The Bridge Danish v US *Which should I watch*

hefferboi

I want to start a new tv series and have heard good things about the bridge. I didn't know there was a US remake, so I'm unsure which version I should watch. Has anyone seen both and are willing to make a recommendation?

ingalway

I didn't see the US version although I heard it is good but the Danish version is excellent. Not sure why but I just love the Scandinavian dramas in their own language and the subtitles don't bother me at all - I'm always turning the sound up so I can hear it properly and I don't speak a word of any of the languages!

Mark Tapley

hefferboi wrote: »

I want to start a new tv series and have heard good things about the bridge. I didn't know there was a US remake, so I'm unsure which version I should watch. Has anyone seen both and are willing to make a recommendation?

I haven't seen the American one but have seen the Danish/Swedish one and the English/French one. I would highly recommend the Danish/Swedish original . Great plot and brilliant characters.
The English version was called The Tunnel.

Satriale

I didnt see the US version but the Danish one was excellent stuff.

hefferboi

Mark Tapley wrote: »

I haven't seen the American one but have seen the Danish/Swedish one and the English/French one. I would highly recommend the Danish/Swedish original . Great plot and brilliant characters.
The English version was called The Tunnel.

What was The Tunnel like?

Looks like it'll be the Danish version. I'll probably have all 3 version's watched by the weekend, though!

honeybear

I have seen both. I love Bron/Broen and can't wait for it to return. Saga & Martin are a great team. In the US version, Sonia & Marcus are very likeable too. Storyline is altered with a focus on the Mexican border. I think that there has only been one season of US version. Tbh, I love the Swedish/Danish version but US is very good too.

Dozen Wicked Words

hefferboi wrote: »

What was The Tunnel like?

Looks like it'll be the Danish version. I'll probably have all 3 version's watched by the weekend, though!

Have watched original Swedish/Danish the UK /French and the US versions, whilst the US version was quite enjoyable (and I think second series of that starts soon), and the UK version very familiar, the original is fantastic, and wouldn't think twice about recommending it over the remakes. Saga and Martin's interactions alone make it far and away the best version.

Mark Tapley

hefferboi wrote: »

What was The Tunnel like?

Looks like it'll be the Danish version. I'll probably have all 3 version's watched by the weekend, though!

The Tunnel was worth watching but the lead characters Saga and Martin in the Danish original would be hard to match.

The Black Oil

I only watched the pilot of The Tunnel, didn't really feel like a third swing at the same story.

My tuppence worth, watch the Danish version, but in fairness, the Americans did a better job remaking The Bridge compared to their efforts with The Killing.

Some comparisons, without spoilers.

Plot: Something happens involving the bridge, this triggers an investigation requiring cross border co-operation. This drives the main story. There are also a few subplots, twists and tension. The original does contain a few over the top elements in its second series (I can't recall from the first, or indeed whether the FX edition does in its first), but you essentially roll with it.

Characters: Both shows have two detectives with contrasting styles and personalities. One makes decisions based on logic, reason, rules and finds it difficult to navigate the social world. The other, makes decisions on gut and emotion and is a family man. Naturally, this being a police TV drama, and due being immersed in an investigation, there is potential for personal and professional consequences from events attached to the main story.

Cultural context: The US remake spends more time exploring the ugly side of the border.

Colour palette: Grey/blue vs. orange/gold/yellow.

Subtitles: Obviously you need to concentrate more with the original, English subs are provided in the remake when Spanish is spoken.

TLDR, get stuck in.