Anno 1790

Although the events happening in the end of 18th century are distinctive and unconventional - with good overview of life in Eastern Sweden then - most of the scripts (10 episodes, in a logical sequence, but still 10 different crimes) are rather tedious, and due to the natural lack of novel techniques and devices, attentiveness and "wild guesses" are the main successes in solving crimes. In some cases, you can guess the offender easily, and the inclusion of outsiders / supporting characters does not provide any additional value. Thus, all the episodes could have been shorter, max 45 minutes instead of almost an 1 hour.

As for acting, I found it good that different actors as usual were employed, but - apart from Linda Zilliacus as Magdalena Wahlstedt - there were no strong performances, no character actors as e.g. Peter Stormare, Mikael Persbrandt, or Rolf Lassgaard. But still, for a change, Anno 1790 can be regarded as a different approach, and there are lots of Becks and Wallanders anyway already :)

This is a quiet and unheralded series that ostensibly is a police procedural albeit placed in the Enlightenment. But production values, acting, script and direction are all first-rate, truly stunning.

There is given much detail to 18th century life in this tv series by the Swedish government television Sveriges Television except from one essential thing: there were no police force in the 1700s!

In the famous painting The Coffee Raid (Kaffebeslaget) by Martin Rudolf Heland (1765-1814) for example, during the prohibition on coffee, the "Law's henchmen" (Lagens hantlangare) who surprises a coffee-drinking party of ladies, who hurry to try to hide their coffee-drinking, are no police officers.

It wasn't until the 1860's during the industrial revolution when the poor people from the countryside moved into the cities and the upper class wanted to be protected from the criminal gangs, drunkenness and prostitution, it was founded a police force modeled after London. And where did they recruit the new police officers? Of course, from the criminal gangs.

As a Swede, growing up with Swedish TV, I am not easily impressed with anything Swedish. It always seemed too theatrical, with lines delivered as if from a stage, with voices and gestures that didn't fit the TV format.

There is still a tiny bit of that present here, but this series proves that we are on the right way, big time! The main character is played by Peter Eggers, who has great presence, reminding me of actors like Ralph Fiennes and Michael Fassbender, because of his looks and fine acting. The rest of the basic cast is very accomplished as well.

The show itself is a detective story set in 1790, with one case solved each episode, but there is also an underlying political drama, and a love story, that stretches over all the episodes. It made me think of the Murdoch Mysteries.

Meny prominent Swedish actors are guesting; I have to mention Thorsten Flinck and Jessica Zandén. Both gave vibrant and scene-stealing performances.

The visual production is top notch; exterior, interior, costume, hair - yep, it looks pretty damn good:) I was seduced, I hope you will be too!

Compared to what passes for a quality TV series on broadcast TV in the states, Anno 1790 is one of my few viewing enjoyments. As a person who is homebound and financially challenged(can't afford cable,satellite,etc.),Anno 1790 and the other international mystery series from MHz save my otherwise very isolated life. I just wish they would continue the Anno series and add a season 2!

Since I am required to have 10 lines of text I will comment on the show:

1. The show is realistic to the era in it's costume and design. It's good to see a TV series with an historic setting actually create authentic portrayals. The characters in Anno 1790 all have disheveled, greasy hair, which I find relieving. I hate watching period pieces set in the 18th and 19th centuries with the character's hair in a clean, nice coif when you know that even for the upper classes bathing and soap was a luxury.

2. I Like the political underpinnings of the show. In the states no one talks about a "class" driven, hierarchical society(except maybe the Occupy Movment) ---yet there is one. I feel the show does a good job of portraying the brutality of classism, sexism, etc.

3. The acting is generally good. I agree with the previous review that Peter Eggers is OK and the rest of the cast is strong, esp. in the development of strong women characters.