The BBC has acquired a “remarkable” new Danish drama.
Families Like Ours, which comes from writers Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round) and Bo Hr Hansen (The Art of Crying), is set in a future Denmark that has to be evacuated due to rising water levels, which causes huge societal change.
The BBC has now revealed that the seven-part show will air in the UK on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, having premiered in its home country late last year.
Per-Arnesen//BBC
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The series follows people in Denmark as they “bid farewell to what they love, what they know, and who they are” in the wake of the evacuation, and “slowly but steadily, everything changes”.
Property begins to become worthless, fortunes change and luck favours a few, while those who can afford it travel to affluent countries, and those less fortunate are dependent on government relocation to challenging destinations.
“Families, friends and loved ones are separated,” the synopsis adds. “Some are overcome by hatred and division, while others nurture love and foster new beginnings.
Sturla Brandth Gr vlen//BBC
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“Against this backdrop the story introduces Laura, a high school student in love for the first time and on the cusp of graduation.
“When news of the evacuation breaks, the course of Laura and her family’s lives are changed forever, and Laura is forced into the impossible dilemma of choosing between the three people she loves the most.”
Families Like Ours has drawn huge acclaim, with Espinof calling it “a remarkable series and will undoubtedly delight Vinterberg fans”.
Per-Arnesen//BBC
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Loud and Clear added that the show has “a simple premise, yet it’s exactly what it takes for citizens of privileged countries to really understand the refugee crisis”.
Meanwhile, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition Sue Deeks said the show was “a beautifully constructed, thought-provoking drama about what happens when people are confronted by the inconceivable, and forced to make seemingly impossible choices”.
Vinterberg added: “I have a deepfelt connection with the UK and as you will see, it also plays a part in this series. Therefore, it is with eager anticipation that I now await how a new audience will receive Families Like Ours, and I am very thankful to the BBC for delivering this story to a nation I feel such a close kinship with.”
Families Like Ours will air on BBC Four and stream on BBC iPlayer, with a release date yet to be confirmed.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.