New Danish Drama Finds U.K. Home

LONDON: BBC Four has picked up the rights to the 10-episode drama Borgen from DR/Danish Broadcasting Corp following the British success of the original Danish version of The Killing.

From the same production company behind the BAFTA-winning The Killing, Borgen is focused on 40-year-old politician Birgitte Nyborg and the cast of characters around her, including media adviser Kasper Juul and political journalist Katrine Fonsmark. Sidse Babett Knudsen, who portrays Nyborg, picked up a Golden Nymph Award for outstanding actress at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival last week. The show has also been honored with a Prix Italia for best series.

"BBC Four always buys with an eye to excellence," said channel controller Richard Klein. "Borgen is dramatic and entertaining, very much in the mould of The Killing, and fits BBC Four’s brief to bring the best international television to the audience."

Ingolf Gabold, the head of DR Fiction, added, "I am excited to learn that yet another DR series will be broadcast on the BBC. I hope this will be as well received by the U.K. audience as The Killing."