Both the first series of Swedish TV's Wallander and the second collection of British TV's interpretation have recently been aired on British TV, and whilst they share a number of elements and qualities (locations, excellent filmatography, thoughtful and impressive 'takes' on the central figure of Kurt Wallander), it's the differences that seem to separate a good television drama from an outstanding one.

Obviously the two productions differ in a number of basic ways and it's worth highlighting these as a given. For the most part Swedish Wallander uses Mankel's stories as inspiration, creating unique plots per episode, whilst British Wallander uses the source material and thus far has for the most part faithfully adapted 6 of Mankel's books (interestly the choice has been to adapt out of sequence, although the original stories were also published out of sequence, in Britian at least). An exception is the depiction of Kurt's father and his struggle with dementia, which logically has to progress through the overall TV series.

A second key difference is the interpretation of Kurt Wallander's relationship with his daughter. Swedish TV puts Linda into the police force from the outset, and uses this device to explore their legendary troubled relationship with the added frisson of professional, hierarchical tensions. Also into the mix is the relationship between Linda and her colleague Stefan Lindman. British Wallander maintains the original Linda/Kurt story arc, with Linda not yet having enrolled for police duty.

A third difference is the inclusion/exclusion of the Ann-Britt Höglund character. It seems the Swedish version quickly came to view this character as unnecessary within the looser story structure, as she is dispensed with well before Series One concludes. For British TV Höglund remains integral, just as she is in the books.

However, setting aside these givens, there are a number of factors which set the two interpretations apart in terms of quality, success and viewer experience. British Wallander is quite pacey, moving the story along briskly from scene to scene. Whilst this mostly works, it does occasionally occur at the expense of scene and/or character development - the camera (and therefore the viewer) is forced to follow Kurt, leaving other characters as cyphers. This is most notable during scenes with colleagues at police HQ. Swedish Wallander adopts a slower style, allowing characters and stories to develop and unfold with greater subtlety. This approach leads to a second and quite fundamental difference, and it is this element that underlines the superiority of the Swedish Wallander. The combination of writing, direction and editing for a slower pace allows the Swedish actors to effectively 'do less' and achieve more. Accordingly, Henricksson, Bergman, Sällström, Rapace et al are repeatedly given the time and direction to use economy and skill to enable the viewer to understand what they are thinking, feeling etc. The final episode of Series One was a particular example of this, with all concerned but particularly Sällström and Henricksson underplaying beautifully to create scenes of desperate sadness, bewilderment and loss whilst actually 'doing' very little. In comparison, a combination of misjudged casting and actors being let down by script and scene construction in the British version means for the most part the viewer receives less reward. Branagh, Warner and most notably McCabe as Nyberg are the exceptions, the former not least because Wallander remains the prime focus through the British drama, and is therefore given more time, scene-by-scene, and Warner because he is quite simply an experienced and clever film actor. Yet it is McCabe who shines, underplaying beautifully, especially during scenes in Episode 4 - The Faceless Killers.

Views on casting are always contentious. Suffice to say, the Swedish series has somehow managed to secure a host of clever actors who know a thing or two about camera work, and particularly scenes in close-up. From the moments of occasional humour gratefully received from Mörck's Ebba and Gunnarsson's Svartman (an incidental and unsung masterpiece of a performance) to the brilliance of Henricksson and Sällström, it's the Swedish production which holds the treats and subtleties and warrants repeat viewings.

Let's hope the BBC transmits Series 2 as soon as possible, and let's also hope the absence of Rapace and Sällström doesn't diminish what has been an excellent television production.

Being a fan of detective dramas and having watched the BBC's version of Wallander I was interested to see what the original was like when it aired on BBC4. Unfortunately I didn't catch all of the episodes but I enjoyed all of the ones I saw, in fact I preferred it to the British version.

Each episode follows a single case so it doesn't matter too much if you miss the occasional episode. Krister Henriksson is great as the eponymous Kurt Wallander, a police inspector in the Swedish city of Ystad. He isn't the only Wallander in the department, his daughter Linda is also on the force. She is played by the late Johanna Sällström who did a great job, it was rather sad watching it to know that this able actress is no longer alive.

The episodes I saw were all gripping, they also contained a bit more gore than one would expect in a British detective series set in attractive scenery, it isn't over the top though so shouldn't offend anybody unless they have a really weak stomach.

