Below the Surface (TV series) explained

Alt Name:	Gidseltagningen Countdown Copenhagen
Genre:	Nordic Noir
Creator:	Kasper Barfoed
Director:	Christian E. Christiansen Roni Ezra Kasper Barfoed
Composer:	Jeppe Kaas
Country:	Denmark
Language:	Danish
Num Seasons:	2
Num Episodes:	16
Executive Producer:	Nina Bisgaard Søren Sveistrup Adam Price Meta Foldager Sørensen
Producer:	Morten Kjems Juhl
Cinematography:	Niels A. Hansen Ian Hansen
Editor:	Benjamin Binderup Morten Egholm
Runtime:	44 min
Company:	SAM Productions
Network:	Kanal 5 (Denmark)

Below the Surface (Danish: '''Gidseltagningen''') is a Danish action hostage thriller drama television series, written and directed by Kasper Barfoed, that was based upon an idea of Adam Price and Søren Sveistrup. The first eight-part series focuses on an act of terrorism committed on the Copenhagen Metro, where fifteen people are taken hostage. Former soldier Philip Nørgaard, who is head of the PET Terror Task Force (TTF), tries to save the hostages with help from members of his elite team.^[1] TTF members are portrayed by, Alexandre Willaume,,, and Kenneth M. Christensen.

The basis for the series was adapted from a series of conversations between Barfoed and Danish photographer Daniel Rye, who lived as a hostage within the terrorist organisation of Islamic State in Syria for more than a year.^[2] In Germany, the series is known as Countdown Kopenhagen.

On 2 April 2017, the series premiered in Denmark on Kanal 5, and was released on DVD in Germany on 19 October 2017.^[3] In the United Kingdom, BBC4 broadcast the first four episodes during March 2018.^[4] The BBC pulled the series from their schedule for 24 March only following the terrorist attack in Carcassonne^[5] and continued on 31 March. The second season premiered on 26 March 2019 in Denmark. Lassen and his cast mates, except Ditlevsen, reprise their roles as TTF members, which deal with the Elsinore–Helsingborg ferry hijacking by four Islamic terrorists. Hijackers are after foreign fighter June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud) with Philip as a fellow passenger-hostage.

Plot summary

In Series 1, 15 people are held hostage in a subway train. A police terror taskforce led by former-Jaeger Corps soldier Philip Norgaard (Johannes Lassen) and Louise Falk (Sara Hjort Ditlevsen) is dispatched to rescue them. Meanwhile, reporter Naja Toft (Paprika Steen) acts as a go-between with the hostages and police. As the media frenzy takes hold, the country becomes divided on whether to negotiate with the terrorists or not.

In Series 2, anti-ISIS fighter June al-Baqee (Yasmin Mahmoud) is kidnapped after alerting Philip that Danish soldiers were killed in Syria.^[6] Despite being on leave from work, Philip follows June onto a Sweden-bound ferry, where her kidnappers take passengers and crew hostage. Philip contacts the taskforce and updates them on the situation. The criminals order the ferry to stop, when they learn police await them in Sweden. June escapes and hides on board, while Philip tries to find her before the kidnappers do.

Cast and characters

as Philip Nørgaard: Henning's son, former Jaeger Corps soldier, held hostage by Islamic forces, becomes head of Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET's) Terror Task Force (TTF); Louise's former love interest, becomes Beate's domestic partner
Alexandre Willaume as "SP" (Steen Per) Byager: TTF member, leads major investigations
as Hans Hejndorf: PET supervisor, takes over TTF leadership
as Esben Garnov: TTF negotiator, later leader
as Simon Clausen: TTF member, generally works with SP
Kenneth M. Christensen as Daniel Cramer: TTF member, lead strike force squads
as Ebbe Moller: Ministry of Justice, minister's assistant, TTF liaison
as Henning Nørgaard: Philip's father, former head of intelligence service

