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Borgen

(52 Posts)
Mamie Mon 09-Jan-12 06:31:13

Did anyone else watch this new Danish political drama on Saturday on BBC 4. Nice to see those two lovely young male detectives from The Killing 1 and 2 (yes I know one of them had killed loads of people in very nasty fashion, but I am sure he was a nice boy really.)
I thought it was brilliant - I am hooked!

crimson Sun 06-Jan-13 16:22:51

It's repeated on Tuesday so I'll watch it then.

Mamie Sun 06-Jan-13 16:24:11

Yes, I tend to think I can knit or surf at the same time and then you count stitches or read Gransnet and you have lost the plot!

Marelli Sun 06-Jan-13 16:40:13

Exactly, Mamie! And I was really annoying DH because I kept asking him, "Why did that happen - who was that?" - and that meant he kept missing bits while he tried to explain!

annodomini Sun 06-Jan-13 17:00:32

I managed to watch it, but it's hard to keep one eye on the sub-titles and the other on G'net at the same time.

merlotgran Sun 06-Jan-13 17:04:53

Ooooh! Is it back? Must catch up on iPlayer

Mamie Sun 06-Jan-13 17:11:53

Does it mean we are getting like our children and conducting our lives with one eye/finger on the iphone / ipad? Oh dear....

GrandmaH Wed 16-Jan-13 16:15:14

Why are all these foreign series so damned GOOD? Is it bercause we really have to concentrate on themso we appreciate them more? The Killing series, the Bridge, Borgen- I just love them all. Also the original Girl with Dragon Tatoo films were so much better than the US re-makes.
I gave up on US version of Killing after 30 mins but advised by DIL that they had the politician as the 'perp'- what a travesty.
They can't have many actors though as you see the same faces in all of them.
Long may they grace our screens!

Grannyeggs Wed 16-Jan-13 16:30:57

I love it. Wish we had someone like her here. I also hope her personal life looks up.

Marelli Wed 16-Jan-13 17:09:32

I love these series! I hadn't seen any of them at all until I joined GN, and read what everyone was saying about them. At last there's something good to watch on a Saturday night - although sometimes I have to watch it again on catch-up tv because I lose the thread if I go to make a cuppa! Gransnet is a no-no when these programmes are on!

Mishap Wed 16-Jan-13 17:26:40

I love it too - it is so well-written and acted. And believable. And has female characters that ring true.

I think part of the reason I enjoy it is that it is not over-dramatised.

Tegan Sun 20-Jan-13 16:37:54

Last night's was powerful stuff. Wish I'd seen the first series and understood Katrine's relationship with the guy 'formerly known as Kenneth'. Annoying that my computer crashes every time I try to get onto the Guardian blog [just as it did with The Killing].

Marelli Sun 20-Jan-13 16:43:06

I've just watched last night's episodes on Catch-up. I hadn't seen the first series either Tegan - which one is the chap 'formerly known as Kenneth, is he still in it somewhere?

gracesmum Sun 20-Jan-13 16:49:08

Kasper was called Kenneth when he was a little boy and stabbed his father while under the age of criminal responsibility in Denmark because he(the father) abused him. I had forgotten that from the first series. Kasper seems to be losing the plot though and I was shocked at how he completely freaked out at Birgitte. He and Katrine have a sort of on-off relationship.
And as for poor Birgitte - what a mess her private life is, her husband seemed such a nice chap until her job got in the way didn't he? And she's not having much luck with her ministers is she?
Brilliant series IMHO

Tegan Sun 20-Jan-13 16:53:58

The one at the end that was with Katrine [he was called Kenneth when he was a little boy]. They went out together in the first series [I saw bits of it]. I hadn't realised that he was Birgittes media advisor [I thought he was a reporter and another was her advisor not the same man; I really must concentrate harder]. It's so frustrating not getting on the blog. And all these people from The Killing keep popping up everywhere. And why, if she's PM and has two children doesn't Birgitte have a housekeeper? Who picks the little boy up from school? [I need to know these things...]

Marelli Sun 20-Jan-13 16:57:20

Ah! That's helpful, gracesmum. I wish I'd cottoned-on to these Scandinavian series before. They are so well done.

Tegan Sun 20-Jan-13 17:09:43

Kasper; that's his name. Has he always been Birgittes advisor? That horrible politician [the one that was attacked] reminded me of Sir Les Patterson wink.

gracesmum Sun 20-Jan-13 17:12:00

Didn't he just?
One thing that is confusing is that the same Danish actors turn up in The Killing/Borgen/The Bridge etc. I have a theory that there are only about 12 actors in Denmark and they just rotate the rolesgrin

Tegan Sun 20-Jan-13 17:28:50

I think there's a lot of humour in Borgen that goes over my head because of the language. I like Karine's friendship with the older lady, the alcoholic with the dogs. Anyone that hasn't seen Borgen but has read the last few posts will REALLY want to watch it, won't they!

Marelli Sun 20-Jan-13 18:01:19

And I like their scarves! I can't tie scarves confused.

Grannyknot Sun 20-Jan-13 18:29:57

Tegan that's me now! (read the posts and want to watch it). I just haven't had the time to watch everything what with movies and goodness know what lots else going on at the moment. But husband is hooked on Borgen and so I must try and catch up, I sort of avoided it because I thought it was all about politics and I wasn't in the mood for that. Didn't realise it was murrrrrrder. I find I understand a lot of the language, I wonder whether it is possible to learn a bit from hearing it + reading the subtitles?

Tegan Sun 20-Jan-13 18:36:39

If you check out the Guardian blog they'll talk you through it episode by episode 'domestic drama, psychological problems and giant scarves' is part of the heading. There's probably a blog for the last series as well. But my pooter can't handle it [can't get onto wikipedia either these days]. It is, of course repeated on [I think] Tuesday for those of us that haven't paid attention [or nodded off] on Saturday night. I wonder if there's a niche in the market for scarf tyeing over here?

annodomini Sun 20-Jan-13 18:39:10

You can understand a lot, even without the sub-titles, if you study the body language and facial expressions. I hadn't seen it until recently but am now hooked.

Mishap Sun 20-Jan-13 18:41:37

There was some superb acting in the last episode - brilliant!

gracesmum Sat 26-Jan-13 23:09:54

I am a bit slow on the uptake at times, but I am seeing a pattern - Birgitte's political life -= up, her private/family life -=down. Tonight was a prime example, while she brokers an international peace deal, her daughter is having a complete breakdown behind a locked bathroom door.
Should Birgitte give up her job for Laura and Magnus's sake?
(I know it's not real! Unlike The Archers, which is.)

Tegan Sat 26-Jan-13 23:14:05

I still don't understand why she doesn't employ a full time housekeeper. [Oh, it would b***er up the story line wink].