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For the 2011 American remake of this crime drama, see wood! He doesn't have a girlfriend!'" The aair storyline
The Killing (U.S. TV series).
was subsequently dropped.
The Killing (Danish: Forbrydelsen [fb ylsn],[1]
The Crime) is a Danish police procedural three-season
long television drama series created by Sren Sveistrup
and produced by DR in co-production with ZDF Enterprises. It was rst broadcast on the Danish national television channel DR1 on 7 January 2007, and has since been
transmitted in a number of other countries worldwide.
1.2 Casting
1
1.1
During lming of the rst series, Sveistrup also refused to reveal the identity of the murderer or even specic plot points to members of the cast, including Soe
Grbl. The actors would only receive the scripts on an
episode-by-episode basis, just moments before shooting
was scheduled to begin. Grbl was told only that she was
not the killer.[3]
Production
2 Series 1
Writing
The rst series consists of 20 one-hour episodes that folSeries creator and head writer Sren Sveistrup worked low the police investigation into the murder of a young
closely with lead actress Soe Grbl throughout the writ- woman, from its commencement on 3 November through
ing process to successfully develop the character of De- to its conclusion on 22 November.
tective Inspector Sarah Lund, and Grbl in particular be- The rst ten episodes were shown on DR1 each Suncame eager to defend her creation. At one stage in pro- day from early January to the middle of March 2007,
duction the writing team hinted that she might have an and the intention was to show the remaining ten episodes
aair with the local politician Troels Hartmann, whose in JanuaryMarch 2008; however, the popularity was so
mayoral campaign becomes intertwined with the murder great in Denmark that already in early March it was anenquiry, but the actress atly rejected such a story arc: I nounced that the nal ten episodes would be brought forrushed into the writers oce and said: 'You are not doing ward to the autumn of 2007; they were shown from late
that. Its a sell-out.' I remember saying: 'I am Clint East- September to late November 2007.
1
2.1
3 SERIES 2
Plot
2.2
Ann
3 Series 2
The second series, Forbrydelsen II, takes place two years
after the rst and consists of ten episodes. It rst aired
in Denmark between 27 September and 29 November
2009.[8] Episodes were screened eleven days later on
Thursdays on Norwegian NRK1.[9] It was shown on German TV channel ZDF[10] and on Swedish SVT[11] in the
autumn of 2010. In the United Kingdom, it was shown on
BBC Four, starting from 19 November 2011, following
the success of the rst series,[12][13] on the Belgian channel, Canvas, starting on 25 November 2011,[14] and in
Australia on SBS Two, starting from 21 March 2012.[15]
The Region 2 DVD with English subtitles was released
on 19 December 2011.[16]
3.1 Plot
After the resolution of the Larsen case, Lund is demoted
and works as a passport ocer in the southern town of
Gedser. Ulrik Strange, a detective from Copenhagen,
visits Lund on behalf of her former boss, Lennart Brix,
Lead actress Soe Grbl at a press conference, 2011
and asks for her help in solving the murder of military
legal adviser Anne Dragsholm. Dragsholm was found
murdered at the memorial for executed members of the
Detective Inspector Sarah Lund: Soe Grbl
Danish resistance in Ryvangen Memorial Park, tied to
Detective Inspector Jan Meyer: Sren Malling
a replica of an execution post used by the ring squads
Mayoral candidate Troels Hartmann:
Lars of the German occupying power. Despite initial uninterest, Lund joins the investigation and comes to susMikkelsen
pect that the murder is not as straightforward as it seems,
Hartmans political advisor and lover Rie Skovgaard: despite the forced confession of Dragsholms husband.
Marie Askehave
Meanwhile, Thomas Buch, the newly appointed Minister
3.2
3
Lund points out to Strange the reasons why Bilal is unlikely to have been involved. Strange gives himself away
by revealing a detail that only the murderer could know,
and confesses to the murders before shooting Lund with
her own gun, which he then plants on Raben. Raben is
incapacitated by Stranges sudden revelation that Raben
himself had been actively involved in the civilian deaths,
a fact that Raben had blanked out of his memory. He is
about to shoot Raben when Lund hits him over the head.
When Strange tries to retrieve his gun, Lund shoots him
dead. As the police arrive at the scene, she walks away,
removing the bullet-proof vest she had been wearing.