I'd certainly recommend this to all fans of detective fiction, it is a shame that it was aired on digital only BBC4 rather than getting a slot on BBC2 where it might get a larger audience; it seems they are afraid of showing anything subtitled on a major channel.

I am a huge fan of detective shows, so I was interested in seeing Wallander. This series is absolutely superb, as much as I did like the English series, this series(in Swedish) is much better, it is better plotted and has a more consistent tone. Wallander is often described as the "Swedish Morse", seeing this it is not hard to see why.

The scenery is wonderful, and the cinematography is atmospheric and skillful. The music is clever and never feels intrusive or too-much. The writing is always top notch, always moving, intelligent or goosebump-inducing, while the story lines are beautifully constructed with situations that are realistic and plausible and there are plenty of chilling and nail-biting moments. The direction is excellent constantly, while the acting is absolutely fantastic. Krister Henrickssen IS Wallander in my opinion, there are so many words to describe how good his performance is here and I would probably be here all night listing them. Johanna Sallstrom was wonderful too as Linda, and I too was shocked at her death, she was to me a very good actress, and I loved how hers and Kurt's relationship was developed, while the villains are very intriguing and chilling.

Overall, a superb and I think superior series. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The original Wallander series is a complete triumph. As others here I caught it on the off chance on BBC4 and full expected to be left a little cold by it. But I can't tell you how happy I am to tell you I couldn't have been more wrong. The first thing that grabbed me was the complete lack of silly old hat jerky camera that was always naff anyway (and which the British for some reason still persist with). Then I began to notice other things, very little shouting, no dumb music played over the dialogue. By now I was starting to sit up as it dawned on me I was watching a very rare thing these days: intelligent drama written for grown ups and blatantly not pandering to the fickleness of the under-25s. Once this realisation had dawned the real strength of this series suddenly grabbed me: the characterisation. First of all it was the wonderful portrayal of the passionate, but lost and vulnerable Linda Wallander by the beautiful and much lamented Johanna Sällström. Then it was Kurt himself and his flimsy grip on reality and finally and sadly not until the final brilliant episode that I got to grips with the hot head character of Stefan. Dysfunctional, deeply flawed and very human characters brilliantly written and superbly executed to breathtaking effect by the excellent cast. I honestly cannot think of a TV series that could be beat this. Can we please have some TV for grown ups again made in Britain? No? I didn't think so.

Krister is by far a much better Wallander than Kenneth Brannaugh will ever be. Krister is a real Swede as the character and the relationship he has with his team and daughter, Linda (who is sadly no longer with us),irreplaceable. Evidently new shows are on TV over there and I look forward to them being purchased and shown through MhZ International Mystery in the US. For me, authentic characters, locations are much better because you pick up on the culture which obviously fits well in the show. Personally, I don't mind the subtitles because I get to hear their voices and get a sense of them as a human being. You even learn a bit of the language. The other sad departure on the show is the ironic ending on the last episode of a character that I really liked. This mimicked the actress Johanna Sallstrom's real life ending shortly thereafter and I knew this when I watched the ending and found it very emotional.

First of all, greetings from Finland, Kurt Wallander! I usually do not watch a lot film series, but this is just so much different. Better. Much better than ANY other detective series out there. Right now one of our TV-channels are presenting a Wallander movie on Saturdays every week! I'm always eagerly waiting another one and it's easily a highlight of my whole week/weekend at the moment!

Krtister Henriksson is the main reason. Absolutely fantastic actor. He really may be the most memorable and impressive character which I've ever seen. He's calm and clever. I have always good feeling when I watch him playing the role of Kurt Wallander. It's.. Almost like a magic.

Of course the script and screenplay is also very important factor in detective stories. Of course there's couple things here and there which are just slightly impractical or clichés but that actually hasn't never bothered me.

Conclusion; After every movie, I'm happy. And when Wallander usually just walks away at the end of the movie and music starts playing, I feel great, I smile and get shivers. What could be better feeling after watching a movie?

I'm absolutely loving these movies. Krister Henriksson, thank you for being Kurt Wallander for all these years. Golden times that we will never forget.

The following refers to the 13 episodes of Season 2.

It sometimes seems as though the world is divided into two groups: those for whom subtitles pose no problem, and those for whom they do. If you fall in the former group, and you enjoy police-procedural dramas, then this series is for you. If you fall in the latter group, or if your comfort level plummets when you venture beyond BBC productions, then try the series with Kenneth Branagh and a supporting cast of English-speaking actors pretending to be Swedes - it's not as good, but it is in English.