Series one

as Louise Falck: TTF member, Philip's former love interest, negotiator
Paprika Steen as Naja Toft: TV news reporter, becomes Jonas's love interest
Alba August as Marie Bendix: Aksel's daughter, trainee nurse, hostage
Jakob Oftebro as Alpha/Mark Hald: former Jaeger Corps soldier, fellow hostage with Philip; leads train hostage-takers; kills himself
as Jonas/Ben: Jim's brother, hostage-taker's accomplice, poses as Leon's son
Dar Salim as Adel Rasul: karate instructor, hostage, killed by hostage-takers
Sus Wilkins as Denise Hansen: young mother, hostage
as Bodil Pedersen: retired teacher, hostage, killed by hostage-takers
as Joachim: wealthy businessman, hostage
Tommy Kenter as Leon: retired worker, diabetic, hostage
as Ricco: Leon's friend, hostage
Adnan Hasković as Bravo: hostage-taker, killed by TTF squad
Muhamed Hadžović as Charlie: hostage-taker, killed by TTF squad
Allan Hyde as Silas Jensen: disc jockey, hostage
as Aksel Bendix: Marie's father
Cecilie Stenspil as Anne Gornstein: civiliam police chief
Henrik Prip as Palle Wulff: PET head, engineered Philip's false history
as Ahmed Mahmoud: Afghan head guard, tortures Philip (only in flashbacks), believed killed in drone attack
Jens Sætter-Lassen as Sammy: serving soldier, former member of Mark and Jim's squad
Jesper Zuschlag as Jim: Ben's brother, held hostage with Philip and Mark, kills himself

Series two

Yasmin Mahmoud as June al-Baqee: convicted foreign fighter: fought ISIS in Syria; kidnapped by Yusuf's team
Ola Rapace as Yusuf Nikoloz Giorgadz: Georgian-born mercenary posing as a jihadist; leader of kidnappers, hostage-takers; hired by Anna
Ali Sivandi as Rami Hadad: Mahdi's older brother, kidnapper, hostage-taker
Søren Pilmark as Lars F. Bülow: Military Intelligence chief
Søren Malling as Thomas Hvalsø: Elsinore–Helsingborg line ferry captain
Anis Alobaidi as Mahdi Hadad: Rami's younger brother, Tahira's husband; kidnapper, hostage-taker
Helle Fagralid as Beate Seitsø: Asger's mother, Peter's love interest; psychologist, treats PTSD clients
as Hassan previously Frederick Sørensen: kidnapper, hostage-taker
as Anna Kasharina: Russian cultural attaché, actually Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) agent
Maibritt Saerens as Ine Frølich: minister, orders June's prosecution
Laura Christensen as Siri: ferry passenger, mother of baby Viola
as Herdis Krabbe: befriended by June
as Rene: Herdis's son-in-law
Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Nina Sloth: TTF communications officer, works for Esben
Bertil Smith as Asger Seitsø: Beate's son
as Kiki: Peter and Beate's friend
Kristian Halken as Olai: Kiki's dad, helps Peter renovate his boat
as Lauge: Kiki's friend, IT specialist
Sandra El-Hussein as Tahira Hadad: Mahdi's wife
Ramadan Huseini as SVR-Chauffør (English: SVR-Chauffeur): SVR agent, Anna's chauffeur-assassin
Moussa Daibes as Abdul Bashir: Rami's imam
Bo Carlsson as Hindborg: taskforce IT specialist, works for Simon and SP
Zein Ali as Elias: Syria freedom fighter, worked with June, recorded video of Russians killing Danes
Sarah Boberg as Inga Hvalsø: Thomas's wife
Judith Rothenborg as Dagmar: passenger, hostage
Fadime Turan as Kantinemedarbejder (English: canteen employee)/Zeynep Bilgin: ferry's cook
Abud Mustafa as Rafiq Hussein: Abdul's henchman, Rami's associate
as Marianne Seitsø: Beate's mother
as Dorthe: Herdis's daughter
Jakob Femerling Andersen as Sune: ferry passenger
Amany Turk as Junes Mor (English: June's mom)

Episodes

Season one

Episode	Title	Directed by	Written by	Viewers	Original Denmark airdate	BBC4 UK airdate	BBC4 Viewers

Season two

Filming

The team responsible for filming the series attended the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, where the series was promoted prior to the broadcast of the first episode.

Notes and References

News: Terroren rammer i metroen i ny dansk TV-serie . Terror strikes in the subway in new Danish TV series . Kristian . Lindberg . 14 November 2016 . . da . 7 August 2019.
Web site: Gidseltagningen . . Discovery Networks . da . 7 August 2019 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170327051455/http://www.discoverynetworks.dk/foraar2017/gidseltagningen . 27 March 2017.
Web site: Countdown Copenhagen - Die komplette 1. Staffel . Amazon . de . 7 August 2019.
Web site: BBC Four to air Danish crime thriller Below The Surface, from creator Kasper Barfoed and an original idea by the creators of The Killing and Borgen . 16 October 2017 . BBC Media Centre . 7 August 2019.
Web site: French supermarket siege: memorial service held for victims . Angelique . Chrisafis . March 25, 2018 . . 7 August 2019.
Web site: BBC Four - Below the Surface, Series 2 - Episode guide . BBC . 24 March 2024 .