Top Telly - BBC series: Wallander

Entering an isolated farmhouse on what he believes is a routine call, Inspector Wallander discovers a bloodbath, as the Bafta-winning series starring Kenneth Branagh as the famous Swedish detective returns to BBC One for three new feature-length investigations.

An old man has been tortured and beaten to death. Beside his shattered body, his wife is barely alive. As her life slowly slips away, she whispers to Wallander a word that sounds like "foreigners". When her dying word is leaked to the press by the police, there is an outbreak of racist reprisals in Ystad.

Meanwhile, Wallander's personal life is a shambles. He sees little of his daughter, struggles to bond with her new partner – a second-generation Syrian doctor – and his relationship with his mentally fragile father is pushed to the limit. On top of that, the fallout from the case causes him to doubt everything, even his abilities as a police officer.

Second Series

The second series was shot on location in Ystad, Southern Sweden, during 2009. "I'm delighted to be back in Kurt Wallander's shoes for three further adaptations," says Kenneth Branagh. "The character's story becomes ever more complex in these next films. The entire team relished the privilege of bringing them to the screen for an audience who proved so loyal last time out."

Returning to the series alongside Branagh are David Warner, Richard McCabe, Tom Hiddleston, Sarah Smart, Jeany Sparks, Polly Hemingway and Sadie Shimmin. The second series also features Arsher Ali, Beatie Edney, Rupert Graves, Dhafer L'Abidine, Phyllis Logan, Saskia Reeves, Vincent Regan and Angela Thorne.

Previous Series

The first series of Wallander won six Baftas, including Best Drama Series, while Kenneth Branagh won the Best Actor prize at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. The series was also nominated for two Emmy Awards following its screening on PBS in the United States earlier this year.

Wallander is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

Wallander was watched by more than six million viewers on BBC One in December 2008.

It has since become an international television success story across the world from Japan to the USA. More than 14 countries worldwide have now bought the series, from Canada to Finland and Slovenia to Australia.

The Novels

Already a best-selling author across the world, the UK transmission of the series has seen Henning Mankell's Inspector Wallander book sales soar in the UK with more than 68,000 additional sales of the three adapted books so far.

BBC ‘s Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh

Swedish detective has a troubled life

Starring Kenneth Branagh, Sarah Smart, Polly Hemingway, Rupert Graves, Phyllis Logan, Saskia Reeves and Angela Thorne.

- BBC Scotland