To mark the 50th episode of Swedish detective favourite Beck coming up this weekend (Saturday 22nd July), we’ve compiled some little-known facts about the series, and come up with our Top 10 episodes – see if you agree!
The character of Martin Beck stems from a series of 10 novels written during the 1960s and 1970s by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. In the 10 years covered by the novels, Beck gets divorced, is promoted to be in charge of the special homicide commission of the Swedish national police, and puts together a detective team including an ex-soldier, Lennart Kollberg, and the cultured and cosmopolitan Gunvald Larsson.
The books were first filmed in Sweden and elsewhere from 1967, including one adaptation starring Walter Matthau (though using the character name ‘Jake Martin’). They were also adapted for BBC Radio 4 from 2012, starring Steven Mackintosh.
The 90-minute TV series starring Peter Haber as Beck and Mikael Persbrandt as Larsson started in 1997. The character of Kollberg was omitted, and other characters developed; the series took a major turn after series five when Michael Persbrandt left. Some argue it was never the same since!
Currently, the series revolves around Martin Beck, who is perpetually on the verge of retirement, as well as Jennie Silfverhjelm as chief investigator Alexandra ‘Alex’ Beijer, Kristofer Hivju as visiting Norwegian cop Steinar Hovland, and Martin Wallström as the combustible Josef Eriksson. Valter Skarsgård appears as Martin’s grandson, Vilhelm, a trainee policeman.
Relentlessly gloomy, the series explores both the dark side of Stockholm’s nightlife, with crime gangs, drug dealing, serial killers, child abuse and police corruption, as well as international crime, such as art theft, terrorism, arms dealing and people smuggling. And that’s just the fun stuff!
We’ve trawled the interwebs for fan opinion and challenged our reviewers to weigh in with their favourite episodes, so, here’s a Top 10 of episodes in reverse order. Series one-six are currently on Amazon Prime in the UK, and series nine is on BBC iPlayer (one of the ‘seasons’ consists of two ‘specials’, which is why there’s some inconsistency in season numbering between broadcasters).
Bizarrely, the episode voted the least popular was series one episode one, The Decoy, in which Beck investigates a corpse found in an incinerator. So, it’s all uphill from there!
10. Quid Pro Quo
Series 9, episode 2
First shown in UK: 8th July 2023
A man is found dead at a flea market – it seems like an ordinary case, so why are the security service SAPO and its corrupt head Klas Fredén interested?
9. 58 minutes (58 Minuter)
Series 8, episode 3
First shown in UK: 21st May 2022
Alex Beijer takes part in a morning TV which develops into a nightmare when an unlikely hostage drama arises in the TV studio.
8. The Crying Cop (Den gråtande polisen)
Series 8, episode 4
First shown in UK: 28th May 2022
After the fatal shooting of a boy the police find themselves under heavy media pressure, and things get worse when there’s violence at a demonstration.
7. The Unclaimed Girl (Flickan i jordkällaren)
Series 3, episode 2
Original air date: 6th December 2006
A young girl is found dead in a cellar, but fresh food has been left for her. How did she die, and who is she?
6. Blind Profit (Sista vittnet)
Series 2, episode 8
Original air date: 6th December 2006
Beck’s investigation of acid attacks is hampered by his health problems and a budding romance.
5. Death in Samarra (Döden i Samarra)
Series 7, episode 3
First shown in UK: 17th May 2021
A Nobel candidate is brutally stabbed to death before a war tribunal – was the motive political or personal?
4. Devil’s Advocate (Djävulens advokat)
Series 6, episode 4
First shown in UK: 24th November 2018
Beck’s investigation of the murder of a restaurant owner is derailed by the effects of Steinar Hovland joining the team.
3. The Eye of the Storm (I stormens öga)
Series 4, episode 1
Original air date: 26th August 2009
SAPO accuses Gunvald Larsson of being involved in the murder of a woman activist found burned to death.
2. Without Intent (Utan uppsåt)
Series 6, episode 3
First shown in UK: 17th November 2018
A girl finds her mother dead on a staircase, and Beck discovers that the family has been living under an assumed identity.
1. Flesh and Blood (Ditt eget blod)
Series 6, episode 1
First shown in UK: 3rd November 2018
A murder in the Middle East and the disappearance of a young woman in Stockholm are somehow connected. Martin Beck has supposedly retired, so Steiner Hovland is not best pleased when he involves himself with the case.
The series nine finale airs this weekend (22nd July) so perhaps this list might have to be changed. But which are your favourite episodes, and how would you like to see the series being developed?
Chris Jenkins
READ MORE: ALL OUR BECK NEWS AND REVIEWS
The Killing Times 
Gosh ….. that brought back some memories. Actually, I think this last series has been pretty good all through. Going forward…. I love watching Hovland (Kristofer Hivju) whatever the show he appears in but not as the lead character in Beck. I also don’t fancy a new series of “Younger Beck/Grandson of Beck)” etc.
Perhaps it is time to bring it all to a close. It has been a brilliant series and a good one to finish?
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Looking forward to seeing the latest series in the US. Beck is one of my favorites. I would watch the show for as long as Alex and Steiner are around.
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The latest series has been very good better than the previous one apart from the final episode which I thought was pretty weak. Hope that’s not to be the ultimate finale. It might be though as the neighbour who after all is the real star of the show is sadly no longer with us.
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Hirdwall passing away won’t impact the decision to continue or not. Peter Haber has said that he was approached with initial queries about how he would feel about continuing as Martin Beck, but that it wasn’t based on a formal decision to commission more films, but rather earlier stages.
If they were to go ahead, filming would probably start next spring at the earliest, which is two years after these latest ones were shot. And if Haber were to stay in it, I’m guessing it would have to be as a retiree.
As Inferno and Deadlock have yet to be broadcast in Sweden, we are unlikely to get confirmation about more films/episodes until early next year.
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