Watch The Kingdom

The Kingdom is a unique television series produced by film director Lars von Trier and co-writer Niels Vørsel, aired in 1994. With a strong lead drive from Ernst-Hugo J, the series brings together elements of horror, medicine, supernatural mysteries, and dark comedy for viewers to relish in a package of beloved and versatile Danish drama.

In The Kingdom, Ernst-Hugo J, famously known for his intense charisma on screen, plays the role of Stig Helmer, a Swedish consultant with a pronounced dislike for the Danish, which presents much of the series eccentric humor. He has recently joined the neurosurgical staff at the ultra-modern hospital, the Kingdom, with ambitious plans and big dreams. The hospital, known for being the most technologically advanced health center, is ironically plagued with spirits from another world with its foundations built on a place of sorrow and pain – an ancient Copenhagen 'bleach pond'. It's as if the extravagant hospital is perched atop a different dimension, a spirit world if you will, and it appears that there's a thin veil separating the two realms.

Throughout the series, layers of complexity are inetrtwined. The $2.3 billion Copenhagen palace of cutting-edge surgery, designed and constructed on the site where the country's first hospital stood in the 18th century, bubbles with disconcerting feelings alongside ghosts reaching out from beneath the building. It's a spectacular place, but also one riddled with eerie undertones. There are hints of an uncanny reality, unsolved mysteries, and unexplained events. It feels like the hospital is yawning open to the supernatural genre.

The ensemble cast of The Kingdom includes other noteworthy figures in Danish cinema, in complex and engrossing roles that truly encapsulate this bizarre and beloved TV show. Meanwhile, there are various subplots and side stories to keep viewers hooked. Each character deals with his or her own set of personal and professional conflicts amidst literal hauntings.

In his role as Stig Helmer, Ernst-Hugo J masterfully plays this arrogant but brilliant surgeon, creating a focal point for the show's numerous storylines. The story unfolds with Helmer seeking to reign supreme in the hospital's neurological research department.

Another great dialogue comes from the two doctors who are tasked with serving as The Kingdom's Greek chorus, explaining, commenting on, and critiquing the strange goings-on at the hospital. During the night shift, the two dishwashers frequently embody the traditional theatre chorus role, adding layered complexity to the narrative.

Despite capturing themes of horror and superstition, the series isn't shy with injecting elements of black comedy. The Kingdom is not only about doctors, patients, life, death, and the supernatural, but it also skewers the bureaucracy inherent in health services. It takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the maze of a giant metropolitan hospital, fearlessly delving into everything from professional rivalries to romantic relationships, all while under the specter of the supernatural.

Living up to its reputation, The Kingdom offers a mix that's not an easy digestible bite, but it's thought-provoking, intense, and captivating. Recurring surreal sequences and dreamlike imagery, combined with a narrative that weaves and ducks around a panoply of characters, it breaks all bounds of traditional storytelling. Despite being over two decades old, this tv show remains a mystical and grim comedy-drama that grabs viewer’s attention. A unique and cherished contribution to Danish television, The Kingdom seamlessly merges horror and reality, taking audiences on unexpected detours and leading them through an extraordinary maze of emotions and unearthly events. With ever-increasing popularity, it is the piquant mix of horror, suspense, humor, and drama that seamlessly blends and helps it sustain a cult following across the globe.

The Kingdom is a series that is currently running and has 3 seasons (15 episodes). The series first aired on November 24, 1994.