Unit One, Set 1

Before achieving international stardom as 007's nemesis in Casino Royale and playing the title role in the NBC series Hannibal, Mads Mikkelsen won fame in his native Denmark as anti-hero Detective Allan Fischer, who balances bad-boy behavior with crackerjack investigatory work in this TV cop series. While his star power is evident, however, Mikkelsen is actually a supporting player in a large ensemble, with Charlotte Fich anchoring the narrative as Ingrid Dahl, the detective inspector who works to gain the respect of her crew while solving a skein of thorny and often gruesome mysteries. Unit One features a number of broadly conceived and predictable characters—Mikkelsen's rule-breaking hothead, the inevitable wise old-timer, the smart young lass, the ex-jock who relies on brawn rather than brains, and the senior commander who is equally exasperated by and respectful of her colleagues. Compiling the first 12 episodes from the first and second 2000-01 seasons, this International Emmy Award winner is a strong optional purchase. [Note: Unit One: Set 2 and Unit One: Set 3 are also available.] (P. Hall)