NORDIC NOIR INNOVATIONS – “ FOLLOW THE MONEY ” AND “ THIN ICE ”

Abstract

The phenomenon of Nordic noir involves a dual legacy – the tradition of social realism and the tradition of Gothic thrillers. The article focuses on the following question: How do these traditions support innovation in recent Nordic noir TV series? The answer implies an evaluation of the following issues: To which degree has it been possible to develop and sophisticate the trend of social realism? Which main functions does the Gothic tradition provide? How do the two traditions relate to production contexts? The analysis is based on two cases, the Danish public service TV drama “Follow the Money” and the Swedish “Thin Ice”, produced by Yellowbird.