The Bridge: Series 1-3

After the acclaim which greeted BBC4’s screening in 2011 of The Killing (Forbrydelsen), effectively launching the ‘Scandi Noir’ craze that has swept Britain (taking in Borgen, which is not exactly ‘noir’), expectations for the original series of The Bridge (Broen/Bron) were cautiously high. But it remained to be seen whether the unique qualities that made the 20-episode original series of The Killing such a sensation (series 2 and 3, while excellent television and certainly better than most British detective series, did not perhaps quite scale the same heights) could be replicated. A colleague with a penchant for all things Scandinavian never warmed to The Bridge’s autistically-challenged Saga Norén (Sofia Helin) as he had to The Killing’s jumper model Sarah Lund (Sofie Gråbøl). And the emotionally disfunctional Saga does take some getting used to. But persevere, as my old headmaster wrote on a school report 50 years ago, because The Bridge really is first-class Scandi noir in its own right. At the end of Series 2, I wrote: ‘Whether future series will be as effective now that Saga will be without former partner Martin (Kim Bodnia) remains to be seen. But Bodnia's refusal to go along with the scriptwriters' apparently far-fetched device to extricate him from the spot of bother in which he finds himself at the end of Series 2 may be The Bridge's saving grace and save it from following in the footsteps (and seemingly inevitable decline) of such non-Scandi series as The Fall and Broadchurch . . . The quirky partnership between Helin and Bodnia made it compelling television, a worthy successor to The Killing and much better than most of the UK crime series output.’ Well. my concerns about Series 3 in the absence of Kim Bodnia were wide of the mark. The latest series, with Sofia Helin's Saga joined by new partner Henrik (Thure Lindhardt), added a new dimension to this brilliant example of the genre and I rate it one of the very best things on television through 2015. The convoluted multiple-murder plot was not the main interest, which focuses on the developing relationship between, and psychological examination of, Saga and Henrik: by comparison, the interplay between Saga and Martin in Series 1 and 2 was less interesting. That the marvellous weekly online Guardian blog on the series was attracting in excess of 1,000 comments a week is testimony to the huge impact The Bridge has had! While I'm not normally a fan of sequels, I really hope we do get a fourth series of The Bridge - and maybe Kim Bodnia might make a brief reappearance? I watched Series 3 on BBC4 as it was broadcast, but I’ve sold my blu-ray of Series 1 and 2 and bought the trilogy instead. If you haven't yet caught up with The Bridge you should go for the trilogy and start at the beginning. Extra features on this blu-ray set include an audience with Sofia Helin and an interesting documentary on the making of The Bridge. A technical point: discs 3 and 5 (the beginning of series 2 and 3) both have trailers of other Scandi series programmed to play each time you insert them. While I’ve not found a way to by-pass them altogether it is easy enough to fast-forward through them to the main menu screen in just a few seconds. If, as some reviewers have commented, you appear not to have sub-titles on a particular disc check the settings on your player as they can be switched on and off. I have had no problems with them. It appears from the critical reviews published on this site that there may have been an issue with the sub-titles for series 2 on the DVD release (which I have not seen), but if that's the case the problem appears to have been resolved for the blu-ray version. The Bridge Trilogy on blu-ray is a highly recommendable set.

I watched series 1 and 3 on BBC 4 and really enjoyed it but never saw series 2 . The Boxed set was on a special deal so I bought it so pleased I did . Watched all 3 series over a few weeks and it reinforced what a great show it is. Summary; 2 detectives from different countries (Denmark and Sweden) work together on a murder case and work well together although they have different personalities and lifestyles they are a great team. Whilst the speech is totally foreign it doesn't seem to detract as the subtitles work well, the storylines have many twists and turns but are enjoyable its not all death and gloom with quite a bit of humour . Something you can leave for a while and watch again and certainly comparable with anything British TV can currently come up with.

Great series! I started with season one and could not stop until I finished with season 3. Wonderful show ! The actors and writing are all topnotch and the pacing of each show is spellbinding you just keep going with it. Season 1 sets the tone of the series. Sofia Helin is the lead and does an excellent job of making you care for a difficult character. She is surrounded by a crew of actors all of which are more than equal to task of brining their characters to life. This 3 season set is a great buy and the series has a beginning middle and end so this is the way to go if you don't already have any of the series. I really don't want to give anything away about this most entertaining show. I really urge those of you into police shows to definitely see this show!

Incredibly well done series, superbly acted, with believable storylines. I may not have liked all the developments, especially in Series 3 (won't risk a spoiler - you'll have to watch!), but certainly am hoping for a Series 4! Sofia Helin as 'Saga' is, quite simply, brilliant at bringing her to life in a very realistic way. This original series is superior to the British/French remake (which fell apart in Series 2; and hopefully will again meet the excellence of Series 1 if they are renewed). I didn't like Martin's propensity to being with other women, but I suppose if my life was as challenging and dark as his, I might not always be my best self either. I would love to see where they will take the characters next - fingers crossed for renewal announcement soon.

The Bridge is an excellent series somewhat let down by Arrow Films' subtitling providers. Most of the subtitles in this Trilogy set are OK, but Season Two's are dreadful. They're so American they're laughably out of place here! And there are several grammatical errors and 'typos'. Again in Season 2; I'm sure there are more uses of the 'F word' than was the case in the BBC's original subtitling. It's as if they've deliberately 'upgraded' various Swedish / Danish expletives purely for dramatic effect! I've contacted Arrow Films about it so it will be interesting to know if they get around to addressing this simple issue. After all, it is probably one of their top sellers.

Super tv drama. Initially the subtitles are a nuisance but because you literally can't take you're eyes off it , bar you speak Swedish/ Danish, well you miss nothing. Gruesome at times but also comical as the other detectives etc come to terms with the complexities of the central character , the main detective. Her behaviour , sometimes along the lines of a two years old , with her blunt honesty , make her a less than likeable character. Very good actress . Her 2 male counterparts in different series are fine actors too and the interplay between them and Saga makes this so watchable. Amazing stuff.

Ces DVD sont en suédois et danois uniquement; avec sous-titres anglais. Il y a mention : "Import anglais" ce qui ne fait qu'indiquer son origine ! La langue est indiquée sous le coffret, et invisible à l'écran lors de la commande. Rien n'est mentionné dans les commentaires.

スエーデンとデンマークを結ぶBridgeで見つかった死体をきっかけに 連続殺人を捜査する警官たちのノワールです。 トリッキーな展開、ユニークなキャラ、的確なカメラワークで面白かったです。 とくに主人公のキャラが秀逸。愛車のポルシェが良く似合います。 Amazon プライム会員の方なら、シーズン１、２を プライムビデオでレンタル無料です。 (期間限定のようで、シーズン２だけになってます)

Can't get enough of this series!!! My favourite Nordic Noir, ever! Compelling, edge-of-seat, stultifying story and acting. Martin and Saga are my favourite characters in any show I have EVER seen. This is acting and viewing at it's best. Don't miss this, especially if you are a murder mystery fan. I felt like I was manipulated and teased and fed "red herrings" all along the way. It was great!

Es una serie de gran calidad, tento en el rgumento y guiones, como fotografía y banda sonora. Las interpretaciones son excepcionales.

There's a nice Scandinavian feel to this series... and the performing is superb!