I am a big fan of British police-procedural/detective series, and it was only because I was having trouble finding ones I had not seen that I turned to the Swedish-language "Wallander" series with Krister Henriksson in the lead role. I was impressed: it holds its own against the better British series.

Which actor you consider the definitive Kurt Wallander may depend on which version of the series you see first (assuming you see more than one). As much as I like Branagh and admire his work, he runs second to Henriksson in the Wallander Stakes. Indeed, the character of Wallander is not the same in the two series. The focus is much more on Wallander in the British series - a choice perhaps necessary to attract Branagh to the role - and he is portrayed as something of a loner, while in the Swedish version the members of Wallander's squad get significant screen time, and Wallander is portrayed more as an intelligent man with good instincts who is effective as a detective, a leader and a mentor. Branagh's Wallander is a man grappling with emotional issues, while Henriksson's comes across as reflective and world- weary but a man largely at peace with himself. I have not read the books on which the series is based, so I do not know which portrayal is truer to Mankell's character, but I do know I'd rather spend time with Henriksson's Wallander than with Branagh's.

The supporting cast is excellent, and, as indicated above, we are allowed to get to know their characters. The plots of the episodes held my attention, production values are high, and the locations and Swedish-speaking cast added to the verisimilitude. I especially liked how the relationship between Wallander and the prosecutor (an attractive divorcée who is also his neighbor) was handled. They are two adults of middle-age who develop feelings of mutual respect and affection (though they occasionally butt heads on the job), but their attraction is tempered by the baggage each carries from previous relationships. Their mating dance is cautious and restrained - very Scandinavian, one could say - and strikes just the right notes.

A beautiful small town full of psychopathic mass killers, brought to justice by a grumpy middle aged detective - no, it's not 'Inspector Morse', but 'Wallender', the British programme's Swedish equivalent. And whereas in every Morse story, the lead detective fell for a woman who turned out to be involved in the murders, here (on the evidence of the two stories recently shown on British television) every murder in some way involves Wallender's daughter. The plotting may be overblown, but the tone of these adaptations is procedural, and the characters generally show the famed Scandinavian sense of reserve; this makes Wallender appear less obviously interesting than Morse, but with skilled direction, the nasty stuff appears genuinely creepy. It's the chilling sense of atmosphere that makes the program a winner, in my book, rather than the stories; so it will be interesting to see how the recent BBC adaptation of the same novels compares.

Hard to rate! Season 1 is a huge "10." Season 2 is a bit of a let-down, maybe a 7? Season 3 starts so dreadfully mediocre and tedious it is easily a 3, but the last few epis bounce back up to an 8 or 9. I gave it a generous 5, because despite the first season's excellence, the subsequent uneven quality is, let's face it, a "fault" and shortcoming of the production team.

2 or 3 so years ago I watched the first 7 episodes of season one ("series" one for British readers). I absolutely loved them, and was hooked. So I bought the entire 13-episodes of that first season, and it seemed as if each episode I saw was better than the last one. I waited impatiently for 2 years for the Swedish folks to get season two subtitled, and snapped that up as well, the day that second set became available.

I am watching the 3rd episode of season two right now - and am torn between wanting to gobble them all up and watch them all in a row, immediately (!), and hoarding the treasure and stretching them out, watching them as slowly as I can manage, making them last, to extend the pleasure. The third season is in the mail to me as I write. Knowing I'll have 16 more episodes to see after the current episode I am viewing gives me the comfort one only gets from contemplating a secret stash of joy. My only wish is that they were high definition Blu Ray, and not just DVD - but the Swedish Wallander is so good I can overlook that.

One word about the BBC version. I admire Kenneth Branagh a LOT, but do NOT like the series he stars in. I don't intend that to be any disrespect of Branagh at all; but it is important and needs pointing out. If you've seen the BBC version and found it dull and depressing - don't give up! Try the "real" version, the one from Sweden. You'll notice it stars Krister Henriksson - an unusual name for English speakers that will easily stand out for you.

The BBC take is completely different from the Krister Henriksson Swedish version. The BBC shows feel as if they missed the point - or at least got such a radically different point from the Wallander stories that it well could be from a different literature.

