THE END OF THE ROAD? "WALLANDER' ENCOUNTERS 'THE TROUBLED MAN'

No stone unturned. Kurt Wallander (Krister Henriksson) wants answers in THE TROUBLED MAN. Image: YELLOW BIRD FILMS.

That long and bitter cold war between the superpower forces of East and West may seemingly be over, but its history and ramifications continue to make their mark on the civilized world, as Ystad based Detective Inspector Kurt Wallander, supremely and comfortably played by the likable, sometimes curmudgeonly Krister Henriksson, is about to find out, unearthing a dark secret from Sweden’s political history whist looking for a former naval commander gone AWOL, in the new feature-length movie based on Henning Mankell’s best-selling and intriguing mystery thriller: The Troubled Man. 

Adding more emotional ties to the story is the return of Wallander’s ex-police officer daughter, Linda, now played by Charlotta Jonsson, plus an intriguing appearance by popular US TV and film actor Len Cariou, as a mysterious figure either helping or hindering our hero in getting to the all-consuming truth.

Wallander, whose grumpy but lovable run of crime-chasing exploits has been such a relatable, international success for his creator, Henning Mankell, may have been consigned to a tragic and disturbing fate in the future, but he will (hopefully with his pet dog Jussie) return for six more addictive, darkly atmospheric and socially relevant feature-length adventures, working from newly conceived plotlines from the author, currently shooting in Sweden, and now confirmed as the very last series. WALLANDER, as both a book series and in its later TV incarnations, helped launch the Nordic Noir storytelling that has become so successful in the last five years, and we are all greatly appreciative of that fact.

Look forward to this well-crafted series arrival some point later in the year on the UK’s BBC FOUR.

Swedish Trailer for The Troubled Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPkjlsuli1M

More on The Troubled Man: http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/yellow-bird-kicks-off-new-wallander-film-series/5042791.article

BLOODIED TOGAS! THE RETURN OF 'I, CLAUDIUS'

Blood and glory- an empire witnessed in I, CLAUDIUS. Images: BBC.

The Ewings, Carringtons and Borgias may know a thing or two about family conflict, but they're still in the nursery compared to the court of the Roman Empire at its peak of power, debauchery and murder, as seen in the history telling of Robert Graves supreme dramatic epic: I, CLAUDIUS, adapted by Jack Pulman for the BBC, and one of the corporation's greatest dramas - a true international success that has indomitably served the test of time. It's now getting a deserved seven part re-airing on the UK's BBC 4, weekly from tonight.

A respected theatre talent, Derek Jacobi launches his TV acting career to great acclaim and audience appreciation with his incredible lead performance as the likable, clever and all-round decent Claudius-the overall storyteller/narrator of this fine and often bloody piece charting the history of the nest of vipers power players that ruled an empire across the world, and of their eventual and deservedly epic fall from grace. Claudius's only weakness was to be born with a stammer, which hampered his progress amongst his family, friends and peers, who all considered him the runt and fool of the litter when, in actuality, he was anything but. Intelligent, clever and resourceful, knowing when to keep his head down and say the right words at the right time (sometimes, even, caught in events by accident or through the vagaries of cruel fate), he learns to adapt and survive the many hurricane-like incidents that the mistress of history throws at him...

Derek Jacobi as the downtrodden Claudius.

With the kind of supporting cast that most casting directors these days would kill for, including Brian Blessed as the wise but brash Augustus, Sian Philips as his wife- the true serpent in Eden- Livia Drusilla, and John Hurt and Christopher Biggins, both of whom thoroughly scare and totally repel as the insane figures of Caligula and Nero, there's also a whole wealth of superb supporting stars adding much to the tapestry, including a curly wigged Patrick Stewart as Guard Commander Lucius Aelius Sejanus, Ian Ogilvy as Nero Claudius, Margaret Tyzack as Antonia Minor, Patricia Quinn as Livilla, and so, so many more...

John Hurt, truly terrifying as Caligula.

