13/09/2013 - The Danish-Swedish award-winning drama series will air simultaneously in all the Nordic countries, when the second season starts on September 22

When the Danish-Swedish award-winning drama series The Bridge enters its second season on September 22, it will be aired simultaneously in all Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Meanwhile both UK-French and American versions are in production, both titled The Tunnel, from the UK’s Sky Atlantic HD-France’s Canal Plus and FX Cable Channel.

When the first episode following the inquiry into the killing of a woman found on the Øresund bridge - top half from a Swedish top politician, bottom from a Danish prostitute – was transmitted in the UK, BBC4 registered 1.1 million viewers or 181% of primetime average. It won the International TV Dagger Award by the UK Crime Writers Association and sold to more than 130 countries.

Starring Kim Bodnia and Sofia Helin as top detectives from the Copenhagen and Malmö police, respectively, The Bridge 2 begins when an old rusty coaster at high speed bangs into the pillars of the Øresund Bridge. Apparently the crew has disappeared, until five tightly-bound sailors are found in the hold, all infected by an aggressive pneumonic plague.

While people in the region die from eating poisoned apples, prawns and meat from the supermarkets, the masterminds of the contamination appears in animal masks on the internet, taking responsibility for the operation. To the two investigators it becomes a race against the clock to prevent a catastrophe.

Produced by Denmark’s Nimbus Film and Sweden’s Filmlance International, with pubcasters DR and SVT, the 10-episode series was written by Hans Rosenfeldt, Nikolaj Scherfig, Camilla Ahlgren and Maren-Louise Käehne, and directed by Henrik Georgsson, Kathrine Windfeld and Morten Arnfred.