Wallander Series 1 and 2-anybody have it yet?

[McCrutchy]

So, I just had my first experience with the BBC Series of Wallander, starring Kenneth Branagh. Essentially, I downloaded the first episode, "Sidetracked" on iTunes US (Amazon.com only has Series 1 on DVD) and this is one enthralling show.

I should state that I've never read any of the novels and I haven't seen any of the Swedish films/TV series, and the interesting thing is that it seems many Swedish people think the BBC Wallander is a "better" show than at least their own current version.

BBC/2 entertain did release Series 1 and 2 on Blu-ray (and DVD) in February, day-and-date with the Series 2 DVD premiere, and judging from the "HD" version on iTunes, this should be incredible in 1080p. I've already ordered the BD (£30.56 sans VAT which is kind of with the exchange rate) and now I'm fighting a losing battle not to download another one of the first series from iTunes.

Does anyone else have the Blu-ray? Is anybody else a fan of the series, (British or Swedish)?

Also, I see that this has 50Hz content, so is that a screen/menu or are the episodes also 1080i/50?

[HotRats]

I've been a fan of the books since Faceless Killers, I've even bought the lettered Scorpion Press editions of two of them, and I have to say I was disappointed with the BBC adaptations. The appeal the books have for me is that the crimes are solved by methodical hard work from the entire team, this gets lost in the TV versions which focus on the main character and are too short to get the full scope of the books. I didn't like Branagh who seems to burst into tears on a regular basis when the character in the books is simply an overworked middle aged man trying to come to terms with the changes in his country, I also found it weird seeing Swedish road signs etc with a cast speaking English. The BBC's tightness also saw them miss out the novels that would have been too expensive to film like White Lioness and The Dogs Of Riga. If I didn't like the books so much I'd probably have enjoyed the TV series more as its stylishly filmed and well acted.

The Swedish TV Wallander has long since left behind any real connection with the books but they are well acted, have decent stories and Krister Henriksson is excellent in the title role, you can get them from http://www.discshop.se/shop/search_s...&sok_typ=titel but only some of the second series is subtitled as they are still waiting for foreign licensing.

The next foreign detective the BBC is tackling is Aurelio Zen the subject of a truly great series of books by English author Michael Dibdin. Even with Rufus Sewell these are going to be bloody difficult to film accurately as there would be a huge amount of location work in very expensive locations - Venice for Dead Lagoon, the Vatican for Cabal, Naples for Cosi Fan Tutti and Sicily for Blood Rain. Zen isn't overly keen on police work and just wants a quiet life and the novels are as much a commentary on modern Italy and its diverse regions as detective stories.

[TheOneWithThePrize]

Originally Posted by HotRats

you can get them from http://www.discshop.se/shop/search_s...&sok_typ=titel

It should be noted that Discshop only ships to countries within the European Union.

[monkeywonder]

I have the blu ray set and disappointingly like most of the BBC output on Blu it is 1080i/50, it also has SD extras that are in PAL if that's a problem. I was a bit disappointed with the quality as I was expecting more of an upgrade over the HD TV broadcast, but having said that they do look very good, especially the later ones. I liked the series a lot though I can understand some of criticisms of the pacing, predictability and Branagh is always a divisive actor I suppose.

[DJANGO]

OK, so the blurayregincode site tells me WALLENDER is Region Free (but 50 hz) - now, does that mean I can play these on my Region A player, only play the show and not the extra stuff, is there a menue I need to get around in some way or another; what exactly does this mean - sorry to be uninformed, but can someone help me understand what is what . . .

[Spence]

Hello! This is my first post, so please be kind

I'm eyeing this (and other releases like Rome) via amazon-uk. I have a Samsung BD-P1500, so that means I'm ok with the 50hz stuff, right? As long as any blu I import is not region B locked, it should play?


I have checked other posts. The one with the list of players that are ok with 50hz lists a BP-1500... I wasn't sure if that's the same thing as a BD-1500.



Thank you to anyone who helps me out!!! I love this site and visit every day.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by DJANGO

OK, so the blurayregincode site tells me WALLENDER is Region Free (but 50 hz) - now, does that mean I can play these on my Region A player, only play the show and not the extra stuff, is there a menue I need to get around in some way or another; what exactly does this mean - sorry to be uninformed, but can someone help me understand what is what . . .

In the case of Wallander, the program itself is 1080i/50Hz, so if you can't play 50Hz material, it won't work.

