Jordskott preview

Currently airing in Sweden is the supernatural thriller drama Jordskott, which combines the successfull Scandi-crime mystery with mythology. 

1.6 million viewers sit down on Mondays to watch Jordskott, the latest SVT crime drama (along with Arne Dahl season two), which goes beyond the traditional cop-investigates-crime formula which has been a staple of Swedish crime drama since the mid 80s. The 10 x 60 minute drama series sits firmly in the so-called Nordic Noir genre, made popular by characters such as Beck and Wallander, TV series like Borgen and Mammon, and authors like Håkan Nesser and Jo Nesbø, however the twist with Jordskott is that it includes supernatural elements and mythology.

Described as “a TV series based on fairy tales set in an adult setting rather than a childlike one” by one viewer, the story of the series follows police investigator Eva Thörnblad in her search for a missing child in the forest town Jordskott. In the bleak and grim Swedish province, Eva becomes obsessed with the disappearance of a local boy, seven years after the disappearance of her own daughter. Eva is determined to connect the dots, but the surface hides more than she expects.

The concept started to materialize for series creator Henrik Björn seven years ago, when he started on what would become a complete universe. -I wanted to write a story that nobody had commissioned or paid for for, so that I could write for myself [with no limits]. I wrote lineages that went back several hundred years for some characters, Björn said to SVT. On the supernatural aspect of the series, he added: -It starts as a normal crime story, but it soon takes a detour. If you [follow the show] until the final episode, it will end up in a very different place compared to where it started. It’s a genre mash-up.

It’s not just the fantasy part of the show that interests Björn. -There are many [types of] scenes that have not been done in Swedish TV before. I am proud of what we have done, and would watch the show if someone else had made it.

Jordskott, which premiered at the Berlin film festival earlier in 2015, is produced by Palladium Fiction for SVT and is directed by Henrik Björn from a script by Björn, Alexander Kantsjö, Fredrik T. Olsson and Dennis Magnusson. The main roles are played by Moa Gammel, Göran Ragnerstam, Ann Petrén, Richard Forsgren, Peter Andersson, Lia Boysen, Vanja Blomkvist and others, including Johannes Brost of Wither, Lars Erik Berenett from the 80s proto-noir crime series Hassel and pop star Yohio in his debut role.

The series might export to several other countries, and will air on ITV Encore in the UK sometime in 2015. Jayne Redpath of ITV said of the series: -Jordskott’s stunning backdrop in a Swedish forest brilliantly sets the scene for this mysterious thriller of loss, grief and love.

The series airs on Mondays on SVT at 9 pm.