"Edderkoppen" (The Spider) is definitely one of the best Danish television shows in years - if not ever. It beats "Riget" (The Kingdom) in everything, except originality, because The Spider is above anything else an exercise in style. It is very clear that the makers of this 6-episode tv-show know their film noir and they put this knowledge to good use!
Based loosely on a true Danish criminal case, the series centers around a young reporter, Bjarne Madsen, who picks up on black market dealings in the years 1949-50 in Denmark - a period where police corruption flourished and a real Danish mob seemed to exist. His struggle for the truth results in events he cannot control, and before he knows it more than black market dealings are the issues and the stakes are high indeed.
I have nothing but respect for the makers of this mini-series. As I mentioned it is not particularly original - most of the ideas and the action has been seen before (albeit not in a Danish context) - but is is incredibly well-produced. A staggering 6 million Danish crowns (about 1 million dollars) was spent on each one-hour episode. This may not seem much by US-standards, but in Denmark 6 million crowns is a lot for a TV-production. And it pays off: the production design is wonderful, the acting is mostly brilliant (certainly better than in The Kingdom), the directing almost flawless, and the script is well-written and thrilling until the end. Søren Hyldgaards orchestral score (performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra) is wonderful too, although it is very clear that he was inspired by foreign film composers, especially Jerry Goldsmith and his score for "L.A. Confidential".
In all, "The Spider" is one of the best TV-productions ever to come out of Denmark, and it is highly recommended!
