Bordertown (Finnish TV series)


Bordertown is a Finnish crime drama and Nordic noir television series created by Miikko Oikkonen and starring Ville Virtanen as Detective Inspector Kari Sorjonen. It premiered in Finland on 16 October 2016 on Yle TV1. The series was renewed for a second season on 25 April 2017. Season 2 premiered on 7 October 2018. It was renewed for a third season in September 2018. Season 3 has premiered in December 2019.
In addition to its home country, the series has also received praise internationally; one of the fans of the series includes American author Stephen King, among others.

Plot

Detective Inspector Kari Sorjonen is one of the most respected officers at the National Bureau of Investigation in Finland when his wife barely survives brain cancer. Sorjonen then takes a new job leading SECRI, the Serious Crime Unit in the city of Lappeenranta, South Karelia, and moves his family to the town near the border of Russia for a more peaceful life. But life turns out to be less than peaceful there.

Cast and characters

Main

Bordertown is produced for Yle by Fisher King Production and Federation Entertainment. The series was presented at the MIPTV Media Market in Cannes on 3 April 2016, where it competed in the MIPDrama Screenings for the "Coup de Cœur" award.
International distribution rights were acquired from Federation Entertainment in October 2016 by Sky Deutschland for Germany, CanalPlay for France, and VRT for Flanders. The series was sold to "over 40 countries".
Bordertown was renewed for a second season on 25 April 2017, with Kuusniemi, Sinisalo, Susi, Ainali, and Villi also reprising their roles. Filming began in Lappeenranta on 8 August 2017, and wrapped in Helsinki on 7 November 2017.
The series was renewed for a third season in September 2018, with filming starting on 13 December 2018. The season is set to premiere in December 2019, and it has been labelled as the final one.

Release

Broadcast

Bordertown premiered on Yle TV1 on 16 October 2016. The debut was watched by 1.1 million viewers and set a record for a Finnish series. The total viewership for Season 1 was an average of one million viewers.
Season two premiered on 7 October 2018.
Season three premiered on 1 December 2019.

Home media

acquired rights in February 2017 to stream the series in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Netherlands. Streaming of Season 1 became available on 31 March 2017, followed by Season 2 on 2 February 2019 and season 3 on 11 May 2020.
Season 1 was released on DVD and Blu-ray in Germany by EuroVideo on 14 February 2019, followed by Season 2 on 11 April 2019

Awards and nominations

Bordertown won the 2017 Golden Venla Awards for Best Drama Series, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Series overview

Episodes

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2018)

Season 3 (2019–2020)