With 4.7 households watching TV in Sweden, there is a high demand for Nordic content across the country. Swedish broadcasting was late to the game compared to some other European countries, with the first commercial channel becoming available in 1987.
Today, the Swedish broadcasting industry is much smaller than most with four main companies dominating Swedish TV. These include Sveriges Television AB (SVT), Bonnier’s TV4 Group, Discovery Network Sweden and Nordic Entertainment Group who hold the majority audience with 17 billion Swedish viewers.
While Swedish television is limited compared to some countries, 80% of the Swedish population are fluent in English as a second language, meaning British and American shows are also widely consumed. Swedes consume a lot of British entertainment, for example, they watch British TV shows, listen to British music and playing on typical British games. Gambling and casino online are common in Britain and have also made their way over to Sweden with many Swedish people enjoying online casino games such as roulette and slot games. The Swedes have a love for British entertainment however some believe that British and American TV shows are over-exaggerated and flamboyant which can be irritating to Swedes.
For this reason, for Swedish viewers, nothing can beat a classic Swedish film or series produced in-country. Below we we will take a look at 4 of the best Swedish films and series there are currently.
Bonus Family
Bonus Family is a Swedish drama series that was created for SVT by Felix Herngren, Moa Herngren, Clara Herngren, and Calle Marthin. With 3 seasons available, the show has so far been a big hit among the population.
The show is based around a slightly dysfunctional family as a new couple, their exes and both their children navigate the emotional challenges and complex logistics of their family life in Sweden. Stars of the show include Vera Vitali,Erik Johansson and Fredrik Hallgren.
In 2017, Netflix purchased the rights from the production company, FLX, to stream the series. The show became incredibly popular and is now available across most countries on Netflix, however only season 1 is available on most streaming platforms in Nordic countries.
Agent Hamilton
Agent Hamilton is a Swedish crime drama series, based on the bestselling novel by Jan Guillou. This is another popular Swedish series that was also presented at the annual trade show, MIPCOM, in Cannes in 2019. The show was originally broadcast on C More Entertainment in 2020, as well as appearing on TV4. Surprisingly, it was also popular in Australia after being sold to SBS Australia and aired with subtitles. In the Nordic countries, Agent Hamilton was picked up by neighboring countries Norway, Denmark, and Finland. It is also being aired by the Belgian channel Canvas, as of this year.
The series is based around a series of cyber-attacks and bombings that take place in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. As an ex-member of the Swedish Security Service, Agent Hamilton is hired to get to the bottom of the events as they unfold.
Agent Carl Hamilton embarks upon one of his toughest missions yet as he discovers that the criminal behind the attacks may have links to Russian, Swedish and American intelligence agencies.
The series is sure to keep viewers clinging to the edge of their seats.
QuickSand
Created by Norweigan director Per-Olav Sørensen, QuickSand is a Swedish crime drama, based on the 2016 novel by Malin Persson Giolito. The series stars some big names in Sweden and the first two episodes premiered in Germany at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.
The storyline revolves around a tragic event where a shooting took place at a prep school in Stockholm. After the event unfolds, one of the teenage students, Maja, finds herself as a suspect of the murder and is arrested. Through a non-linear sequence of events, Naja must work to prove her innocence and discover the reasons why the violent act happened.
The Bridge
As a Swedish-Danish co-production, The Bridge is hugely popular across Sweden and is even the inspiration for several international recreations of the show. The series was created and written by Hans Rosenfeldt and was financed by Sweden’s Sveriges Television and Denmark’s Danmarks Radio. Since its production, the show has aired in over 100 countries, including the UK in 2018.
The series is based around a dead body that has been found in the middle of the Öresund bridge, which lies at the borders of Denmark’s Copenhagen and Sweden’s Malmö. After discovering the gruesome body, Danish and Swedish police are pushed to join forces as the location falls within the jurisdiction of both countries.
The series features a chilling effect that keeps viewers gripped to the edge of their seats and has a particularly eerie feeling throughout.
Overall, at this moment in time, there is a variety of good crime drama shows from Sweden, many of which can all be found on Netflix. Give them a go!
