As a TV show there is much that is distinctly Scandinavian about The Killing; its depiction of politics, its sense of melancholy, its cultural customs (check out the wedding in season 2). But it is also a show born out of a love and respect for quality US and UK police drama.

“I saw Twin Peaks, I saw 24, I saw Murder One, I saw Prime Suspect. I saw what I could find that had some quality about it. And then I saw there was room for me because they focused on other stuff than I would. It was a kind of melting pot I was cooking. You watch these big shows and you think, “Wow, they did good,” but then you miss something. For example, I think Twin Peaks was fantastic and it was deconstructing the crime genre but basically it was a comedy. I’m old school in that way and I felt a little bit cheated when Spirit Bob just moved around in Twin Peaks town. I wanted to see if you can really do a crime story set over 20 days in 20 episodes and not just to laugh about it but to take the investigation seriously.”