Pick of the week: Fortitude (SVT1, Sun, 22:00)
Scheduled to air on TV2 in early March, the Swedes couldn't resist getting in there first and snapping up the British psychological thriller series that stars Sofie Gråbøl as the mayor of an Arctic settlement, Fortitude, the safest place on earth.
The 'Broadchurch on Ice' whodunnit starts with the barbaric murder of a British research scientist (Christopher Eccleston), which rocks the community to its core, threatening its very future. Distrust quickly grows as a stuttering investigation starts.
Besides Gråbøl's mayor, who plans to transform Fortitude into a high-end tourist site, the show's characters are an eccentric bunch – none more so than the wildlife photographer played by Michael Gambon who only has a few weeks left to live.
With 75 on Metacritic, the critics were generally impressed, but it is feared the series is a little too cryptic for its own good and might lose viewers once they've got over the stunning backdrops and impressive cast.
Also new:
We like to pretend that pan-European dramas are strongly anticipated, but they're normally crap. Nevertheless, The Team (DR1, Sun, 20:00), with Lars Mikkelsen filling the token Dane's shoes, is set to enjoy a sensational premiere in a zillion countries this Sunday. This time around, a super group of cops are hunting an international killer of prostitutes. It sounds familiar and awful.
Rather like the Oscars, really, although at least there are never any expectations that something interesting might happen for a change. You can either lap it all up on your night shift at the morgue (TV2, Sun, 00:05) or just grab the highlights (DR3, Mon, 21:30).
Elsewhere, there's a chance to catch a documentary on the mysterious ways of The Gypsy Matchmaker (Dr2, Wed, 23:00); journey through hell and high water with pirate captain Edward Teach on Crossbones (3+, Sun, 23:25); take a look back at the destructive nature of the Vietnam War and the events leading up to it in Vietnam: Before, During, After (DRK, Mon, 20:00); or go behind the story of an acclaimed street photographer on Finding Vivian Maier (Dr2, Tue, 20:45) whose photography went undiscovered until after her death.
Coming soon: The Slap
Fiercely provocative, this new mini-series (Metacritic: 62) traces the shattering repercussions after a man slaps another couple's obnoxious child at a birthday party. The eight part mini-series is the remake of the popular Australian series, slightly re-jigged with a sobering narrative voice and an all-star cast (Uma Thurman).
The Slap is raw and sophisticated viewing material that really gets under your skin, depicting the kind of uncomfortable scene that viewers might find themselves caught up in in their own homes.
Sport of the Week: Football
Not only is February cold, it’s bereft of decent sport, with only European football offering any kind of distraction from the vodka. Man City’s week will make or break their season. First Newcastle in the EPL (K6, Sat, 18:30), and then Barcelona in the UCL (3+, Tue, 20:00). A day later, Monaco travel to Arsenal (3+, Wed, 20:00) knowing the hosts have never once been beaten by French opposition.
Film of the week:
A strong ensemble (Alan Arkin, Emily Mortimer) ensure City Island (SVT1, Sat, 22:00) is a better film than its weak premise suggests. The opposite is true of The Life Before Her Eyes (DR3, Mon, 23:30), whose portrait of a ’Colombine survivor’ is muddled. Given that a decent comedy about a female bounty hunter has yet to be made, One for the Money (DR1, Fri, 21:50) never had a chance.
