13/12/2013 - After The Killing, Borgen and The Bridge, Danish pubcaster DR’s family drama The Legacy, from Swedish actress-director Pernilla August, will air on the UK’s BBC

Following up on the international success of Danish pubcaster DR television series such as The Killing, Borgen, The Bridge (with Sweden’s SVT), The Legacy has – before its local premiere on December 30 – been acquired for the UK by the BBC, which also transmitted the predecessors.

“Just when you thought it was safe to donate your Sarah Lund (The Killing) jumper to the charity shop and stop dreaming of becoming Staatsminister like Birgitte Nyborg (Borgen), along comes another TV drama to reignite British viewers' love affair with Denmark,” UKs the Guardian commented the news.

Scripted by Danish writer Maya Ilsøe, with Swedish actress-director Pernilla August as principal director, the 10x58minute Christian Rank production for DR will also air in the Benelux, while French and German broadcasters havde submitted binding bids, and DVD rights have been signed for Australia.

“It is quite unusual licensing TV shows at this stage, without screening a single minute - The Legacy has been sold, because the other series were so good, and the stations have the same expectations for this project, although it is in a different genre,” explained head of DR International Sales, Helene Aurø.

The family drama stars Trine Dyrholm, Jesper Christensen, Kirsten Olesen and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as the four adult children of the Danish internationally renowned artist, Veronika Grønnegaard, who meet after her death at her countryside mansion house on the island of Funen to take stock of her legacy.

Shortly before she dies she bequeaths the house to her daughter Signe, whom she gave up for adoption. But what should have been a quick and painless division of the estate becomes a journey into secrets and lies, which forces them to look at both themselves and each other with new eyes.