What is it about programs like Borgen and Forbrydelsen which have people fawning? Does it say more about the programs, or the viewer themselves? In this post, there are a few points I will aim to address, and discover whether it is that it is just that these programs are so good, or is it an aspect of pretension which has made these shows so popular.

I’ve just started watching the Bridge, and so far i’m really enjoying it. I’ve previously enjoyed watching Borgen and Forbrydelsen, shows which fit under the same category often labelled Scandi Noir or Nordic Noir. Are these shows actually as good as I and many others think, or are there other factors which make them so appealing. Subtitles, the fact their not truly mainstream, the setting?

In terms of English-language TV shows, Breaking Bad and the Wire are the two which I would identify as being my favourites. These two also have a certain aura around them, both having been largely ignored by mainstream TV (Breaking Bad completely, and whilst the Wire was shown on BBC2 late night a few years ago, this was after it’s completion and due to it’s nature, at a time which would not have lent itself to the casual viewer). They both have a cult following, and particularly in the case of the Wire, have a real depth which means the easily distracted viewer will struggle to keep up with what is going on; it is this aspect which it shares with subtitled drama. Most people are guilty of finding that TV shows struggle to hold the undivided attention, it often takes something exceptional to deserve our undivided attention.

The fact that when watching a foreign-language show, you need to read what people are saying rather than listen whilst potentially looking elsewhere is of high importance. You really can’t afford to look away as you might when you can still understand what is going on from the dialogue. This for me is the key aspect which makes these foreign-language shows seem better; it is simply that we are giving it our full attention so we see more of the little details which might be missed when watching more casually.

Location, location, location. Copenhagen or Coventry? Malmo or Manchester? Perhaps i’m being unfair, but foreign places always sound more interesting than British ones. This is something i’ve noticed when reading crime fiction too, the different, more exotic location seems to add an angle of interest which takes the story away from the normality which comes with a British setting. As well as this, due to the amount of crime fiction and television programming, the location, more importantly at first, added an extra diversity to make it stand out from the very popular (and i’m sure very good, I can’t speak for all of them) long-running series.

Exclusivity, or to some degree uniqueness, is also a factor. Many people are instantly put off by the concept of subtitled TV programmes and films (they don’t know what they’re missing out on!). ‘The original is better’ is something which will often be said of film/tv adaptations of books, but in this context is more relevant to the American (The Killing and the Bridge; and British in the case of the Tunnel) re-makes which have followed, and are deemed inferior by those who have watched the original. Re-makes tend to lack the spark and character of the original, or have more of a smoothness which is required for the more general appeal and audience the re-makes will be looking for.

There are also some prejudices which elevate this recent wave of foreign crime dramas above our domestic attempts; these may be more personal than a typical view. There are certain channels which I rarely watch due to me considering their general output to be poor (ITV) or specific series as being too dumbed-down or simply not very good. This means, however, that certain shows go under the radar. This is something I hope to rectify, and write an objective comparison of shortly. The series i’m referring to is Broadchurch, which though receiving general acclaim I did not ever start watching. Whether it was simply due to it being a British show, or because of it being on ITV, I do not know. What I do know though, is that I need to give it a chance. As a comparison piece, I will hopefully compare the Bridge (which I am on the second series of currently), Broadchurch, and perhaps something like the French series Spiral or the Belgian Salamander. It may take me a while, and it may never appear, but hopefully there will at least be some thought process on my behalf!