Lund is about to be discharged from the case when a second murder, that of a Danish military veteran, leads to the
conclusion that Islamic extremists are behind the killings.
Jens Peter Raben, a war veteran currently incarcerated
in a mental hospital, knew both victims and sticks to his
story that his unit was present during the execution of an
Afghan family by a special forces ocer named Perk.
Raben escapes, and two other members of the unit are
murdered. Suspicion falls on senior military ocers, including Rabens father-in-law, Colonel Jarnvig, and his
deputy, Major Sgaard (who is in love with Rabens wife, 3.2 Main cast and characters
Louise).
Former Detective Inspector Sarah Lund: Soe
In the course of the investigation, Lund and Strange beGrbl
come fond of one another. Meanwhile, Buch and his
secretarial team, Carsten Plough and Karina Munk Jr Detective Chief Inspector Lennart Brix: Morten Sugensen, uncover further evidence of the cover-up. Buch
urballe
nds it impossible to convince his cabinet colleagues of
the plot, and is pressured to continue scapegoating Mus Detective Inspector Ulrik Strange: Mikael Birkkjr
lims for the murders in order to assure the passage of a
strict anti-terrrorism law. Raben takes refuge in a church
Justice Minister Thomas Buch: Nicolas Bro
presided over by a former army chaplain, who tries to deter him from any further investigation of the crimes and
Prime Minister Gert Grue Eriksen: Kurt Ravn
urges him to give himself up. After Raben leaves, the
chaplains dying body is discovered by Lund, who pur Sta Sergeant Jens Peter Raben: Ken Vedsegaard
sues the killer and is surprised when he does not take an
easy opportunity of killing her.
Major Christian Sgaard: Carsten Bjrnlund
Lund arranges for the exhumation of a deceased Danish
army ocer, Per K. Mller, suspecting him of involve Louise Raben: Stine Prtorius
ment in the massacre in Afghanistan. Her investigations
lead nowhere until it is learned that someone is still us Carsten Plough: Preben Kristensen
ing Mllers identity. When Lund and Strange catch up
with Raben, he identies Strange as Perk, leading the
Karina Munk Jrgensen: Charlotte Guldberg
inspector to shoot him. An injured Raben persists in accusing Strange of being the ocer responsible for the
Torsten Jarnvig: Flemming Enevold
massacre, yet it is later ocially conrmed that he had
left Afghanistan before the time of the killings.
Erling Krabbe: Jens Jacob Tychsen
Lund continues to be uneasy about Stranges alibis for the
Said Bilal: Igor Radoslavjevic
murders, but takes him with her to Afghanistan to investigate a new suspect, the brother of one of the soldiers
killed under Rabens command. This also proves a dead
end, but Lunds persistence results in the discovery of the 3.3 Episodes and ratings
bones of the Afghan civilians. Upon returning to Denmark, Lund meets her mother, who has had a premonition
4 Series 3
of Lund lying dead. Following a further search of a military barracks, suspicion falls on an anti-Taliban Muslim ocer, Bilal, when plans for the soldiers murders The third series, Forbrydelsen III, premiered on Danish
[19]
It commenced on
are found in his possession. A confrontation with Raben, television on 23 September 2012.
[20]
and
Lund and Strange leads to Bilal blowing himself up; they NRK1 in Norway on Monday 8 October 2012,
had an audience of 436,000 in the face of sti competiescape only thanks to Stranges quick-witted actions.
