A handful of must see European TV shows.
Scandi drama and European cinema is better than ever. Hollywood may try to recreate the gritty realism of European crime dramas, but they rarely succeed. Something is always lost in translation when a big budget is thrown into the mix. It’s a subjective list, but here is our list of the five best Euro dramas, so check out your favorite cable and satellite TV provider to see what’s coming up in your area.
1. The Bridge
Saga Noren is quite possibly one of the best heroines to emerge in recent years. Unlike her brethren, Saga is somewhere on the autistic spectrum, so she finds it very hard to relate to her fellow human beings. Yet she’s brilliant at her job, so watching her crack complex cases is fascinating. If you have yet to discover The Bridge – and we are about to watch series 4 now – make a point of catching up as quickly as possible. By the way, The Bridge refers to the Oresund Bridge linking Denmark and Sweden.
2. The Killing
The Killing is nail-biting, intriguing, and addictive all at the same time. When a teenage girl turns up dead, Sarah Lund is on the case. Like Saga Noren, Lund is one of a kind – vulnerable yet hard as nails. The series is set in Denmark, so we are treated to wonderful scenery as well as horrific crimes. Once you start watching this series, you won’t stop until you find out whodunit.
3. The Returned
The Returned centers on a small town deep in the Alps where the citizens mysteriously come back to life. Each episode centers on one person’s story, but as the series progresses, the collective strands are drawn together and events move towards a climactic end. As you might expect, this dark series didn’t stop at one series, so if you missed it, you have some catching up to do. Be warned, however, you might need to watch it several times to work out what on earth is going on.
4. Spiral
Spiral is a crime drama set in Paris. It follows the lives of various police offers, lawyers and judges, and since its inception in 2006, Spiral has grown into a hugely popular series, attracting critical acclaim and awards a plenty. You can find Spiral on Netflix, so be prepared to start binge-watching it over the course of several weeks, as we are currently waiting for series 6 to air in 2017.
5. Inspector Montalbano
Inspector Montalbano is a popular series based on the much-loved books of the same name. Montalbano is a police inspector based in Sicily, but unlike other European crime dramas, Inspector Montalbano is an altogether gentler offering with plenty of humor. The series stays very true to the books, both in feel and characterizations. Our hero is personable, warm, and always solves his crimes, so if you can’t bear the thought of watching another gruesome murder spree in Sweden, check out what’s happening in the town of Vigata on the warm Mediterranean coast.
If all else fails, order a boxset from Amazon, draw the curtains, and settle down for the night.