BAFTA winning, I, CLAUDIUS is rife with classic moments of character and incident, quiet beauty opposite brutal terror. Pulman's memorable adaptation is concise and effective, capturing Grave's work beautifully for the small screen. Shot entirely in studio, the direction by a Herbert Wise (also launched onto an even greater film/TV career from this success) is lavish and atmospheric-a storyteller who knows how to get the best out of his actors and the environment they bring to life so vividly and decadently. If you've never seen it before, you're in for a treat-one of the real gems of mid-to-late seventies British television.

Iconic title sequence: I Claudius episode 1 A Touch of Murder opening - YouTube

URBAN WARFARE! 'SPIRAL: STATE OF TERROR' ARRIVES ON UK TV

Parisian protector Captain Laure Berthaud (Caroline Proust) and her loyal police squad return in SPIRAL. Images: CANAL+.

Fiery lady detective Captain Laure Berthaud, as played with distinctive French style by Caroline Proust, returns with her loyal comrades, sometimes not operating within the full bounds of the law, to pursue a ruthless emerging band of home grown militant anarchists with explosive intentions, in the fourth series of the acclaimed international hit crime/legal thriller SPIRAL, sub-titled STATE OF TERROR, which debuted its weekly double episode run on UK TV last Saturday evening on BBC 4 (but why no HD!?), in another worthy co-production with SON ET LUMIERE and the CANAL+ group.

If the opening episodes are anything to go by, this new twelve-part run, delving into the murky, always controversial world of racial discrimination and immigration control, with its often tragic decision making and consequences, is going to be just as gruesome and downright gritty as ever. (The gripping opening scenes quickly showed us a handless, blood soaked body of a young man being dumped by his friends in a park!) As ever devoted to her job and career, Berthaud doesn't just have the terrorists to contend with. She herself is at the centre of a continuing internal affairs investigation, after deliberately shooting a brutal serial killer who was taunting her with his next victim: an incident covered up by the majority of her team mates, whilst one of her finest, the reckless and often unstable Gilou (Thierry Godard), frustratingly becomes involved with a group of Egyptian gangsters which will surely lead to no end of conflict and future brutality. Then, on top of all that, there's a slimy and ambitious new police chief, wanting to increase the city's crime clean up rate and soon obsessed with the team and it's reputation, who will surely add sparks to the steaming pressure cooker.

Legal eagles Pierre (Gregory Fitoussi) and Josephine (Audrey Fleurot) reach a crossroads in Season Four.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the justice system, Berthaud's least favourite person, striking red-head defence counsellor Josephine Karlsson (KOOL TV's ever popular Audrey Fleurot) defends one of the suspected anarchists, as well as being unable to escape the world of crime she was previously caught up in, or shake off the needs and personal interest of a fixated Russian gangster, Ousmanov (Anton Yakolev), despite her personable legal partner Pierre Clement (Gregory Fitoussi), also soon caught up in a dark defence case, doing his very best to keep them separate, and his friend safe. In his typically wily manner, embittered magistrate Judge Francois Roban (Philippe Duclos) also returns to the world of courtroom conflict, offering his experience and unique advice to friends and police colleagues, but what set of circumstances will set in motion his agenda against those bitter and antagonistic rivals opposed to him in the upper echelons of power?

It looks like it's going to be a very volatile and engaging Spring for our intense, dedicated Parisian folk...

Spiral / Engrenages - Season 4 - Trailer (Totally Serialized 2013) - YouTube

Official French site: Engrenages - la série TV - Production CANALPLUS.FR

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: 'BORGEN's SIDSE BABETT KNUDSEN

Diplomatic responsibilities for the lovely Sidse Babett Knudsen in BORGEN. Image: DR.

Doing a difficult but better job of running her fictional Coalition Government than anything British Prime Minister David Cameron could ever do in reality, the talented Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen gives a marvellous and subtly compelling heart and soul performance as double life juggling, devoted mother and career woman for the people, Prime Minister Birgitte Nyborg, in the addictive European political/personal serialised drama BORGEN, currently taking UK audiences by storm on the BBC 4 and BBC HD channels with its excellent, high quality second year of ten episodes.

