Beck

Beck offers up understated excellence in the form of a Swedish crime drama.

There are several seasons of Beck. I have been fortunate enough to watch two and four, with English subtitles. Unlike many US shows, the Swedish approach to crime drama is modest and down to earth. For me, this approach makes the characters and story, far more accessible and believable.

The crime stories Beck and his team investigate are in many ways familiar. This obstacle is overcome by quality narrative and fleshed out characterizations, that really lift this series above the ordinary. A good cast of well known Swedish actors, does this series no harm either.

In short Beck is a a worthwhile watch, I can happily recommend. Nine out of ten from me.

Gunvald alone makes this series so worth while. A Swedish 'Dirty Harry' Well written stories and great locations. Addictive and rewatchable.

This tv series has little to do with the classic Beck book series, beyond location and titile. Yet, it's a wonderful, wholly invented new character-driven police procedural that no doubt paved the way for so many Scandinavian and German, in particular, series. Beck is perfect, square and a worrier, yet he has a life outside the crime tales. The real invention, though is his sidekick, counterpart, Gunvald Larsson, played so well by his co-star, a very accomplished stage and film actor. Really, it's the secondary characters and storylines that work so well, quirky and ever-evolving that makes this a model production. Inger, Beck's daughter, the nutty neighbor to Beck, and even the senior police execs who drive Beck nuts. So much depth.

My wife and I enjoy mystery/crime drama series, particularly those from Europe. This series is one of the best, even though it has been around for quite a while. The plot lines are interesting, sometimes even captivating, the characters are sometimes fascinating (such as Beck's friend in the adjoining apartment), the character interrelationships sophisticated, and the settings well thought-out and realistic. Because I've spent some time in Sweden (particularly Stockholm), I also enjoy the series for personal reasons. I'm particularly enthusiastic about the lead character, Beck, who is not cast as an exceptional, almost super-human individual but, rather, as a thoughtful, sometimes vulnerable, but still very intelligent and caring human. My wife and I give it two thumbs up (to use another rating system). Tom Nelson

This series has been around for quite a few years, and it has been airing as of lately on the MHz Network during the international mystery and drama hour each week. I'm quite enjoying it—as aforementioned by other users, the two main actors, Haber and Persbrandt (who play Martin Beck and Gunvald Larsson, respectively) are phenomenal at interpreting the roles they are assigned. The series is well-written, and each character has a great deal of personality—the viewer is able to grow with the characters as they continue their assignments throughout the series. That being said, the other actors deserve applause as well.

I would definitely recommend this program to other fans of mystery and suspense... I think this series is a bit under-appreciated where I am (I'm not from Sweden), and it deserves more publicity here, although it isn't as recent as many other shows.