Top new series in December

This month, SBS brings you the bingeable, the funny, the strange and the moving, including two critically acclaimed remakes of ‘The Bridge’. The cherry on top is the return of our favourite scruffians, the ‘Vikings’. December, you beautiful beast.

SBS On Demand new in Dec 2019

Source: SBS

Vikings

Fans rejoice! Vikings is back with its latest season, season 6A, only on SBS. Emerging the victor in the battle with his brother, the tyrannical Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen), Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) is now a hero to the people. But as the new leader of Kattegat, Bjorn faces dilemmas galore and struggles to fill his late father’s shoes as king. Meanwhile, Ivar, eager to cut ties with his past, is seen travelling along The Silk Road. Eventually ending up in Russia, Ivar meets his match in the merciless Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky), a ruthless and unpredictable ruler. Oh, Vikings, we’ve missed you! As always, this season provides so much to get stuck into.

Vikings season 6A episodes air weekly at 9.30pm on Wednesdays. You’ll have 30 days to catch up on episodes at , as they each land there after broadcast.

Temple

In this UK remake of gripping Danish series Valkyrien Mark Strong plays Daniel Milton, a talented and successful surgeon. After a personal tragedy shatters his comfortable life, Daniel partners up with the young and lonely Lee (Daniel Mays) to start a literal underground clinic in London’s vast labyrinthine network of subterranean tunnels. There, Daniel treats those who can’t or won’t seek more legitimate healthcare: criminals, illegal immigrants, and the just plain odd. Game of Thrones’ Carice Van Houten plays Anna, a guilt-ridden medical researcher who joins the illegal clinic. In the vein of and Trust Me, Temple centres on the good doctor doing his best to juggle his team of misfits and their increasingly unpredictable clientele.

Season 1 of Temple is available at SBS On Demand on Thursday 5 December.

Darkness: Those Who Kill

When it comes to bingeable thrillers, the Danes really know what they’re doing. In this new series, set in the suburbs of Copenhagen, dedicated Investigator Jan Michelsen (Kenneth M. Christensen) discovers a link between a recent abduction and a missing persons case from ten years before. With the help of profiler Louise Bergstein (Natalie Madueño), the pair build a case for a serial killer. They’re never out of sight of the murderer, making their chase ever that much more chilling. Oh so noir, fans of Scandi thrillers and duel-protagonist series like will get right into this.

Season 1 of Darkness: Those Who Kill lands at SBS On Demand on Wednesday 18 December.
Darnkess Those who kill
Source: SBS

Guerilla

Guerilla follows the love story between Indian Jas (Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire) and black second-generation Brit, Marcus (Babou Ceesay, National Treasure) against the backdrop of politically charged 1970s London. When their close friend ends up dead after being arrested during a public protest, Marcus and Jas form a radical cell dedicated to social change, inspiring people to take a stand against inequality. The decision changes their lives forever, putting the couple’s relationship and values to the test.

Creator, writer and director John Ridley (American Crime, ) explores themes including police brutality and multiculturalism. Look out for Idris Elba, Rory Kinnear and Daniel Mays in the impressive ensemble cast.
Guerilla
Source: SBS
Season 1 of Guerilla lands at SBS On Demand on Friday 20 December.

Wayward Pines

In a role that was specially created for him, Matt Dillon stars as U.S. Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke in this series from creator M Night Shyamalan and writers/producers the Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things).

On a drive to the bucolic Wayward Pines, Idaho in search of two missing federal agents, including his partner Kate Hewson (Carla Gugino), a truck slams into Ethan’s car, landing him in the local hospital. He wakes up to find the intense and unpredictable Nurse Pam Pilcher (Melissa Leo) at his bedside. More interested in harming than healing, Pam and Ethan grow into deadly rivals, her role in the town proving much deeper than anyone realises. Reminiscent of and The Returned, Ethan’s investigation only turns up more and more questions, the main one being, just what is wrong with Wayward Pines? The impeccable ensemble cast also includes Toby Jones, Juliette Lewis and Terrence Howard.
Wayward Pines
Source: SBS
Seasons 1 and 2 of Wayward Pines land at SBS On Demand on Thursday 26 December.

The Tunnel

With a premise this simple and perfect, it’s no wonder the wildly popular original Swedish series The Bridge has inspired remakes around the world.