Title sequence: Borgen / Government - title sequence on Vimeo

Tough decisions are made, with support from Spin Doctor Kasper Juul (Johan Philip Asbæk). Episodic images by Mike Kollöffel, Courtesy of DR TV. 

Recently divorced from her husband, with a young daughter caught in the middle of the family conflicts and suffering from anxiety attacks, the emotional pressure is on for an often isolated Birgitte, who also has vying outside worries to contend with from her ambitious political foes and rivals looking for weakness in her leadership decisions, moving in for the kill as her once trio coalition loses key support from the Green Party. So, lots of upheaval and great drama here for the actress to mine (backed up with high-calibre scripts from creator Adam Price and his team), as the Prime Minister equally tries to keep her country from sinking into economic debt whilst also wanting to usher in a tide of positive change and growth for her country and its citizens. Despite such good intentions, the last part of Season One and the early part of this new season intriguingly saw a darker side emerging from her character, too, as Birgitte's need to do the right thing sometimes challenged her personal convictions and nurturing instincts as both a woman and a mother, and saw her run afoul of her loyal friends and loved ones, whose affections and allegiance she only just wins back. As we head towards the final episodes (and the eventual third and final season), political and personal change is surely in the air once again for the character and her life and career, giving Knudsen further character building blocks on top of an already accomplished, multi-layered and compelling performance.

A fractured family life with ex-husband Philip (Mikael Birkkjær) and daughter Laura (Freja Riemann).

In her life and career before and since BORGEN (whose series international success proved surprising to her), Miss Knudsen's body of dedicated, critically acclaimed film and TV work in her native land has been diverse, from heavy personal drama (the noteworthy AFTER THE WEDDING with Mads Mikkelsen) to light comedy (SOVER DOLLY PA RYGGEN?). With her excellent spoken English, backed up with a radiating intelligence and personal style, a mature sex appeal, plus one of the most charming and giddy smiles I've yet seen, it surely won't be long before her career branches off further with exciting work offers from both the UK and US.

Interview: BBC News - Borgen actor Sidse Babett Knudsen on Scandinavian drama

A winning smile for the people in Season Two's final episode.

Seasons One and Two of BORGEN are available on Blu-ray here: Borgen - Series 1 [Blu-ray]: Amazon.co.uk: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Johan Philip Asbæk, Mikael Birkkjær, Søren Malling, Adam Price: Film & TV and Borgen - Series 2 [Blu-ray]: Amazon.co.uk: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Johan Philip Asbæk, Jannik johansen, Jesper W. Nielsen, Louise Friedberg, Miikel Nørgaard: Film & TV

BACK IN TIME FOR 'FAMILY GUY's 200th EPISODE!

Meltdown! The Griffins celebrate in style for the upcoming FAMILY GUY Season Eleven. Images: FOX.

Classic comedy moments from the the past get a brand new twist for fans of FAMILY GUY, what with its well-deserved celebratory 200th episode, titled Yug Ylimaf and airing tonight in the US, as Brian and Stewie Griffin's time machine usage goes into world altering meltdown in the wackiest What if Christopher Nolan's INCEPTION hit Quahog? scenario, after Brian breaks it whilst impressing the most recent of his "skank" girlfriends. Look out for time in fast reverse Peter/Chicken fights and the infamous vomiting scene where our Griffin family stars get an absolute internal stuffing!

Sneak Peek: 200th Episode | Family Guy | Animation on FOX - YouTube

The classic vomiting scene gets an even grosser new spin!

KOOL TV can't wait to see the episode-part of the series eleventh season- when it eventually airs on either BBC 3 or FX HD sometime next year in the UK, alongside other future plots including Brian becoming a meth dealer, Meg falling for her brothers look-a-like, Quagmire accidentally marrying a hooker, and the Griffins deciding to climb Mount Everest! In another fun time travel spin, two versions of Brian and Stewie may end up on a road trip adventure to Las Vegas towards the end of the season. Voice guest stars this year include Johnny Depp, Ryan Reynolds and, in the ultimate series crossover, Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson!

