Link TV Presents U.S. Television Premiere of Hit European Political Series "BORGEN"

NBC network to adapt series

Premieres Saturday, October 29 at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT and repeats Sunday, October 30 at 12:30 a.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. PT

All 10 episodes to stream online for two weeks following broadcast

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Link TV will present the U.S. television premiere of the hit European political series BORGEN (Government), to air Saturdays this fall, starting October 29 at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT.  An ultra-stylish and adroit drama about a female Prime Minister's rise to power, and how power changes her, BORGEN is the latest television sensation from the producers of the acclaimed Danish series The Killing.  With recent elections bringing Denmark its first female Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the series could not be more timely.

Like its American cousin The West Wing, BORGEN opens to the viewer a world of liquid politics and ruthless gamesmanship that play out in the elite corridors of power.  Sumptuously photographed on the streets of Copenhagen, and in the grand halls of the opulent medieval Christiansborg Palace, this sleek and sophisticated series follows the intricate public and private lives of the politicians and master media spinners who run the nation, and the reporters who traffic in predicting their triumphs and failures during the political death-match that defines a critical election season.  Scheduled to air in the U.K. on the BBC and in France on ARTE, BORGEN will premiere in the U.S. exclusively on Link TV, available on DIRECTV channel 375 and Dish Network channel 9410 and on select cable stations (check local listings) on Saturdays this fall starting on October 29 at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, repeating each Sunday at 12.30 a.m. ET / 9.30 p.m. PT.  Each of the 1-hour episodes in Season One of the BORGEN series will stream for free at LinkTV.org/Borgen for two weeks following the Saturday broadcast.  The NBC television network recently announced that it will adapt BORGEN for American audiences.

BORGEN, or "The Castle," is the nickname for Denmark's Parliamentary building housed in the Christiansborg Palace in central Copenhagen. The protagonist is the sexy, sharp-witted populist Birgitte Nyborg, a poster girl for idealism and hard work.  She secures her party a landslide victory only to face the most harrowing dilemma of her life:  will she be forced to sacrifice the ideals that won her the election in order to gain influence and maintain her political position?

In private, Birgitte leads an idyllic life with her husband and two children. But she is a woman with a big heart and a fiery passion for politics, a combination that leaves her stretched between family and work.  Will she manage to juggle her public responsibilities as a national leader while protecting her sacred home life? With its up-close-and-personal view of political rivals and allies, BORGEN lays bare the complex realities of political life today, mediated by a 24-7 news cycle that American audiences will surely recognize. Birgitte and her team tackle a universal agenda of social and economic issues that reflect the global environment that connects us all.  As the saying goes, all politics is indeed local.

Lorraine Hess, Link TV's VP of Programming, says, "The series is especially timely right now as Denmark has just elected its first woman Prime Minister, not to mention the parallels to what promises to be a vicious U.S. election season.  When Nyborg has to balance the national budget, amidst brutal in-fighting between the parties, the similarities won't be lost on American viewers disillusioned with debilitating partisan politics.  And women will love the ballsy yet compassionate Birgitte Nyborg, who valiantly tries to balance career and private life with her eyes wide open."

"In showcasing this uniquely Danish perspective on politics, Link TV continues its commitment to bring views from around the world to American audiences," says Link TV's new CEO, Paul Mason.  "Top-quality international drama and comedy is a new direction for Link TV, and it aligns perfectly with our mission of giving Americans fresh and sometimes challenging perspectives and stories from outside our own borders. The main character of BORGEN and her team tackle an agenda of social and economic issues that reflect the global political landscape which connects us all."  

In Danish with English subtitles.  

ABOUT LINK MEDIA & LINK TV
Link Media uses media and the power of stories to engage, inform and inspire its audiences to participate in transformational, sustainable change on issues of global importance.  Founded in 1999, Link Media operates the Link TV national network and the websites LinkTV.org and ViewChange.org.  An independent and non-commercial media company, Link Media acquires, produces and delivers global news, documentaries and cultural programming over three distribution channels: broadcast, web and mobile devices.   

A pioneer in news and current affairs programming, Link TV has been recognized for its original news programs including the Peabody Award-winning daily broadcast Mosaic:  World News from the Middle East, which monitors and airs unedited selections of news reports from more than 43 Middle-Eastern broadcasters.  Link TV also offers original, innovative participatory programs promoting national and global citizen action.

Link TV is available as basic service on DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410, reaching more than 35 million U.S. households.  Select Link TV programming also airs on 220 cable outlets, including in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, reaching an additional 22 million homes.  Link also streams much of its content online at LinkTV.org.  For complete background information, program schedule and Internet streaming, go to LinkTV.org.

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SOURCE Link TV