| Wallander | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime |
| Directed by | Stephan Apelgren Anders Engström Jørn Faurschou Jonas Grimås Leif Magnusson Charlotte Brändström |
| Starring | Krister Henriksson Johanna Sällström Ola Rapace Mats Bergman Fredrik Gunnarsson Douglas Johansson Stina Ekblad |
| Composer(s) | Adam Nordén |
| Country of origin | Sweden |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | (see: Production) |
| Producer(s) | (see: Production) |
| Editor(s) | (see: Production) |
| Location(s) | Ystad, Sweden |
| Cinematography | Peter Mokrosinski Geoff Boyle |
| Running time | 89 min. |
| Production company(s) | Svensk Filmindustri Yellow Bird |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TV4 |
| Original run | 14 January 2005 – present |
Wallander is a Swedish television series adapted from Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels and starring Krister Henriksson in the title role. The 1st series of 13 films were produced in 2005 and 2006, with one taken directly from a novel and the remainder with new storylines suggested by Mankell. The 2nd series of 13 films was shown between 2009 and 2010.
The three films Before the Frost (#1), Mastermind (#6), and The Secret (#13) were premiered in cinemas, with the rest first released as direct-to-DVD movies. The first episode of the second series, Hämnden (The Revenge), was released in Swedish cinemas in January 2009; the rest of the series was made for television.
The BBC aired all 26 episodes of the Swedish television versions on BBC Four television.
Contents |
From 2005 to 2006, the first 13 new stories, starring Krister Henriksson as Kurt Wallander, were produced. The first film is based on the Linda Wallander novel Before the Frost and was released in cinemas. The rest of the films are original stories based on plots written by Mankell, with scriptwriting completed by others. Two more were theatrical releases, and the rest were released on DVD and shown on TV.
| Film # | Title | Original release date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Innan frosten (Before the Frost)" | January 14, 2005 | 89 min. |
| A missing grandmother leads Kurt Wallander on the trail of a religious cult. Tracking a sadistic killer, he follows a string of incidents, including ritual murders and attacks on domestic animals, with the help of his daughter Linda, a new member of the police, in the town of Ystad. | |||
| 2 | "Byfånen (The Village Idiot)" | 3 August 2005 | 89? min. |
| A man with learning difficulties blows himself up while trying to rob a bank. | |||
| 3 | "Bröderna (The Brothers)" | 7 September 2005 | 89? min. |
| Kurt Wallander and his colleagues uncover the connections between a series of murders and a military training exercise. | |||
| 4 | "Mörkret (The Overdose aka The Darkness)" | 12 October 2005 | 87 min. |
| When an abandoned baby is found in a car, Kurt Wallander oversees a big operation to find the missing father. | |||
| 5 | "Afrikanen (The African)" | 16 November 2005 | 89? min. |
| Ystad CID intervenes in the investigation of an African man's apparent suicide in a rail yard. | |||
| 6 | "Mastermind (Mastermind)" | 13 December 2005 | 102 min. |
| Investigating a grisly local murder and the disappearance of a policeman's daughter, Ystad CID begins to suspect the two are connected. | |||
| 7 | "Den svaga punkten (The Tricksters)" | 15 March 2006 | 89? min. |