Climb every mountain! The Griffins do Everest in an upcoming episode.

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

WINE, WOMEN AND CRIME. 'INSPECTOR MONTALBANO' RETURNS...

Back within Italy's atmospheric streets, Luca Zingaretti returns as INSPECTOR MONTALBANO. Image: RAI TELEVISION

Vigáta’s finest detective, the sharp suited and amiable Inspector Montalbano, continues his new to the UK run of sophisticated and filmily glossy adventures on the BBC 4 channel every Saturday evening, yet again a critical and audience success, and a welcome tonic to the gloom of summer nights starting to draw in to the subtlety’s of Autumn.

Continuing its adaptations based on the book series created by Andrea Camilleri, this new season has so far shown a lot more drama and a bit of action for our hero, nicely played by Luca Zingaretti, who brings vulnerability and likeable warmth to the part-and a very real human quality- alongside his skills as a top TV ‘tec. The cases remain as luxurious and occasionally complex as before, charmingly mixing light humour and drama, of which the shows incidental music atmospherically highlights its contrasting natures. The cast of characters also remains interesting and diverse (and let’s not forget the way in which, each episode, there’s always the obligatory and desirable beautiful femme fatale managing to cross paths with Montalbano (who still, amazingly, manages to stay faithful to his often frustrated partner, Livia (the equally lovely Katharina Bohm)!). An individual beauty in it’s own right is the shows picturesque settings: it’s rolling hills and countryside, alongside the stunning and lavish architecture of ancient and modern Sicily. (Oh, how our beloved Inspector Morse would have loved it there!) It’s all so sumptuous you immediately want to go online and book a holiday there!

Salvo Montalbano is once more backed up with his reliable team of policeman, including sometimes rival, and friend, the always women troubled Mimi (Cesare Bocci), and the bumbling but likable street cop Catarella (Angelo Russo) who, despite his tense, sometimes hyper, and seemingly bewildered emotional states that often provide pure comedy gold, has been proving his worth to his colleagues and superiors.

Titled Turning Point, the first new episode saw our hero as a bit of a tormented soul, ready to quit his job in disgust at the corruption of his superior officers, but soon realizing just how much he needs the job, and vice versa, when he busts an horrific Tunisian child slavery ring. Having kept a relatively low profile in Season One, the second story, Equal Time, saw the Sicilian Mafia come to the fore for a tense run-in for Montalbano, and the possibility of gang war rivalries flaring up. As this well-made and enjoyable run continues, we’re looking forward to future episodes even more…

Fun Season One clip compilation: Inspector Montalbano, the best cop drama on British TV! - YouTube

Season One of INSPECTOR MONTALBANO is available on UK DVD: Inspector Montalbano: Series One (5 Disc DVD): Amazon.co.uk: Film & TV

SWEDEN'S NEXT SUMMER NIGHTMARE. 'WALLANDER' RETURNS...

Sweden's unique police officer, Kurt Wallander, as played by Rolf Lassgard, returns in a new case for UK viewers. Image:  YELLOW BIRD FILMS.

UK (and US) mass audiences may be enjoying Kenneth Branagh's often dark and miserable interpretation of "the Swedish Morse", Kurt Wallander, as originally created in the beautifully crafted novels of Henning Mankell, but the original European versions starring Rolf Lassgard and Krister Henriksson remain the best interpreations in my opinion, full of great acting, atmosphere, drama and interpreted twists and turns that don't feel forced, alongside cinematography that isn't over stylised but feels natural within the storytelling. The UK's BBC 4 have showed all of Henriksson's episodes (and will hopefully show the next batch of new 13 episodes currently being made, too), but not all of Larsson's run have been so lucky. Now, viewers get nearer to that ambition as the channel shows SIDETRACKED, showing in two parts starting this Saturday (28th July).

