Borgen

I have so enjoyed "The Wire", "The Sopranos" and "The Killing" to name a few, that I absolutely had to post this, my first review. Borgen is totally absorbing.

The human characterisation is immense and is simply the best (in my opinion) series, film, broadcast I have ever seen. Thank goodness for subtitles!

It is a fascinating insight into how government works in a democratic society and how it "maybe" deals with so many issues that affect us all. If you hate politics and politicians, this series will temper your feelings. My scepticism and my cynicism towards government will not be as entrenched as it has been having seen this production.

Superb acting by all the cast. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

Borgen is a superb TV series, topical issues, political intrigue, terrific actors. The political shifts are totally credible. The development of characters in this series is truly impressive. They're rounded out, they have real depth. This is true not only of the central characters but the more minor ones too. The relationship between the media and high office is also convincingly portrayed. The way in which personal lives are impacted - particularly of course that of the Prime Minister's - has real emotional charge. BUT - and this is so important!: what on earth happened to the person responsible for sub-titles in English in Series 2? This is absolutely appalling,almost impossible to follow the story line without the subtitles. How did this go out without anyone spotting it? A really shocking flaw in so marvellous a production.

Borgen is a Danish political drama, similar to House of Cards, and may be the best political show I have seen! The show focuses not only on politics, but on the lives of those involved in it, including their families, and their personal struggles.I just got through binge watching seasons 1-3 in about a week, and just heard the news that a fourth season will be coming in 2022!

I'm a big fan of the series, but it probably helps that I'm the only British politician (I was an MP for 13 years) who grew up in Denmark. To complement rather than repeat the other reviews, a few words on how realistic it is.

The multi-party negotiations are entirely plausible - that's how Danish politics works, and there are parties that switch allies from time to time. The balance between idealism and scheming is also really well done - most British and American movies and TV series portray all politicians as ruthless power-mongers, but generally politicians like to think they're doing the right thing, just like anyone else. The character are recognisable types - in particular, the far-right leader is clearly modelled on Mogens Glistrup, the entertaining, folksy and erratic founder of the current Progress Party.

The series is maybe a bit weaker on the big political issues, since it has to tackle something complex in an hour, and an issue like Afghanistan can't really be analysed in any depth in that time. The episode on a thinly-veiled Sudan with the smooth, corrupt Northern leader and the plausible Southern leader with some uncomfortable views is gripping but stereotyped. But it works brilliantly with smaller issues, especially those that interweave with the private lives of the protagonists. Above all, it creates sympathetic yet flawed political figures with a non-political private life, so much more like real politicians than the one-dimensional figures that the media try to make us.

In many countries, this century has seen dozens of political dramas where "dry" politics does not prevail, it is rather a background/motive/reason to picture human relations and their changes proceeding from changes in circumstances. Borgen is a fine Danish example of respective matters, without the simplified approach "bad politicians - good journalists", and that even famous people at high places are humans and personalities, with their ups and downs, feelings and sexual life. Of course, Denmark is more "open" here than many other countries and only a few positions are separated from "ordinary" people by security guards, but still... Apart from sharp and logical script, there are diversified performances, beginning with Sidse Babett Knudsen as the protagonist Birgitte Nyborg Christensen up to less frequent appearances by not less famous actors such as Lars Brygmann, Jens Albinus, Lars Mikkelsen - to name a few...

True, there are some trivial elements available almost in all Scandinavian crime series (e.g. Child molestation) and there are several similarities with Adam Price's previous creation Anna Pihl, but nevertheless, Borgen is a series that could be mandatory for both viewers and politicians, particularly ahead of any elections. Because not is all as it seems when power and fame come into question.

PS Season 3 is strong comeback, even "green" topics are depicted in a sensible, not annoying manner. And SBK steals the show everywhere, sometimes perhaps too much...