BBC1 launched its new crime series Wallander last night, with Kenneth Branagh making his bid for the title of Britain's new favourite telly detective.
The series, based on Henning Mankell's novels, feature the diabetic opera-buff Detective Inspector Kurt Wallander as he attempts to solve murder cases in a small Swedish town.
While most of the critics in today's papers agreed it was beautifully shot, there was some disagreement as to how good it actually was.
Andrew Billen in the Times was impressed, particularly with Branagh's take on the pizza-loving detective.
"This distinctly superior cop show is both spare and suggestive, and brilliantly acted."
James Walton in the Daily Telegraph said the bleakness of Wallander was "admirably brave for any new drama series, especially on a Sunday night" and described as it as "classy antidote to the cosy cop show".
Matt Bayliss in the Daily Express said the series was a reminder of "why we pay our licence fee".
"Everything about Wallander, from its chilly backdrops to the sparse script and the gloriously crumpled performance of Kenneth Branagh in the lead role, spoke of the heights TV drama can hit when it wants to."
However, he said the plot was given away too early on.
Tom Sutcliffe in the Independent liked the look of the series, describing it as more "vibrantly colourful as anything we've seen on screen for months".
But he added: "Branagh's playing of Wallander is utterly heartfelt, but the character oddly feels shallower than the performance, the disaffection and Weltschmerz just another detective gimmick."
Kira Cochrane in the Guardian said that while the crux of Wallander was good, it was "prone to terrible longueurs."