| When a riding pupil finds the stable owner dead in his barn, Wallander is initially at a loss for suspects - the dead man had no friends, no social life and seemingly no enemies. However, a little digging reveals a much more complicated and sinister story and soon the suspect list is too large. | |||
| 8 | "Fotografen (The Photographer)" | 10 May 2006 | 89? min. |
| An American woman at a photo exhibition steals an exhibit and is found dead in the harbour. | |||
| 9 | "Täckmanteln (The Container Lorry)" | 12 July 2006 | 89? min. |
| An abandoned lorry is discovered to contain dead refugees. | |||
| 10 | "Luftslottet (The Castle Ruins)" | 23 August 2006 | 89? min. |
| An old man who withdraws 20 million kroner from the bank is found poisoned. His neighbours are suspected, but they are the next to be poisoned. | |||
| 11 | "Blodsband (The Black King aka Bound by Blood)" | 25 October 2006 | 89? min. |
| Following an argument with her lover on her boat, a woman is found dead. Wallander and the Ystad police investigate; their enquiries lead them to a farm commune and to an old friend of Linda's. | |||
| 12 | "Jokern (The Forger aka The Joker)" | 1 November 2006 | 89? min. |
| When a woman is shot dead on the beach outside her restaurant, the only witness is her young daughter. Wallander and his team are informed about a restaurant mafia in Malmo run by Jack Hansson, so the Malmo police are called in to help. One of their cops, Frank Borg, knows a little bit too much about Jack's business dealings, and his methods are unconventional. | |||
| 13 | "Hemligheten (The Secret)" | 10 November 2006 | 89? min. |
| When an 11 year old boy is found dead, the team struggle in overcoming the emotional torment the case causes them. | |||
| Episode | Originally aired UK | Official ratings | Repeat UK airdate | Official ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saturday 6 December 2008 22.00 | N/A | Saturday 24 July 2010 21.00 | 386,000 |
| 2 | Monday 13 July 2009 21.00 | 274,000 | Saturday 31 July 2010 21.00 | 376,000 |
| 3 | Monday 20 July 2009 21.00 | 221,000 | Saturday 7 August 2010 21.00 | 359,000 |
| 4 | Monday 27 July 2009 21.00 | 267,000 | Saturday 14 August 2010 21.00 | 397,000 |
| 5 | Monday 3 August 2009 21.00 | 248,000 | Saturday 21 August 2010 21.00 | 392,000 |
| 6 | Monday 8 December 2008 22.00 | N/A | Saturday 28 August 2010 21.00 | 406,000 |
| 7 | Monday 10 August 2009 21.00 | 368,000 | Saturday 4 September 2009 21.00 | 310,000 |
| 8 | Monday 17 August 2009 21.00 | 310,000 | Saturday 11 September 2010 21.00 | 341,000 |
| 9 | Monday 24 August 2009 21.00 | 426,000 | Saturday 25 September 2009 21.00 | 396,000 |
| 10 | Monday 31 August 2009 21.00 | 282,000 | Saturday 2 October 2010 21.00 | 354,000 |
| 11 | Saturday 12 December 2009 21.35 | 301,000 | Saturday 16 October 2010 21.00 | 445,000 |
| 12 | Saturday 19 December 2009 21.30 | N/A | Saturday 23 October 2010 21.00 | 439,000 |
| 13 | Saturday 26 December 2009 21.00 | 288,000 | Saturday 30 October 2010 21.00 | 438,000 |
In 2008, a further 13 films were commissioned. Filming began in August 2008, and continued during 2009.[1] The 13 episodes were released during 2009 and 2010.
The first of these films, Hämnden (The Revenge), was a theatrical release on 9 January 2009, directed by award-winning Paris-based Franco-Swedish director Charlotte Brändström.[2] The remaining 12 films went directly to DVD in Scandinavia during 2009 and 2010, and were broadcast there at a later date. In the beginning of 2010, both Canvas TV in Belgium and BBC Four in the UK began airing the 13 episodes weekly, which meant that they both showed the two last episodes before these had been released in Scandinavia.