It's certainly one of the best of Mankell's novels-with a fiery start that got me ever more hooked on the character and Mankell's work in general in the early 2000's- and has our crusty detective in a terrifying cat and mouse game, as well as in a sometimes very tense race against time, to capture a dangerous tomahawk/axe wielding murderer calling himself Geronimo, after the famous American Indian warrior. This dark prowler of his unsuspecting victims, himself born from terrible circumstances and an air of modern day horror that remains chillingly prescient in our life and times, has a method to his madness in whom he chooses, stalks and eventually slays. Branagh's story adaptation, in a more condensed one and a half hours, proved disappointing in it's BBC 1 premiere a few years back, so I'm hoping for better here...

TRUE GRIT: 'SPIRAL' SEASON TWO

Sorting out the trash. The cast of the acclaimed SPIRAL Season Two. Image: CANAL+

The scum and villainy of the Parisian underworld comes out to play in the welcome repeat of the second season of the hit French police/legal crime thriller SPIRAL, created by Alexandra Clert and Guy-Patrick Sainderichin for CANAL+, starting in double episode screenings on the UK's BBC 4 from tonight (their European TV strand a stand-out treat, and deserved success, on weekends this past two years). And if you thought that first season was tough and uncompromising-a true character drama precursor to the kind of successful elements taken up a more stylistically brutal notch in BRAQUO these days, then you haven't seen this one, as a burnt out corpse found in a car, at first thought to be a singular case of disturbing gang retribution violence branches out into something far more rotten and corrupt for the detective team led by the spirited and volatile lady detective Captain Laure Berthaud (the very French Caroline Proust) and her loyal but always in trouble, always in-fighting team (including a noteworthy performance from Thierry Godard as the in and out of drugs rehabilitation Gilou), often just as dangerous as the criminals they pursue, delve into the dangerous undercurrents of international trafficking and arms dealing- a world of money, power and violence in which rising star Audrey Fleurot's hot-headed, spunky, overly ambitious lawyer Josephine Karlsson, broke and looking for a way to get her life together, will soon be caught up in its vice like grip and seemingly unable to escape.

Trailer: Spiral / Engrenages - Season 2 - Trailer (Totally Serialized) - YouTube


Seasons One to Three of SPIRAL are available on DVD from the BBC/2ENTERTAIN.

ON TROUBLED WATERS: 'THE BRIDGE'

Converging murder: Saga Norén (Sofia Helin) and Martin Rohde (Kim Bodnia) join forces in the new Euro drama THE BRIDGE. Image: DR TV.

There's always been a kind of friendly antagonism between Sweden and Denmark over the years, but now this relationship looks set to be tested to its limits when an unusual body is discovered on the borders of Malmo and Copenhagen, in the tense and atmospheric new ten-part Danish/Swedish thriller co-production, BROEN (aka UK title THE BRIDGE), created by Hans Rosenfeld, starting on BBC4 next Saturday.

Any dead corpse that's discovered is never going to be a pleasant experience, but when that body comprises the top half of a Swedish politician and the bottom half a Danish prostitute, then the situation becomes even more dark and disturbing in its implications, as a joint Danish/Swedish taskforce soon assembles- comprising the fascinating and compelling team-up performances of female Swedish detective Saga Norén (Sofia Helin, attracting the press for her character's wearing of leathers-the next evolutionary stage on from Sara Lund's jumpers!) and male Danish detective Martin Rohde (Kim Bodnia, who appeared in the original first series of the Danish THE KILLING), in an often tense and friction-packed pairing of resources and intuition (intriguingly adding to the drama, the character of Norén also has Asperger syndrome)- tackling an adversary who, with a long-term plan now initiated, seemingly manages to stay one of ahead of his/her pursuers, within a case that spirals into even more dark and sinister territory than first thought...

A dark road ahead for Saga and Martin.

Atmospheric title sequence: Bron | Broen Intro - YouTube

BROEN looks set to continue the fine trend of stylish and addictive Swedish/Danish dramas over the last few years that have just completely knocked their US/UK counter-parts, and now rivals, out of the water with regards to continuing and inventive storylines and great characters.