Swedish Angst.

I bet you thought that all Swedes were slim, blonde and beautiful - like Ulrika was before she met Sven.

So did I.

But then I became addicted to Wallander - Swedish style.

(Not the Kenneth Branagh version - I can't stand a clever dick. )

There are no blondes, there is some chubbiness in evidence and they have British teeth. Everyone says skål a lot as they share a drink on their Ektorp sofas.

It's probably much like Taggart but the Swedish settings and subtitles give it the feel of Bergman at his best. The gloom and angst will give you reasons to be cheerful however depressed you may be feeling.

(BTW do all front doors open outwards in Sweden? Doorstepping can be very dangerous unless you stand well back.)

However the enigmatic, troubled Stefan is beautiful.

Unfortunately, he decided to top himself at the end of the series. Unbelievably, Linda (the female cop) did the same thing in real life shortly after the series ended.

What is it with these Scandinavians eh?

But Stefan reminded me of someone and this was driving me nuts. Finally I had it - it was Terry Jones.


OK - I know he isn't beautiful but there's a certain je ne sais quoi. Perhaps it's the wonky grin or the piercing black eyes.

When looking for a Terry Jones pic I found this website. What a brilliant idea.

Hope this post has cheered you up a bit if it's your first day back.
KAZ