The episodes in the second series are:[3]
| Film # | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | "Hämnden (The Revenge)" | 9 January 2009 (Sweden), 27 February 2010 (Belgium)[4] |
| Wallander has bought a dream house by the sea, but his peace and quiet is soon shattered when a man is murdered and several car bombs are detonated. The local populace suspects Islamic extremists, but when the army is called in, Wallander believes otherwise. | ||
| 15 | "Skulden (The Guilt)" | 17 June 2009 (Sweden), 6 March 2010 (Belgium)[5] |
| When a young boy goes missing, suspicions immediately fall on a previously convicted paedophile, and vigilantes start attacking him and his elderly mother. However, when the boy is found dead with a high dosage of a sedative, Wallander starts to look elsewhere for the killer. | ||
| 16 | "Kuriren (The Courier)" | 15 July 2009 (Sweden), 13 March 2010 (Belgium)[6] |
| After the murder of a motorcyclist, the investigation soon reveals that bike racers are being used as drug couriers from Denmark to Sweden, and that the killing was part of a power struggle within the Russian drug cartel that is running the couriers. When one of Wallander's colleagues is attacked in her home, it's obvious that one of the cartel leaders will let nobody stand in his way. | ||
| 17 | "Tjuven (The Thief)" | 18 August 2009 (Sweden), 20 March 2010 (Belgium)[7] |
| Homes are burgled and a vigilante group is formed. Soon Wallander is convinced there's been a double murder, although no bodies have been found. | ||
| 18 | "Cellisten (The Cellist)" | 19 September 2009 (Sweden), 27 March 2010 (Belgium)[8] |
| The police go to great lengths to protect a cellist who is due to testify in a Russian mafia trial. | ||
| 19 | "Prästen (The Priest)" | 21 October 2009 (Sweden), 3 April 2010 (Belgium)[9] |
| A priest is shot outside a low budget hotel in Ystad and is fighting for his life in hospital. Who would want to kill a priest? Wallander has no clues, until he finds out that the priest was having an affair. Who had the strongest motives? The priest's wife or the deceived husband? | ||
| 20 | "Läckan (The Leak)" | 18 November 2009 (Sweden), 10 April 2010 (Belgium)[10] |
| When a security van is robbed, Wallander suspects a leak inside the security company. | ||
| 21 | "Skytten (The Sniper)" | 16 December 2009 (Sweden), 17 April 2010 (Belgium)[11] |
| When a small-time crook is killed by a sniper, Wallander and the Ystad police investigate. | ||
| 22 | "Dödsängeln (The Angel of Death)" | 20 January 2010 (Sweden), 24 April 2010 (Belgium)[12] |
| A girl in a choir disappears and is later found dead; then her best friend in the choir also disappears. Suspicion falls on a strange man who has been seen in the neighbourhood. | ||
| 23 | "Vålnaden (The Ghost, aka The Phantom)" | 24 March 2010 (Sweden), 1 May 2010 (Belgium)[13] |
| A cottage by the sea, owned by a local charity that lets it out to the public, is ravaged by a gas explosion. The burned corpse of a man is found inside and a badly burned woman is found outside, who dies in hospital before she's able to talk. When they are identified later, a web of betrayal, secrets and love affairs is revealed. The woman's husband, who was also the business partner of the dead man, is immediately suspected. But then he too is murdered... | ||
| 24 | "Arvet (The Heritage)" | 21 April 2010 (Sweden), 8 May 2010 (Belgium)[14] |
| A cider manufacturer is murdered during a business party. When more people with connections to the business are killed, Wallander starts suspecting that the killer is to be found within the company. And is there perhaps more than one killer? | ||
| 25 | "Indrivaren (The Collector, aka The Dun)" | 22 May 2010 (Belgium),[15] 12 June 2010 (United Kingdom),[16] 16 June 2010 (Sweden) |
| A woman is found murdered in her flat, and in the subsequent investigation the loyalty of one of Wallander's young colleagues is put to the test. | ||
| 26 | "Vittnet (The Witness)" | 5 June 2010 (Belgium),[17] 19 June 2010 (United Kingdom),[18] 21 July 2010 (Sweden) |
