Wisting (TV series)
Wisting is a Norwegian thriller police procedural television series starring Sven Nordin as widower William Wisting, a senior police detective, and in the first five episodes, co-starring Carrie-Anne Moss as FBI Special Agent Maggie Griffin.[1]
| Wisting | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Scandinavian noir Police procedural Thriller |
| Created by | Trygve Allister Diesen Kathrine Valen Zeiner |
| Based on | The Caveman The Hunting Dogs The Inner Darkness The Night Man by Jørn Lier Horst |
| Written by | Vegard Steiro Amundsen Anne Elvedal Kjersti Ugelstad Trygve Allister Diesen Kathrine Valen Zeiner Jadranko Mehic |
| Directed by | Trygve Allister Diesen Katarina Launing |
| Starring | Sven Nordin Carrie-Anne Moss Mads Ousdal Thea Green Lundberg |
| Composers | Ole Bo Jacob Groth Sören Möller |
| Country of origin | Norway |
| Original languages | Norwegian English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Julia Angelin Alexander Eik Silje Hopland Eik Anni Faurbye Fernandez Jørn Lier Horst Fredrik Ljungberg Nanna Mailand-Mercado Jakob Mejlhede Matilde Nørgaard |
| Producer | Terez Hollo-Klausen |
| Cinematography | Linus Eklund Jørgen Johansson Ian N. Tomkins Håvar Karlsen |
| Editor | Sofia Lindgren |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production companies | Cinenord Good Company |
| Budget | €12 million (Season 1) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Viaplay TV3 (Viasat) |
| Original release | April 11, 2019 – present |
Wisting is the most expensive television drama series produced in Norway. Its first season is based on two Jørn Lier Horst novels, The Caveman (2013) and The Hunting Dogs (2012). In episodes 1–5, Wisting heads a murder investigation with FBI collaboration since the suspect is a serial killer hunted in the US. In episodes 6-10, Wisting has to defend himself against accusations of tampering with evidence in a previous murder case.[2] In late 2020, the show was renewed for a second season. Four episodes, based on the novel The Inner Darkness (2019), were aired in Scandinavia as Season 2 starting 26 December 2021, with a third season of similar length already confirmed; those eight episodes were originally intended to all be included in Season 2. This four-episode third season, based on The Night Man (2009), screened in Scandinavia in April 2022.
Plot
Season 1 (2019)
A man's body is found, hidden in the snow, under a tree on a Christmas tree farm near Larvik, Norway. This is investigated by William Wisting and his team of detectives. Fingerprints link the death to Robert Godwin, an American serial killer who has been on the run for more than 20 years. He is believed to have fled to Larvik, "hiding in plain sight", having assumed the identity of a local resident. In response the FBI sends Special Agents Maggie Griffin and John Bantham to assist the Norwegian investigation. But they must keep their presence secret to avoid alerting the killer, who they fear will flee again. Wisting's daughter, Line, is a journalist writing a story about their next-door neighbour, who had died alone in his house. Unwittingly, her investigating opens up connections with the police murder investigation and she becomes a target. Line's liaison with Bantham, allowing her to discover his identity, compromises his cover. Meanwhile, the police discover the killer's principal dumpsite, the body count sharply rises and the hunt moves over the border into Sweden before Wisting and Griffin corner the killer in a dramatic climax.
Wisting appears on a national television show to discuss the Robert Godwin case. Instead he is ambushed by Philip Henden, a lawyer representing Vidar Haglund, who was jailed for 17 years in a different murder case. Now released, Haglund has always maintained his innocence. The crucial DNA evidence, placing him at the crime scene, is shown to have been tampered with, so Wisting is suspended while the investigation is carried out. Line Wisting is outraged that her father is being hounded by the newspaper for which she works and resolves to clear his name, but a murder case she is working on starts to become connected to everything else.
Season 2 (2021)
A race against time to hunt down an escaped killer before he can strike again, with serious consequences for Wisting's team.
Season 3 (2022)
The head of a girl is found placed on a spike in Larvik's town square, shocking the nation. When another dead body is pulled from the river, it becomes clear that the case may delve into broad international criminal connections.
