The Killing is the new TV series everybody is talking about. Having grown the kind of cult following last seen with The Wire, The Killing is a gritty Danish cop drama that has been equally well received by critics and the general viewing public.
To celebrate the April 4th release of the Complete Season One on DVD, we identify 10 reasons why The Killing is must-see.
1. Strong Female Lead - Sofie Grabol is an award winning actress appearing in TV, film and theatre. Sofie Grabol is superb in The Killing’s lead role as an intelligent female investigator Sarah Lund.
2. The Millenium Trilogy - If you loved Stieg Larrsson’s books or the films that began with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Killing is the perfect Scandi-thriller fix, at least until the American remakes are released.
3. Awards - Having previously received a Emmy nominations for Best Drama Series and Best Performance by an Actress (Sofie Grabol), The Killing is hotly tipped to go one better at this year’s awards.
In fact, one of the show’s writers, Søren Sveistrup, was part of the winning team that produced the 2003 International Emmy Award-winning Nikolaj og Julie.
4. Wallander - If you liked Wallander (either the Swedish or English version), you’re sure to enjoy The Killing, both Scandinavian cop dramas with clever plots and slick performances.
5. Beat The Remake - Talking of remakes, a US version of The Killing has been commissioned and will air later this year.
Whether you refuse to watch American adaptations of European productions, or you cannot wait, it remains to be seen whether the US equivalent will be as successful as it’s Danish predecessor.
6. That Jumper - Demand is high for jumpers in the style of that worn by the The Killing’s lead character Sarah Lund.
The casual style reflects the investigator’s relaxed demeanour and effortless style and the iconic knits are flying off shelves.
7. Lars Mikkelsen - With eighteen months between them, Lars Mikkelsen is the elder brother of Bond villain Mads.
A true acting talent in his own right, Lars plays a politician whose campaign hits serious obstacles as his office is connected with the murder that dominatesd the plot of The Killing.
8. Viewing Figures - The Killing has proven to be an unexpected hit for BBC 4, averaging over 500,000 viewers an episode - that’s more than Mad Men managed on the same channel.
9. The Weather - With many American cop shows set in the sunny climates of such areas as Miami or Las Vegas, it’s the dark, damp environment that sets the The Killing apart as a believable and gripping drama.
10. 20 Episodes, 20 Days - Whereas in 24 each episode represented an hour, an episode of the Killing represents a day in the plot, meaning the story flows well without the in-your-face pace of many other TV cop shows.
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