Nordic broadcasters unveil 2026 Easter crime lineup with British, Danish, and Belgian thrillers

Norwegian viewers will have a darkly compelling Easter holiday as NRK, TV2, and Viaplay roll out a slate of crime dramas for påskekrim, the country’s century-old tradition of bingeing murder mysteries during the spring break. Highlights include Amanda Seyfried’s Golden Globe-nominated Long Bright River on Viaplay and a surrealist whodunit featuring Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso on NRK, reports Dagbladet.

New series premiering

TV2 leads with two fresh titles. Body in the Lake (premiering March 12) follows Dani Oxley (Kara Tointon), an art teacher whose life unravels when a student vanishes during a school trip, exposing her extramarital affair amid a police probe. The British production weaves personal secrets into a small-town murder investigation.

Danish entry Not a Word (March 29) shifts to provincial Denmark, where the killing of a 19-year-old wrestler sends shockwaves through a tight-knit community. Critics praise its tense portrayal of loyalty and gossip, as the victim’s coach becomes the prime suspect and his wife grapples with her own hidden past.

NRK offers The Art of Murder (March 27), a Belgian-British co-production set in 1930s England. When a serial killer targets guests at a lavish estate—including surrealist icons like Dalí and Magritte—the title nods to René Magritte’s The Treachery of Images, playing with perceptions of reality. The darkly comedic tone contrasts with its bloody premise.

Also on NRK, Lynley revives Elizabeth George’s detective novels, pairing an aristocratic inspector (Leo Suter) with a working-class sergeant (Sofia Barclay) to solve murders in class-divided England.

Viaplay’s headline act is Long Bright River (April 1), starring Seyfried as Mickey, a Philadelphia patrol officer hunting a killer preying on women amid the opioid crisis—while searching for her missing, drug-addicted sister. The series blends gritty social realism with thriller pacing, earning acclaim for Seyfried’s performance.

Cultural quirk

The påskekrim tradition traces back to 1923, when publisher Gyldendal marketed a crime novel as “the best Easter thriller” in a clever ad stunt. Over a century later, the phenomenon endures as a uniquely Nordic counterpoint to spring’s lighter themes.