For me the great joy of Wallander is not the plots or the "exciting" police action, although they are interesting enough. Rather it's the tone. The shows have a "meditative" quality - at times even existential. They are very evocative. Certainly seeing these more personal views of Sweden and the people delight me, and engage me in a way few TV series can.

It's as if Krister Henriksson has just stepped off the page of one of Henning Mankell's books and transferred to the screen with his portrayal of the Swedish detective. Everything about this tv series is just right. The best of all the scandi noir crime dramas.

I've seen both recent episodes on the BBC4 channel, and think the show is simply excellent. The gritty style of Kurt Wallander, played superbly by Krister Henriksson, along with some very skilled direction and scriptwriting, make this a gripping detective series. It's not for the faint-hearted either as some scenes are very graphic. The nasty stuff genuinely sends chills down your spine, something very difficult to achieve. While the general character of the Swedes is one of reserve and ice, the scenes of violence and gore differentiates this from the normal stereotype. The cinematography is excellent, and it is a show I would recommend to many Film Studies students.

The supporting cast is the one possible weakness in this show, and more could be done to bring them into it more. Otherwise a very good show. BBC have unearthed a winning detective series

That's how it's going to be done! Wallander is the perfect crime TV. The series is based on Henning Mankell's novels. Mankell's books are both exciting, often have more surprising disputes and they are thorough. With the help of talented scriptwriters, actors and directors, the transition from novel to film has been very successful. The nerve from the novels is also found in this television series. In addition to various killings being investigated in a way that makes it exciting and engaging to look at, Wallander also deals with much on the personal level. The main investigator's life, family and friends are a natural part of the television series. We meet them fast again, but with challenges they also have in their lives. This makes the series highly credible and we identify with those involved. Too bad, no more series of such good quality are made.

There is a great pleasure to be had in watching cinema in a language that you do not understand;an adventure and straining of your faculties in trying to derive the meaning of phrases that sometimes do resemble English, but not totally.The sub-titles help.Henriksson is the consummate actor, at once the father figure and also the failed father-man.I have always found a certain attractive sparsity in Swedish drama that contrast the more over-weighty and over-wordy cinema of British and American traditions,a leaner more trenchant quality.Sometimes quite a bit less is more, especially in convoluted and complex narrations that seemingly have no apparent solution but deliver more satisfaction and amusement in the final denouement. This is without a doubt much better that what was a very good English production.Intelligent acting,enticing cinematography,and story plots to match!

I have to rate this show highly! We have a hard time finding episodes here in the US. 2 different streaming sources have it here in the US. I found this show after watching the BBC Wallander, starring Kenneth B. The BBC version is really pretty good, but the 2005 version is better in my opinion. Krister's portrayal is really good. Season 2 is the best, but season 1 is good too. The stories start out subtly and grow from there. The day to day goings on in the department add to it quite a bit. Wallander is kind of like a Columbo type, but certainly not the same. It is interesting to note that even this series is a remake. I found the original Wallander, Swedish version too which is certainly worth watching but the stories were redone over the 3 versions out there. The original series which I think was done in the 90's stars a guy who is definitely like a flawed Columbo. I still like the Krister portrayal best. I am very much looking forward to the movie release in 2013 and the followup series if we can get them. If you don't like subtitles, then this is not for you. I found it funny watching the Swedes go to IKEA in Sweden, not sure why since that's where that firm is based. However, my interest is probably the view into Swedish culture too.

There isn't enough good things you can say about this series. The casting is perfect, better than any series that I have ever seen on Netflix, the chemistry and interaction between the characters is meaningful, aids the story-line and always likable. Every episode brings everyone together and you end up pulling for the team every time! This is who-dunit at its very best and sets a high plumb line to this genre. There is no personal drama, personal fluff that typically characterizes a series. Each episode begins with a end in mind, and what an end every episode is! What a shame it came to an end. I shudder to watch the series again, and hopefully it won't shatter the magic of visiting it the first time. This truly does justice to Swedish actors, and the scenery is attractive and amazing. This is a must watch for fans of detective series genre. While Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes will always take the cake, Krister Henriksson's Wallander leaves nothing behind!! 10 OUT 10!

Perfectly done detective show that has interesting cases and characters that you actually care about. Much better than the Kenneth Branagh over-acted version in which you do not really care about the plot and you especially do not care about the characters.

