Fans of the Harry Hole novels were no doubt assured going into new Netflix adaptation, Detective Hole, by knowing that the series was written by the author of the books, Jo Nesbø, himself.
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However, they may have been surprised to learn that the series was kicking off with the fifth novel, The Devil's Star, rather than starting from the beginning. Now, speaking exclusively with Radio Times, Nesbø has explained that decision.
"It's because it's the novel where it all comes together," Nesbø said. "Not only Harry as a character, but also the people around him, his relationship with Rakel being a mother with the son, and Harry’s relationship to the young son, Oleg.
"But also, Oslo has become almost like a character in the novel. And that was important for us. That was one of the key decisions made, was to shoot it in Oslo and have Oslo being a character, not only in the story, but also visually.
"So we made this Oslo that is the real Oslo, but slightly exaggerated. So we call it Oslo plus 10 per cent, which means the gritty side of Oslo is a bit more gritty, the glossy side a bit more glossy. So it's become like a Gotham City version of Oslo."
Nesbø was speaking alongside Tobias Santelmann, the actor who plays Harry in the series. Also starring in the show is Joel Kinnaman, who plays Harry's colleague and nemesis Tom Waaler. Throughout the first season, Harry goes head-to-head with Waaler, while also struggling with his own demons, and trying to catch a serial killer who has been stalking the streets of Oslo. Kinnaman also spoke with Radio Times, and he broke down his complex character who he called "conflicted".
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"I sort of define him as a malignant narcissist, which, on the scale of psychopathy, is the station right before a sociopathic narcissist," Kinnaman said. "It's someone that doesn't have much empathy, and can act completely without empathy, but has the ability to sometimes feel it.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
