16/09/2013 - After Nordic wins for the last three years, a Danish and a Swedish series – SVT’s Arne Dahl’s A-Group and DR’s The Killing 3 - are nominated for the 2013 awards

Two Nordic television series, Swedish pubcaster SVT’s Arne Dahl-The A-Group (photo) and Danish pubcaster DR’s The Killing 3 – have been nominated for the International TV Dagger 2013, which the UK’s Crime Writers Association will announce at the ITV televised Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards on October 24. Other nominees include US series Homeland and Boardwalk Empire.

During the last three years, Nordic noir has collected the prize for Best International TV Crime series: in 2012 DR-SVT’s The Bridge, in 2011 DR’s The Killing, and in 2010 Wallander: Season 2, from Swedish commercial broadcaster TV4. In both 2009 and 2008 it went to American series, The Wire.

“I am proud that our A-Group could actually beat Homeland,” said Swedish producer Ulf Synnerholm, of Filmlance International, which produced the films – “and it is a great honour that my UK colleagues nominated the series,” added Dahl, whose first five books about the Intercrime Group were adapted for the films.

Aka known as literary critic and journalist Jan Arnald, Dahl’s Misterioso, Bad Blood, To the Top of the Mountain, Europa Blues and Many Waters – written between 1999-2002 – were made into five 180-minute films (2011-2012), which were aired by BBC4. They have been sold to more than 40 countries.

The Killing 3 concludes Danish writer Søren Sveistrup’s television series (2007-2012) for Danish pubcaster DR that introduced Danish noir to British audiences. The BAFTA awarded and Emmy nominated production has most recently won a Danish Robert for Best Danish Television Series and a Golden Nymph at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival for Sofie Gråbøl in the lead for Best Actress.