Borgen
DR1 | BBC Four | Netflix | Release Date: September 26, 2010
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
91
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Vanity FairJoanna RobinsonAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: One of the greatest TV series of the past decade. Read full review
100
SalonWilla PaskinAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: Compared to American political dramas — "West Wing," "Scandal," "Homeland," "House of Cards" — Borgen feels grounded. It is not puffed up with an American sense of grandiosity and world historical import. Each episode contains intricate twists and turns, but is focused on the human-size, psychological aspects of politics, of how Nyborg learns to be effective and at what cost. Read full review
100
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)John DoyleAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: It's essentially a drama about political negotiation, alliances, compromises and principles. It is very odd to see a political drama about a principled politician, but it never overreaches into Aaron Sorkin-level prissiness, preachiness and obviousness... It's magnificently different. Read full review
100
The GuardianSam WollastonAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: It's a fantastically compelling and intricate drama about politics, gender, change and (mainly) power. With great characters – not just the women but the men too. Read full review
100
SlateJune ThomasAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: The show is beautifully plotted. The many intrigues in the worlds of politics, journalism, business, and PR are given just enough twists and turns to be surprising, but never so many that they become tiresome. Read full review
100
IndieWireKevin JagernauthAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: Simply put, Borgen is a rare gem of a show, one that is as smart as it is entertaining, that grows richer with each passing episode and rewards viewers with exciting, thought-provoking drama. Read full review
100
Denver PostJoanne OstrowOct 9, 2013
Season 1 Review: The best TV show you’re not watching. Read full review
90
Baltimore SunDavid ZurawikAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: I don’t know if I will get though all 30 episodes, but I badly need a dose of realpolitik leavened with a some sense of idealism and hope, and this feels like just the ticket. Read full review
90
NewsweekAndrew RomanoAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: The Best Political Show Ever no longer hails from Hollywood, birthplace of The West Wing. It comes, instead, from Copenhagen, and it is called Borgen. Read full review
90
The New York TimesAlessandra StanleyOct 9, 2013
Season 1 Review: Borgen may be the hardest show to find on American television, but at the moment it’s also one of the best. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubEmily VanDerWerffAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: If I have an issue with this first episode, it’s that too much of the storytelling is driven by coincidence. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandAug 23, 2020
Season 1 Review: It's difficult to imagine that even American broadcast TV would import the cliche-ridden melodrama of "Borgen," but if it captures the credible heart of the story - that moderation has a place in politics and can beat old-fashioned backroom deals - it holds promise. Read full review
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