I had no opportunity to watch English version,but judging by the choice of the main actor I believe that it is very good. I was lucky to have chance to follow Swedish show in which Detective, Kurt Wallander resolve cases more by his heart and by his deep understanding of human nature than by the contribution of forensics and technology. Wallander is not only Detective, he is lone Intellectual who lives in the house on the beach, entoured by books and classic music records, devoted to the goal to find and maintain the fine line between Good and Bad ,Lie and Truth, before everyone, in himself. That's why he goes up to the discovering of deepest motif of each case , realizing sometimes, grace to his deep understanding of the human soul and grace to his moral sense that the murderer is often a victim.He, himself is not perfect , he often makes errors in social connections, but he knows that making mistakes is inevitable part of the human soul and he completely undertakes consequences of his acts, not avoiding the suffering and the sadness. The show is colored by the "noire" atmosphere given by the scenery of empty beaches, tiny interiors, obscure lightening, the threatening waves of magic Baltic Sea that all serve to support the sense of everywhere present possible tragedy, inevitable due to imperfection of divided human nature. As for acting, the main Actor,can not be anymore distinguished from his Role in the Show that is the ultimate level of ingenious acting. The only remarks that I have are unnecessary copying of some of famous iconography of CSI Miami that can be recognized from the second season, that lowers my opinion from perfect to "close to perfection." Except for this, the show took my all heart and my soul.

I would do 10 but I heard IMDb would invalidate the lowest and highest rating. I lived in Sweden for almost a year so many of the Sweden landscape and atmosphere is coming back to me viscerally. I tried to watch the BBC version which is astounding but nothing like how Swedes do it.They have so much micro expressions and knowing how Scandinavians are, I really enjoy this series deeply. I understand some phrases and the translation is pretty good. Of course Swedes speak really good English so I think the subtitles captured it pretty well. The Swedish Wallander actor has a lot of depth and Kenneth Branagh in the BBC version is no slouch.

One thing about this series is that one episode is a complete story at least as far as the case is concerned. However the backdrop of the relationships will only be understood if you watch an entire season. Netflix does not have the 1st series so I will probably buy it on Amazon. I will also hunt for the book/s.

I love classic Swedish films but the new ones are also as classy. I am even surprised how good their television is as well. As long as you are willing to read the subtitles and research the Swedish culture a bit, you are in for a treat.

I won't get into too much comparison between the BBC version and the Swedishversion. They both have their strengths. Personally, I prefer the slow,deliberate pacing of the Swedish version but I can understand why most Americans would prefer the faster paced BBC show. My praise, though, is for Krister Henriksson as Kurt Wallander who captures the main character and Fredrik Gunnarsson who plays Svartman, a supporting role. In their hands, these are real people. You should watch the show just for their acting! The plots are intricate, the characters real and filming is superb. Underlying many of the plots are some of the hidden tensions in Swedish life such as tensions caused by immigration, skinheads, and even the role of the Lutheran Church. All these issues are handled subtly and tend to form the background for a particular episode.

Even though I have seen both the Swedish (first) and the British versions of this series, I would recommend watching the Swedish first. Subtitles are really not an issue these days with so many excellent foreign shows becoming available. The Scandinavians do police/crime dramas as good as the best British ones, and there is no shortage of those. The books are helpful and likely more understandable after watching the series, as is the case with 'Millenium', the series based on the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books. The acting is top-notch, and the world weariness of Kurt comes across as authentic and written for a thinking audience. The pace is perfect and the lack of swearing a nice change from the many newer shows in this genre. The scenery adds to the mood of the episodes, as does the subtle music. Have watched this several times by now and always pick up something I missed or didn't get previously. Thumbs up. The British version is fine, but I find Kenneth Branagh a bit too intense in this role. Still, the supporting cast is very good and it's just as enjoyable to watch.

I'd heard so many good things, but when I finally got to see an episode, it was average. Not believable plot; cinematography that started great and then got average, and despite some pretty solid acting from the main characters, I couldn't even be arsed to sit through the two hours and ten minutes. Cardboard villains, silly dramatic set-ups, and really no better than a typical Brit or American offering - just a damn sight longer. And how does a car explosion as the hero is walking away from it blast the hero back at a 45 degree angle towards the explosion? And how do two cops who realise they need to get out of a car s l o w l y because of a potential hazard then slam the doors? Seriously disappointing.