Netflix’s Quicksand triumphs at Swedish TV awards

On Friday’s annual Kristallen TV awards in Stockholm, the crime thriller produced by FLX won Best TV drama and Best Actress (Hanna Ardéhn) while Robert Gustafsson won Best Actor for Kanal 5’s The Truth Will Out. 

Netflix’s first Swedish language original series Quicksand (Störst av allt) was competing in the best drama series category against SVT’s Sisters 1968 (Anagram) and The Bonus Family (FLX), Kanal 5’s The Truth Will Out (Yellow Bird), and C More/TV4’s Wedding, Funeral and a Christening (Sweetwater Productions). 

FLX’s Quicksand about the aftermath of a high school shooting was adapted by The Bridge’s Camilla Ahlgren from Malin Persson Giolito’s eponymous crime novel.  Besides its double win for Quicksand, the production company FLX also picked up a Kristallen for best comedy series with The Simple Heist (Enkelstöten).

“We are very proud that FLX won in both scripted categories [drama and comedy]”, said FLX ‘s managing director Pontus Edgren to nordicfilmandtvnews.com, stressing that around 60-70 series and 30 production companies compete each year at the Kristallen scripted categories. 

The best Male Acting award to Robert Gustafsson for his role as sombre detective Peter Wendel in The Truth Will Out (det som göms i snö), had a special meaning for the star actor, usually cast in comedy roles. “I wanted to do something that went beyond the scope of the Swedish crime genre,” explained Gustafsson on SVT’s Friday evening’s live retransmission at Stockholm’s Cirkus.  Based on an idea by Leif GW Persson, The Truth Will Out was both a critical and audience success for Discovery Networks Sweden/Kanal5 when it premiered in August 2018. The series was supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond. 

A total of 21 Kristallen awards were handed out on Friday evening, including best documentary programme to Filmen om Alexander (Carringer Media/Kanal5), and  best children’s programme to Livet I Mattelandet (Patrik Sthlm/UR).  

For the full list of awards, check: http://kristallen.tv/