialise in serial killers that do not fit within traditional behavioural patterns.
According to TrustNordic:
Almost a third of the Danish population watched the first episode of the crime-series THOSE WHO KILL, when it premiered last Sunday evening, March 13th, on the Danish broadcasting channel TV2. It was moreover estimated by the audience on a scale from 1 to 5, giving it a rating of 4.1. Encapsulating a total national share of 53 %, the segment of 21-50-year-old’s was representing 50 %, a record-high number in Danish TV-history. THOSE WHO KILL has also not only commercially won the hearts of the Danish population. Also the critics, covering both tabloid and culturally intellectual newspapers, have embraced the series, giving it 6 out of 6 and 5 our 6 amongst others and with review-wordings such as “This is powerful no-nonse entertainment, sharply directed by an efficient director and very accessible – that is, IF you have the guts to watch it!” (BT, Kirsten Erlendsson). Written by bestselling crime-author Elsebeth Egholm and writer of several award-winning and critically acclaimed features and TV-series, Stefan Jaworski, THOSE WHO KILL is a high quality crime series about a violent criminal, who is surrounded by fear and mystique; the serial killer.
I have seen the series – 5 DVD’s – and I completely agree with the above.
Irene Huss
Inspector Irene Huss is a 40-something detective and judo expert in Göteborg, Sweden. At the moment there are three stories on DVD. I follow the site International Noir Fiction on Irene Huss:
compared to Swedish TV crime series that rise far above the genre, Irene Huss perhaps gets 4 out of 5 stars. 5 stars would go to the original Martin Beck series starring Gösta Ekman, taken from 7 (I think) of the 10 novels by Sjöwall and Wahlöö (I think they never filmed the Laughing Policeman or the Locked Room, and The Abominable Man was filmed for the big screen by Bo Widerberg as Man on the Roof); 5 stars would also go to the original Wallander series for Swedish TV, starring Rolf Lassgård. The later Swedish series based on Beck and Wallander, starring Peter Haber and Krister Henriksson, as well as the U.K. Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh, fall into the 4-star category for me, along with Irene Huss—so the Huss stories are definitely in good company (and highly recommended). The 5-star films are able to sustain a mood to a higher degree, and reach for (and mostly grasp) a wider scope than the 4-star ones, to me.
The Killing
The Killing(Danish title Forbrydelsen, meaning “The Crime”) is a BAFTA Award winning and Emmy nominated Danish crime TV series produced by Danmarks Radio. Each series follows the police investigation of one specific case, day by day, with a one-hour episode covering 24 hours of the investigation. As of March 2011, there have been two series, with a third in production.
I have seen both the 1st and 2nd series. The 2nd series is nice but the 1st series is really something special. In this 1st series of 20 episodes detective Inspector Sarah Lund is looking forward to her last day with the Copenhagen Police department. She is supposed to move to Sweden with her fiancé and transfer to the Swedish Police, but everything changes when a 19-year-old woman, Nanna Birk Larsen, is found raped and brutally murdered. Along with Detective Inspector Jan Meyer, Sarah is forced to head the investigation, as it soon becomes clear that she and Meyer are chasing a very intelligent and dangerous murderer.
This is one of very rare series where you HAVE to see the next episode. When you buy the series as a DVD box you certainly will watch it from beginning to end in one weekend. This is SUSPENSION a la Carte !!!
Den fördömde
Sebastian Bergmann is one of the prime forensic profilers in the Swedish police force. He’s a ladykiller and loves a politically incorrect statement every now and then. Everything changes when he gets to know Lily. They marry and have a daughter. His career is a success, but then tragedy strikes. On the 26th of december 2004 Sebastian loses his wife and daughter in the tsunami in Thailand. After this he’s but a shadow of the man he was and leads a self-destructive life losing job, friends and family. Dealing with his grief, Sebastian discovers a serial killer he dealt with in the past has a copycat on the loose.
Rating the Nordic Film Noir
I still have the “original” Beck and Wallander series to see, so If those would rate 5 stars I guess the other series would rate 4 stars. For me the Wallander series with Krister Hendriksson, Millenium and the first series of the Killing are the best. Fact is that all recent nordic crime series are all very well made with strong characters and good plots. They provide a sort of old-fashioned film noir experience in modern setting. Don’t miss one
