The sound quality… the film's lack of a full color spectrum… the jittery camera work — initially it seemed I was watching a student film from 10 years ago shot with a mid-1990's model cellphone.It didn't take long for the story, direction, comedic timing, quirkiness (and subtitles) to take hold. Between the occasional interaction of hospital's 2 dishwashing staff and the new physician's initiation ritual, I was hooked. I'm assuming they didn't have much of a production budget, but it didn't matter — I thoroughly enjoyed this miniseries.I've read they hacked 4 hours out of it and made a 5 hour movie for release to the US and British markets — I'm glad I was able to see the 8 episodes (9 hours) as originally broadcast, there isn't any of "Riget" I'd want to miss. Neither would I want to watch the 2004 homogenized Stephen King 13 episode version — I suspect it bears only a slight resemblance to the original. I can see how this series wouldn't necessarily appeal to everyone, just glad I'm in the group who gets-it :-)The 2nd season was good, but I enjoyed season 1 more. Series 2 was a bit more tongue-in-cheek; much of it funny, some of the gags fell flat. At least the pacing was quick as when it annoys, it's not for long. I think the funniest season-2 scene for me involved poison and some confusion over coffee cups...If there's ever another remake, I hope it's a Danish one with the same director, otherwise, they shouldn't bother. Maybe make a cleaner print of the original for digital release and put it on every streaming service available

From director Lars Von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Dogville), I spotted this Danish language title in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, so it was slightly strange to find out it was a mini TV series, but then again The Ten Commandments, also included, was a series as well, I was looking forward to seeing what it had to offer. It should be noted that this is the first of two series, the second called The Kingdom II, there was supposed to be a third and final series that would conclude all the story lines and answer all the questions, but one of the leading stars died, and as a result the series was cancelled, and it doesn't look like there will be a conclusion, but in a way, that sort of makes it more significant, maybe like Twin Peaks kind of stuff. Basically the series is set in a hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, called Rigshospitalet but better known as The Kingdom, it is the most technologically advanced hospital with quality medical science, many patients are cared for on the grounds and there is a good amount of staff. Throughout the show there are many strange things going on, such as a possible haunting, spirits or poltergeists of young patients appearing and disappearing, voices echoing through elevator shafts and corridors, two dishwashers who both have Downs Syndrome, and a female doctor becomes pregnant with the unborn child developing much faster than is natural. The main characters of the show include spiritualist patient Sigrid Drusse (Kirsten Rolffes), pathology professor Palle Bondo (Baard Owe) and recent appointee neurosurgeon Stig Helmer (Ernst-Hugo Järegård), and other characters include Rigmor Mortensen (Ghita Nørby), Jørgen Krogshøj (Søren Pilmark), Dr. Einar Moesgaard (Holger Juul Hansen), Mary Krüger (Annevig Schelde Ebbe), Bulder Harly Drusse (Jens Okking) and Porter Hansen (Otto Brandenburg). I will be honest and say that I could not follow any of the story lines going on, because I had to concentrate on the foreign language subtitles, and it was hard to follow the bizarre events, but I could certainly enjoy it being a little scary, freaky and in many moments funny, the rapid pregnancy and ending with the birth of the alien baby was the most fun to watch, so it was an interesting black comedy horror thriller. Very good!

"Riget" is one of Danish Director Lars Von Triers many Masterpieces, not to say his biggest. Taking place at "Rigshospitalet" in Copenhagen, known as "The Kingdom"/"Riget". This is one of the craziest series ever made. If you don't get thrilled and have a good laugh by watching this, it would be a good idea to see a (professional) shrink. "Riget" breaks many of the moviemakings many unwritten laws. It contains a lot of unforgettable characters, from the absent-minded surgeon Moesgaard, the Swedish surgeon Stig Helmer who is responsible for a failed brain-operation on a little girl,Rigmor who is madly in love with the Swedish vicar-surgeon. The most wicked character in "Riget" is without any doubt Mrs Drusse who claims that a little dead girl called Mary is still walking the corridors of Rigshospitalet... During the series the situation become rather more mystic and full of chaos and the doors to another world opens with catastrophical consequents. Soon both the living and the dead must fight to get a place at the unstable Hospital. Stephen King's remake "Kingdom Hospital" is a piece of crap if you consider it together with von Trier's original!!!

"Danskjävlar!" An arrogant Swedish doctor Stig Helmer has a new job in a hospital in Copenhagen that they call "Riget" or in English "the Kingdom". It was build on an old swamp and a gate hell is opening slowly. Things creepy as hell are starting to happen and everything isn't right in "Riget". Once you jump into Riget's world - you'll can't stop loving it.Lars von Trier truly is a genius. Not many people can put so much stuff in one hour. The mystery, the horror, the drama and the comedy in Riget are really something completely different. Acting is great. The mood is fantastic. The "expressionless" comedy of von Trier's mastermind reminds me a lot of the Finnish comedy, except I've never liked Finnish stuff so much as Riget. Riget walks behind other master - David Lynch, but still stands by itself. Well I really can't but it into words - watch Riget and you'll see something you'll never see again. Well, I'm speechless. The greatest Nordic TV-show ever and one the greatest all over the world. I'm proud to be Nordic. Now - when will we Finnish have Riget in DVD? I could buy Danish import which has Finnish subtitles but it would be a real culture act to publish Riget in Finland. Then more people could watch this masterpiece.Extremely highly recommended.