Protectors - Auf Leben und Tod

The Protectors and Unit One are my 2 all time favorite Danish crime shows. With The Protectors we only get 20 episodes but the final episode is rich and a revelation. So what do you get with The Protectors? You get a group of candidates trying to get selected into the equivalent of the US Secret Service. The candidates are tough and skilled and vulnerable and include a Muslim woman who is as determined as she is beautiful. We watch the candidates slowly get weeded out as they go through training and the top ones start to get protection assignments. The individual agents have compelling back stories and are lead by their bad-ass commander who keeps them in line. I was bummed when the series ended but very satisfied with the show-it's available on DVD, i keep looking for it to show up on a streaming service like Acorn TV or Britt Box but nothing yet.

I watched all 24 episodes of THE EAGLE, first - which was also excellent. When I finished, I was searching for something else on Netflix, hopefully as good, when I came across THE PROTECTORS. I smiled when I saw it was the same creating team (Peter Thorsboe, Mai Brostrøm)!! The first episode, getting to know all the many characters, was slow going, I admit. But starting with episode 2 I was COMPLETELY and totally HOOKED, spellbound even. I found both these Danish shows such a huge improvement over most U.S. television, which has become increasingly meaningless, mediocre and bloated. Whereas The Protectors has so many authentic characters -- you can't help caring about ALL of them. I hoped for something AS good as The Eagle -- and it was! It might even have been. . . BETTER?! Either way, BOTH are TRULY OUTSTANDING television, with the added bonus of providing a few interesting and wonderful insights into Danish and world culture. Bravo to a flawless cast and hugely talented crew! Unfortunately, I finished ALL 20 episodes over the course of ONE, glorious weekend. I just could NOT STOP watching them . . . and now there are no more. In future, I will watch absolutely anything and everything this same creative team puts together, probably more than once. Tusen Takk!!

A wonderful, underrated series which delivers in every aspect, if you like good acting and directing, well-paced action, interesting characters, inter-cultural issues, gray zones around political correctness and religious tolerance, and Nordic atmosphere in general.

Once you see the first plot line (4 first episodes) you really appreciate it and want to see more of it. The stories and characters linger on in your head after you turn off the screen, which is generally a good rule to ponder how memorable a show is.

The story starts from the recruiting training period of a team of elite special bodyguards and quickly evolves to their actual performance in the field. A few scenes are enough to set in the relationships, conflicts and personal stories. The Team Chief Leon Lensen, particularly, is superbly played by Thomas Gabrielsson, a very credible, nuanced character indeed. You will also see familiar faces from other Danish or Swedish series, such as Borgen or Bron/Broen as well.

In sum, a highly commendable series, which regrettably will not have a third season, as I hear.

I can not get past the fact that all the bravado and heroics inherent in this series, amounts to enthusiasm in the service of what I would describe as a dismal cause.

Protecting shifty politicians and indulged Royal drones, does not strike me as a worthwhile use of ones time or career. Still, if you can swallow this pill, this is a well acted series. The stories presented are interesting too, if a little too kind to the elite and political class.

Certainly I preferred The Eagle for its more down to earth, human interest stories but that said my bias is my own and should not deter you from taking a look at The Protectors. Seven out of ten from me.

It's a shame that this excellent danish production hasn't even got five votes on this site yet. It deserves praise and attention for being just as exciting as your average American action-series, but unlike them remaining firmly rooted in reality, in everyday life situations. The structure of two episode arcs, first one ending on a cliffhanger and second one giving closure to the storyline while setting up the next works excellent, and all technical aspects are incredible.

But what really brought me in was the characters. They are an interesting group, really fleshed out with their strengths and flaws, making them real people. I also really liked that the show is centered around body guards, since the whole concept of that profession is deeply fascinating, both on a philosophical, ethical and practical level. It's a fresh angle on the tiered cop story, dealing with the same issues but coming in from a different perspective, constantly in the middle of everything. Also the relationship forming between a body guard and his or her "object", as they refer to their clients, is highly interesting and is a fold for great stories. Although to be honest, in this production they underplay this to leave room for more dramatic, action filled plot lines with high tech surveillance and chasing snipers on rooftops. Which is thrilling and pleasing for the eye, but they have set the scene for great emotional depth, and so far not really delivered. I will keep watching though, hopefully it will develop over the course of the series.

On a side note, frankly I'm surprised that there aren't more movies and shows about bodyguards (that disastrous thing with Whitney Huston aside). As a center of a story it has all the potential in the world.