Rejseholdet

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Rejseholdet is a fictional, Emmy Award winning dramatic television series produced by Danmarks Radio (DR) with 32 Episodes spanning four seasons.

Rejseholdet (or Unit One/Unit 1 in English releases; Mordkommissionen in Swedish release) is an elite mobile task force that travels around Denmark helping local police solve serious crimes. Cases portrayed in the show are loosely based upon actual incidents with sensational crimes such as murders, kidnappings, cross-border sex traffic and child pornography featuring in various episodes.

Contents 1 Themes 2 Locations and awards 3 Distribution 4 Episodes 5 Cast

[edit] Themes

The central character, Ingrid Dahl (Charlotte Fich), is an ambitious detective who has been promoted into command of the unit at the beginning of the first season. The drama is balanced between the forensic process and an unfolding backstory that includes the sometime ambivalent relationships existing between the unit members, their families and those outside the Unit. The series regularly touches on social issues including the insularity of police work, the social and emotional impact of brutal crime, as well as political and press involvement in the justice process.

[edit] Locations and awards

The Danish landscape features extensively as the unit moves to a new location for each story. Action has ranged between Denmark, Germany, Iceland and other regional locales.

In 2002, the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded the Best Drama Series Emmy for episodes 20 & 25.

[edit] Distribution

The series has been televised in Denmark (DR1), Sweden (TV4), Germany (ZDF), and in Australia (SBS).

Each episode is titled with a reference to an Assistancemelding which roughly translates to English as "Request for Assistance"

Region 4, English-subtitled DVDs of Unit One are currently available for all seasons. The series includes "adult" content with occasional nudity, graphic violence, sexual situations, strong language and adult themes.

[edit] Episodes

Season 1	Title	First aired (Denmark)	Synopsis
1	Assistancemelding A-15/99	1 Oct 2000
2	Assistancemelding A-21/99, del 1	8 Oct 2000
3	Assistancemelding A-21/99, del2	15 Oct 2000
4	Assistancemelding A-6/00	22 Oct 2000
5	Assistancemelding A-11/00	29 Oct 2000
6	Assistancemelding A-15/00	5 Nov 2000
7	Assistancemelding A-17/00	12 Nov 2000
8	Assistancemelding A-19/00, del 1	19 Nov 2000
9	Assistancemelding A-19/00, del 2	26 Nov 2000
Season 2
10	Assistancemelding A-24/00	11 Mar 2001
11	Assistancemelding A-25/00	18 Mar 2001
12	Assistancemelding A-26/00	25 Mar 2001
13	Assistancemelding A-28/00	1 Apr 2001
14	Assistancemelding A-30/00	8 Apr 2001
15	Assistancemelding A-31/00, del 1	15 Apr 2001
16	Assistancemelding A-31/00, del 2	22 Apr 2001
Season 3
17	Assistancemelding A-2/01	30 Dec 2001
18	Assistancemelding A-3/01	6 Jan 2002
19	Assistancemelding A-4/01	13 Jan 2002
20	Assistancemelding A-6/01	20 Jan 2002
21	Assistancemelding A-7/01, del 1	27 Jan 2002
22	Assistancemelding A-7/01, del 2	3 Feb 2002
23	Assistancemelding A-9/01	10 Feb 2002
24	Assistancemelding A-12/01	17 Feb 2002
25	Assistancemelding A-13/01	24 Feb 2002
26	Assistancemelding A-15/01	3 Mar 2002
27	Assistancemelding A-16/01	10 Mar 2002
28	Assistancemelding A-17/01	17 Mar 2002
29	Assistancemelding A-19/01, del 1	24 Mar 2002
30	Assistancemelding A-19/01, del 2	1 Apr 2002
Season 4
31	Assistancemelding A-05/03, del 1	25 Dec 2003
32	Assistancemelding A-05/03, del 2	1 Jan 2004

[edit] Cast

Character	Played by
Ingrid Dahl	Charlotte Fich	Central character, appointed commander of the Rejseholdet unit at the beginning of the first series, holds rank of Detective Chief Inspector. Single mother of Tobias (by former husband) and guardian of Gry, the daughter of her late partner, who dies in the first season. Promoted into a leadership position, she initially struggles to gain the respect of the team and her superior, Ulf Thomson. During the series it is revealed that Ulf had been a close friend of Ingrid's (deceased) father when he forms a friendship with Ingrid's mother. Ingrid comes to suspect that Ulf is her father but he persuades her that this is not the case.
Allan Fischer	Mads Mikkelsen	Detective Inspector. The sometimes "problem child" of the unit, Impulsive and emotional, Fisher has been frustrated by a lack of advancement, as he is seen by Ulf and Ingrid as "difficult to manage." Despite his rough edges his persistence, physicality and willingness to bend the rules often produces results and he is thus highly valued as a member of the team.
Thomas La Cour	Lars Brygmann	Detective Inspector. The most cerebral member of the unit, La Cour is noteworthy for his highly intuitive investigative approach that often plays a key role in solving an episode's mystery. Most episodes include a sequence where La Cour seems to mystically "channel" the victim and/or perpetrator in order to re-create the crime event. The portrayal of these moments sometimes suggest the supernatural, such as an episode when an off-duty La Cour leads local police directly to the murder scene and thus places himself under suspicion for the crime.
Jens Peter "I.P." Sørensen	Waage Sandø	Detective Inspector. The senior member of the unit, who has been passed-over for promotion when Ingrid is appointed commander. Partner to Kirsten. A world-weary but trusted and quietly supportive second-in-command to Ingrid. Has been with the force for 40 years.
Ulf Thomsen	Erik Wedersøe	Senior police official, under whom the unit operates. Appointed Ingrid to command position. This promotion seems at least partially the product of political pressure to elevate a female. Ulf frequently challenges Ingrid's decisions but his respect for her is revealed over time. Ulf's affair with Kirsten and promotion of Ingrid has complicated his longstanding relationship with colleague I.P.
Gaby Levin	Trine Pallesen	Junior member of the unit. Develops relationship with Johnny Olsen. Gaby is portrayed as the "glue that often holds the unit together" managing unit logistics and she is heavily relied upon by Ingrid and other unit members.
Johnny Olsen	Lars Bom	Contract truck owner/operator. Responsible for moving the Rejseholdet mobile office between locations. Partner of Gaby. Former Danish national football (soccer) star, frequently "unofficially" involved in the unit's police work.
Jan Boysen	Michael Falch	Forensic pathologist working with the Danish Police. Pursues Ingrid romantically.
Tobias	Sebastian Ottensten	Ingrid's teenage son. Tobias's brushes with the law (smoking hashish and joyriding in a stolen car) has been used to illustrate Ingrid's conflicted state as an ambitious career officer and a single mother.
Kirsten Jørgensen	Lisbet Lundquist	Actress and I.P.'s partner, but they separate during the first season. A successful stage actress, we learn that she is struggling with issues pertaining to ageing and alcoholism. Develops an affair with Ulf.
Gry	Lykke Sand Michelsen	Daughter of Ingrid's late partner.