riget

Riget, known in English as The Kingdom, is a Danish television miniseries created by Lars von Trier. It originally aired on DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) in 1994, with a second season, Riget II, broadcast in 1997. Set in a fictional Copenhagen hospital named Riget (The Kingdom), the series blends medical drama with supernatural horror and dark satire as it follows a diverse cast of doctors, nurses, patients, and administrators confronted by inexplicable events that defy rational explanation.

The show's narrative moves between clinical procedure and uncanny phenomena—ghostly visions, political intrigues, and the sense that the hospital is a gateway to a larger, and possibly malignant, order. Its tone mixes bleak humor with atmospheric dread, and its storytelling often juxtaposes documentary-like realism with dreamlike sequences and unsettling imagery. Visually, it relies on stark, low-key production and long takes that emphasize mood over exposition.

Riget is regarded as a milestone of Danish television and a notable example of Lars von Trier's early international impact. Its fusion of genre elements—horror, fantasy, and satire within an institutional setting—has influenced later supernatural dramas that blend science and the occult, and it remains a touchstone in discussions of European auteur television. The Kingdom's two seasons developed a devoted cult following and continue to be discussed in analyses of television form and von Trier's filmography.