tion. Series 2 on NRK started with 578,000 viewers in
Strange volunteers to return Raben to the mental hospi2009.[21] Series 3 also started on BBC Four in the UK on
tal, but Lund insists on going with them. On the way, they
17 November 2012, where 1.04 million viewers watched
make a stop at the scene of Dragsholms murder, where
the rst episode.[22]
4.1
Plot
This nal series of Forbrydelsen explores the global nancial crisis as the ostensibly random murder of a sailor
leads Sarah Lund through the nancial community.[23]
Lund has ambitions for promotion and a new lifestyle,
but at the same time is struggling to maintain a relationship with her son Mark. Through the investigation she
nds herself thrown together with a former lover, Mathias
Borch, who now works for Special Branch. When Emilie
Zeuthen, the 9-year-old daughter of a wealthy businessman, is kidnapped, the link between the latest series of
murders and the apparent suicide of an orphaned teenager
becomes clear. While Lund and Borch hunt down the
kidnapper, the government is on the verge of collapse as
the prime minister, relying on Zeuthens support for his
economic policies, discovers that his own son Benjamin
was also connected with the girls death. After Emilie is
found and the kidnapper accidentally killed, Lund takes
it on herself to make sure that a serial killer does not go
unpunished.[24]
4.2
OVERSEAS SUCCESS
5 Overseas success
In the wake of the successful Wallander series, The
Killing became another Scandinavian crime hit with
British viewers when it was shown on BBC Four in the
spring of 2011. Although subtitled, it attracted more
viewers than Mad Men,[26] scored audience appreciation
gures of 94%,[27] and has been described as the best
series currently on TV.[28] The success has created an
interest in all things Danish,[29] and the female detectives
Faroese jumper has been the subject of newspaper articles as well as becoming a sought after online item.[30]
As well as the UK, DR also sold the series to a number of
other broadcasters worldwide, and The Killing was eventually shown in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Russia and Spain with varying degrees of
success. Producer Piv Bernth described the broad appeal
of the show as groundbreaking, and explained what she
believed to be the root of its popularity:
Its the rst time you have a detective
drama over 20 episodes other series had one
killing per episode. And we also have this
three-plot structure what does it [a murder]
mean for a police investigator, what does it
mean for the parents, what does it mean for the
politicians. Its not just about nding the murderer. Thats important, but its not all.[31]
Robert Zeuthen, business magnate, director of Zeeland Group and father of Emilie and Carl: Anders
Over 120 countries have purchased the rst two seasons
W. Berthelsen
of The Killing.[32] The rst series has also been shown in
Maja Zeuthen, mother of Emilie and Carl: Helle Fa- other countries, as follows:
gralid
Niels Reinhardt, personal assistant to Robert
Zeuthen: Stig Homeyer
Kristian Kamper, Prime Minister and leader of the
New Liberal Party: Olaf Johannessen
2008: Iceland on RV
5
2010: Belgium on Canvas[37]
In the UK, the rst series won the 2011 BAFTA award
in the Best International category. It was also nomi 2011: Portugal on AXN Black (as The Killing: nated for the Audience Award but lost to reality show
Crnica de um assassinato)
The Only Way is Essex.[44] The second series was again
nominated for Best International in 2012, but lost out
2011: Poland on Ale Kino+ (as The Killing)
to fellow Danish programme Borgen.[45]
2012: Japan on Super! drama TV (as The Killing)
2012: Brazil on Globosat HD (as The Killing:
Histria de Um Assassinato)
7.2 US remake
REFERENCES
in return for sharing any associated production costs with [11] SVT: Svra fall fr dansk polis
Netix.[49] The original US production team are expected
to return.[50] A fourth season, consisting of 6 episodes, [12] Sutclie, Tom (21 November 2011) The Weekends TV:
The Killing II, Sat, BBC4 Frontline Medicine, Sun, BBC2
was produced by and is available on Netix.
The Independent, Retrieved 21 November 2011
On 8 Apr 2011, Soe Grbl, the star of the Danish series, was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 programme [13] Digital Spy: BBC buys second series of The Killing Retrieved 2011-03-21
Womans Hour,[51] where she explained the American remake was necessary because Americans for some reason [14] The killing Het programma Canvas.be, Retrieved 3 Decannot read subtitles, or they don't want to. Grbl hercember 2011
self has made a guest appearance in one episode of the
[15] Knox, David (5 March 2012). Returning: The Killing.
American show playing a minor role.
TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
7.3
Turkish remake
A remake of the series was produced[52] by Adam Film [17] Settet.dk: Forbrydelsen II Retrieved 2011-03-21
and Akbel Film for the Turkish TV network Kanal D. It [18] TNS Gallup TV ratings Retrieved 2012-11-25
premiered on 7 January 2014. Although 13 episodes were
[19] The Killing at the Internet Movie Database Retrieved 27
ordered, the show was cancelled after 5 episodes.[53]
January 2011.
Novelizations
References
10
See also
11 External links
The Killing at the Internet Movie Database
The Killing on the BBC website Retrieved 2011-0228
Ocial Danish website of Forbrydelsen II Retrieved
2011-02-28
12
12
12.1
12.2
Images
12.3
Content license