Unit One

Unit One follows an elite mobile police task force that travels across Denmark to support local investigators on the country’s most difficult cases. The show centers on Ingrid Dahl, an unwavering lead investigator, alongside colleagues Allan Fischer and Thomas La Cour as they piece together complex crimes through interviews, forensics and careful legwork. Each episode presents a self-contained investigation, often inspired by real sensational incidents like murder, kidnapping and cross-border trafficking, yet the series keeps the focus on procedure and human cost rather than sensationalism. Team dynamics, professional strain and the ethical gray areas of policing are a steady undercurrent, so resolutions feel earned but not always tidy.

Created by Peter Thorsboe and Rumle Hammerich and produced by Danmarks Radio, Unit One originally aired as Rejseholdet from 2000 to 2004. The series ran 32 episodes over four seasons and features Charlotte Fich, Mads Mikkelsen and Lars Brygmann among its principal cast.

The show won the 2002 International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series, a notable international honor for Danish television at the time. That recognition helped draw attention to the production’s realistic tone and the strength of its ensemble performances.

Unit One helped raise the profile of Danish crime television beyond Scandinavia, demonstrating that Danish productions could handle dark, topical subjects with restraint. Its emphasis on procedural detail and character interaction influenced later Nordic police dramas, and the series increased visibility for several cast members, most notably Mads Mikkelsen as an emerging talent on the international stage.

Reception was generally positive, with viewers and critics pointing to the series’ commitment to realistic investigation, moral complexity and group dynamics. On user-driven platforms it holds a solid average rating, for example 7.1/10 from 31 votes. The show tackles difficult subject matter such as child exploitation and organized trafficking without sensationalizing, asking viewers to consider the costs of solving serious crimes as much as the crimes themselves.