One of two critically acclaimed remakes coming to SBS this month(the other being the US version also called The Bridge), this one takes place in the tunnel under the English Channel, marking the border between the UK and France. The dead body is that of a prominent French politician, the detectives are the Brit, Karl Roebuck (Stephen Dillane, Game of Thrones) and Frenchwoman, Elise Wassermann (Clémence Poésy, Harry Potter franchise). Their on-screen chemistry builds as their uneasy partnership develops.  

The case takes a surreal turn with a shocking discovery at the crime scene, forcing Karl and Elise deeper into the increasingly personal agenda of the serial killer, who uses ever more elaborate and ingenious methods to highlight the moral bankruptcy of modern society.
Tunnel
Source: SBS
Seasons 1–3 of The Tunnel lands at SBS On Demand on Wednesday 25 December.

The Bridge (USA)

In this remake, the body is dumped on the bridge between El Paso, USA and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, bringing together homicide investigator, Marco Ruiz (Demián Bichir) and his American counterpart, Detective Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger).

Ruiz is a family man, and one of the last good men in a corrupt and apathetic police force outgunned by the powerful drug cartels. He’s sharp, charming and observant, and painfully aware that his city is in chaos. Cross is a dogged cop with an undiagnosed disorder that falls on the autism spectrum. She’s shockingly candid, calling things as she sees them. While her style can be off-putting, it also makes her extremely effective at her job. Together, their investigation will uncover shocking secrets and relentless danger that neither of them could possibly have imagined. In the dry and dusty setting drenched in sunshine, this remake is as far from Scandinavia as you can get.
The Bridge USA
Source: SBS
Seasons 1 and 2 of The Bridge (USA) land at SBS On Demand on Wednesday 25 December.

The Bisexual

Indie film darling Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post, co-writes, directs and stars in The Bisexual, a comedy-drama that tackles bisexuality and its common misconceptions. Akhavan plays New Yorker Leila, who, on a break from her long-term girlfriend and business partner Sadie (Maxine Peake), shares a flat with neurotic once-successful novelist Gabe (Brian Gleeson). Even though she’s moved out, Leila still sees Maxine at work every day at their joint tech company, amping up the awkwardness as she explores her life away from the relationship. This fresh and frank take on being ‘bi-curious’ is also unexpectedly moving. Fans of You’re The Worst, Shrill and Back To Life will really enjoy this.

Blinded

Fans of Scandi thrillers, get excited. Set in the world of high finance, new Swedish series Blinded pits together young journalist Bea Farkas (Julia Ragnarsson) and bank director Peder Rooth (Matias Varela). As part of her investigation into how it’s possible for Scandinavia’s most profitable specialised bank to be posting extremely low credit losses, Bea is questioning Peder. Complicating matters, the pair tangle themselves up in a highly unprofessional not to mention extra-marital affair. When Bea receives an anonymous tip that Peder is hiding something, the stakes are suddenly raised very high indeed. Think meets Succession; Blinded is also one for fans ofand.
Season 1 of Blinded is at SBS On Demand on Wednesday 18 December.

The Last Wave

In the French seaside town of Brizan, an ominous cloud meets a supersized wave during a surfing competition, engulfing the participants in one fell swoop. When the cloud dissipates and the water settles, the surfers are nowhere to be seen. Five hours later, they reappear safe and sound, but with no recollection of their disappearance. One by one, the returning surfers discover they possess exceptional and inexplicable powers. Amid fears of another wave striking, scientist Ben Lebon makes an amazing discovery about the mysterious cloud that has far-reaching consequences for all residents. Hinging on a central mystery, this supernatural thriller covers spooky territory, reminiscent of fellow French series, The Returned

Season 1 of The Last Wave lands at SBS On Demand on Friday 13 December.

Inspector Rojas: In Cold Blood

This Spanish-language noir thriller has an unusual setting – an isolated town in the driest desert in the world. Shot on location in Chile, this series is based on real events and follows Detective Inspector Rojas on the hunt for a serial killer terrorising the small community. Brought in from the outside to investigate, Rojas comes up against the dark secrets swirling around the town, as well as a plentiful array of personal demons that rear their ugly heads. Being based on a true story gives this modern-day Western, with its themes of gender discrimination and class violence, an extra edge of fascination.
Inspector Rojas
Source: SBS
Season 1 of Inspector Rojas: In Cold Blood lands at on Friday 27 December.

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9 min read
Published 29 November 2019 9:43am
Updated 19 December 2019 4:07pm
By Desanka Vukelich

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