Modus: Why we love BBC4's latest Nordic noir

This winter, BBC4 is once again treating us to an hour of ice, turmoil, chills and thrills at 9pm on a Saturday night. Modus, the Swedish series adapted from the novels of former Norweigan justice minister Anne Holt, is achingly good - if a little obvious at times. This is our favourite under the radar TV show of the moment, and here is why we think you should be watching:

Modus is undeniably equipped with fundamental credentials of Scandi-siblings The Killing and The Bridge: the protagonists are almost painfully complex, the chunky woollen knits are never far off and there is a whole load of snow-capped tree panoramas. And yet, Modus is cut from a different woollen cloth.

The protagonist, Inger Johanne Vik (Melinda Kinnaman), is not a sleep-deprived, impenetrably cold police officer come—strangeling like her predecessor Saga Norén. The cop-car door slamming is left to her bearded counterpart, beanie-wearing heartthrob/brooding detective Ingvar Nyman (Henrik Norlén).

She, instead, is two things at once - a psychologist and well-known criminal profiler, and a single-mother of two daughters (one autistic, and a murder witness) with a tangible and fierce maternal instinct. She’s also got her ‘hygge’ down to a tee - seemingly unkempt and pristine at the same time, as she glides, barefaced, through her cosy yet minimalist Nordic pad.

Modus doesn’t conform to the slow-reveal approach, but instead introduces us to murderous caravan-dweller in the very first episode. His motives are not clouded, but ferocious in their anti social-democratic progressive feeling, and his American accent is a far-cry from what we’re used to.

We’re exactly half way through the eight-part installment, but BBC Iplayer has got you covered with the first four episodes of the series.

Modus airs at 9pm on Saturday, BBC4

Click here to catch up on iPlayer