Cast
- Sven Nordin as William Wisting, police detective
- Carrie-Anne Moss as Maggie Griffin, FBI Special Agent
- Thea Green Lundberg as Line, Wisting's daughter, journalist
- Jonas Strand Gravli as Thomas, Wisting's son
- Kjersti Sandal as Torunn Borg, Wisting's deputy
- Mads Ousdal as Nils Hammer, police detective
- Mariann Hole as Sissel
- Lars Berge as Benjamin Fjeld, police detective
Season 1
- Richie Campbell as John Bantham, FBI Special Agent
- Ulrikke Hansen Døvigen as Christine Thiis, police prosecutor
- Irina Eidsvold Tøien as Andrea Vetti, police chief
- Gard B. Eidsvold as Frank Robekk, retired police detective
- Fridtjov Såheim as Philip Henden, lawyer
- Christoffer Staib as Vidar Haglund, hunted murderer
- Lasse Vermeli as Erik, press photographer
- Jon Øigarden as Terje Nordbo, Chief Inspector, Independent Office for Police Conduct
Production
Wisting's first season is based on two books by Jørn Lier Horst, The Caveman (2013) and The Hunting Dogs (2012).[3] Horst is a best-selling author in Norway and has been translated into over 30 languages. Filming started in January 2018 on a 150-day schedule.[4] The adaptation was written by Trygve Allister Diesen and Kathrine Valen Zeiner. Diesen also directed episodes along with Katarina Launing.[5]
The show's first season had a budget of NOK 110 million (€11.4 million). This sum incorporated a €1 million grant from Creative Europe as well as a grant of NOK 26.05 million (€2.7 million) from the Norwegian Film Institute.[4] This makes the show the most expensive drama ever produced in Norway.[6]
Release
The Norway and Sweden broadcast commenced in April 2019.[7] In the US, the series was launched on December 18, 2019 via the Sundance Now streaming service.[8] In the United Kingdom, the series was acquired by BBC Four from Banijay Rights and commenced broadcast on 28 December 2019, with two episodes being shown back-to-back for five weeks.[9][10]
Reception
The Nordic press viewed the series favourably. Stavanger Aftenblad commented that it was "intricate and riveting", Jyllands-Posten called it "a sure winner" and Aftenposten praised its "nonstop momentum".[11]
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Rabinowitz found the series "seamlessly woven" and "superbly layered".[2]
Writing in UK's The Guardian, Euan Ferguson described the series as "... the best Nord-noir ever. Since the last one. What did Scandinavian film-makers think they were ever doing, 80 years of existential angst and Death playing nihilist chess, before remembering: we have crime. Coal. Snow. Blood. Fire. Cheekbones. Let’s do that."[12]
References
- Ago, 11 Hours (2019-04-10). "Scripted Hot Pick: Wisting". TBI Vision. Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
- Rabinowitz, Dorothy (12 December 2019). "'Wisting' Review: A Detective at Work". WSJ. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- "Wisting: from book to screen". Dead Good. 2018-09-04. Archived from the original on 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
- Nikel, David (12 June 2018). "Wisting: The Next Nordic Noir Hit?". Life in Norway. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- Keslassy, Elsa (31 January 2018). "Banijay Rights Acquires Nordic Crime Drama 'Wisting' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- Furn, Daniel (9 December 2019). "When is Wisting on TV? What's it about?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- Horst, Jørn Lier (4 September 2018). "Wisting: from book to screen". Dead Good. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- Kanter, Jake (2019-11-06). "Sundance Now Snaps Up Carrie-Anne Moss' Norwegian Detective Series 'Wisting' In Drama Deal With Banijay". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
- "BBC - BBC Four acquires Norwegian drama Wisting - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
- "BBC Four acquires Norwegian drama Wisting". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
- "Sundance Now Announces Jan 2020 Slate". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- Ferguson, Euan (January 5, 2020). "The week in TV: Dracula, Doctor Who, The Trial of Christine Keeler and more". Archived from the original on January 7, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2020 – via www.theguardian.com.
External links
- Wisting at BBC Online
- Wisting at IMDb