| A young girl is hiding somewhere in Ystad. It is obvious that she has seen something terrible and that someone wants her silenced. At the same time a trial of human traffickers starts, and both Wallander and district prosecutor Katarina Ahlsell receive death threats, forcing them to assess their jobs as well as their own relationship. | ||
After filming completed on the 2009 series, Henriksson stated that he would not play Wallander again, having only signed the new contract because he thought the 2005 series could have been better.[19] However, he has since suggested he would be interested in playing the role in an adaptation of the final Wallander novel, The Troubled Man, because "it is the definite end".[20]
| Episode | Originally aired UK | Official ratings | Repeat UK airdate | Official ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Saturday 27 March 2010 21.00 | 486,000 | Saturday 21 May 2011 21.00 | 454,000 |
| 15 | Saturday 3 April 2010 21.15 | 404,000 | Saturday 28 May 2011 21.00 | N/A |
| 16 | Saturday 10 April 2010 21.00 | 387,000 | Saturday 4 June 2011 21.00 | 357,000 |
| 17 | Saturday 17 April 2010 21.00 | 389,000 | Saturday 11 June 2011 21.00 | 391,000 |
| 18 | Saturday 24 April 2010 21.00 | 502,000 | Saturday 18 June 2011 21.00 | 416,000 |
| 19 | Saturday 1 May 2010 21.00 | 527,000 | Saturday 25 June 2011 21.00 | 494,000 |
| 20 | Saturday 8 May 2010 21.00 | 519,000 | Saturday 2 July 2011 21.00 | 535,000 |
| 21 | Saturday 15 May 2010 21.00 | 494,000 | Saturday 9 July 2011 21.00 | 521,000 |
| 22 | Saturday 22 May 2010 21.00 | 395,000 | Saturday 16 July 2011 21.00 | 497,000 |
| 23 | Saturday 29 May 2010 21.00 | 417,000 | Saturday 23 July 2011 21.00 | 645,000 |
| 24 | Saturday 5 June 2010 21.00 | 472,000 | Saturday 30 July 2011 21.00 | 585,000 |
| 25 | Saturday 12 June 2010 21.00 | 391,000 | Saturday 6 August 2011 21.00 | 526,000 |
| 26 | Saturday 19 June 2010 21.00 | 543,000 | Saturday 13 August 2011 21.00 | 522,000 |
The following are some other personnel involved:
To coincide with the BBC television adaptation, Wallander, BBC Four began broadcasting the 2005 series to United Kingdom audiences. Before the Frost and Mastermind were shown in November 2008; broadcast of the others began weekly in July 2009. Reviewing The Village Idiot and The Brothers in the Financial Times, John Lloyd wrote:
More evident is the philosophical underpinning that the books' author, Henning Mankell, brings, focusing down on the forensic work of a provincial detective the global sins of the western world. This coming week’s episode, The Brothers, is a murder mystery emerging from a terrible crime perpetrated by a group of drunken men on colonised people; last week's, The Village Idiot, had at its core the moral obloquy of a private surgeon greedy for profit.
Wallander and his comrades seek what remedies they can to the consequences of the sins of oppression and greed. At one point, Wallander tells his daughter, Linda, who is applying to become a detective, that she should reflect—otherwise she, like him, will emerge from a tunnel 30 years later, wondering what had happened to life. What had happened for Wallander is a melancholy immersion in human degradation, a provincial Inferno without a Virgil to guide him.[21]
Writing in Örnsköldsviks Allehanda after the release of The Thief (2009), Peter Carlsson complained that only the first and last films of the successive series were any good, pointing out that these are the ones released to cinemas. Carlsson further criticised that the middle films "are often predictable, tentative and carelessly made", and that the arrest of the criminal is anticlimactic.[22]
As a series, Wallander has been nominated for The International TV Dagger at the 2009 Crime Thriller Awards, an awards ceremony presented by British television channel ITV3 and the Crime Writers' Association.[23]
Series 2 won the International TV Dagger at the 2010 Crime Thriller Awards, an awards ceremony presented by British television channel ITV3 and the Crime Writers' Association.[24]
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