[Spence]

if you can't play 50Hz material, it won't work

Shouldn't be a problem with my BD-P1500. I'm going to wait another week or so before getting this one... LOST is coming and that is going to set me back a bit.

On a related note, I did download the theme tune to Wallander (by Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo) and it's quite lovely.

[Spence]

(crickets)

Haha! Anyone? Please help! Now that I nabbed the complete series of LOST, this us (hopefully) my next acquisition!

Thank you in advance!!!!

[guicao]

will the USA ps3 be able to play this ???
tks

[chip75]

If your PS3 doesn't support 50hz then I'd imagine it won't play properly.

I haven't seen any of the BBC series but really enjoyed the Krister Henriksson episodes shown on BBC Four (I wonder if they'll be released in the UK?), I'm interested in the Branagh shows a bit now, after reading about the RED camera used to film the series. Check it here http://www.red.com/

[James Luckard]

FYI - this boxset recently went out of print. But it should only be temporary. They're currently filming series 3, which will air early next year on the BBC. Undoubtedly there will be a complete boxset released then, with all nine films.

It has been suggested that this will likely be the final series, as they've basically run out of novels, except for one that's been rendered unfilmable because it revolves around events in 1992 and the Branagh films are all set today.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

FYI - this boxset recently went out of print. But it should only be temporary. They're currently filming series 3, which will air early next year on the BBC. Undoubtedly there will be a complete boxset released then, with all nine films.

It has been suggested that this will likely be the final series, as they've basically run out of novels, except for one that's been rendered unfilmable because it revolves around events in 1992 and the Branagh films are all set today.

Not for the British series they haven't. There's plenty more Wallander they could adapt from the Swedish iterations, and I believe I read something about Mankell pondering an original one-off mystery for the British Wallander. Unless the third series is poor (which I doubt) I would think more episodes would be prevented only by Branagh's schedule.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

Not for the British series they haven't. There's plenty more Wallander they could adapt from the Swedish iterations, and I believe I read something about Mankell pondering an original one-off mystery for the British Wallander. Unless the third series is poor (which I doubt) I would think more episodes would be prevented only by Branagh's schedule.

Yes, but they'd be adapting original Swedish screenplays, not Mankell's novels.

After series 3 the only novels they won't have filmed will be "The White Lioness", which is one of the few Wallander novels I haven't read but appears to revolve around historical events to do with Nelson Mandela in 1992, and the final novel "The Troubled Man".

They had originally publicized series 3 as being six episodes, with three of them original. I think if they do decide to continue the British series they'll go that route, as they've already diverged a fair amount from the novels.

[James Luckard]

Looks like it was a false alarm. It's back at Amazon.

[McCrutchy]

First episode of Series 3 ("The Dogs of Riga") has recently been classified by the BBFC:

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AVV287728/

Hopefully airdates are forthcoming, this is the only info I have seen for Series 3 anywhere right now...

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

First episode of Series 3 ("The Dogs of Riga") has recently been classified by the BBFC:

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AVV287728/

Hopefully airdates are forthcoming, this is the only info I have seen for Series 3 anywhere right now...

I'm not sure that's the first episode. Imdb and Wikipedia have these airdates:

* An Event in Autumn (1 April 2012).
* The Dogs of Riga (8 April 2012).
* Before the Frost (15 April 2012).

[KrugerIndustrial]

I'd love to see Rolf Lassgård's Wallander on Blu-ray! Kristen Henriksson is perfectly fine but can't compete with Rolf.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I'm not sure that's the first episode. Imdb and Wikipedia have these airdates:

* An Event in Autumn (1 April 2012).
* The Dogs of Riga (8 April 2012).
* Before the Frost (15 April 2012).

Those airdates were not up when I made that post, and they seem to be gone now.

[Proghog]

I already had the US version of season 2, but I needed to see season 1 in HD so I bought the UK boxset since I have a bluray playing in my PC. After watching the two series I started getting the books on Audible and have been listening to them in order in which they take place instead of the order they came out in and I have to say I enjoy both the films and the books. It would be cool is they did some of the prequal books that Mankell did if Branagh is too busy to work on it. I have also watched some of the Swedish series which I thought was bit hit and miss my guess is only a couple of them were actually movies and the rest were lower budget TV episodes and this actually got the main actor POed and said he would only come back to do a movie that ended the series.