So bad that you almost have to laugh

It is very difficult to find a single good reason to spend your time on the new Viaplay series “Professionals”.

Professionals

American action series in 10 parts. Premiere on Viaplay on Monday 23 November.

At first I was unsure if “Professionals” was really a failed satire, or a kind of parody of an outdated action series. The characters were so many: a transparent and semi-chewy plot, embarrassing and clichéd dialogue, parodic villains, plays far below par and always a rescue at the last second when it looks like the blackest test.

But this is unfortunately meant seriously. Some series are so beyond miserable that it is possible to watch them for that very reason. The undersigned, for example, greatly enjoyed the soap opera “Passions” in its time, precisely because it was so deplorable that it became a lie. “Professionals” is almost there, but not quite, it’s just good enough to not be as entertaining as a turkey.

An exceptionally retired Brendan Fraser plays one of the central roles, as a powerful philanthropist who experiences that someone blows up the satellite he has just launched – the one that should save the world from a pandemic, as especially good satellites are known to do. There are owls in the moss, and soon our husband has hired a bunch of elite soldiers to protect himself, his loved ones and the company. Many evil forces work against them, and there is also unrest within the family.

These half-hearted components are then screwed together into a light-hearted action series, which never manages to surprise, other than in how deeply it is willing to sink in terms of dialogue, dramaturgical shortcuts and acting. It is populated by flat characters without charm and the creators of the series reveal a strikingly indifferent attitude at all levels. Easy chewing action can be a lot of fun when done well. Here, unfortunately, it seems as if it is the reserve team’s reserve team that has been brought in. At a time when streaming services are flooded with good and half-baked series, there is really no reason to spend your time on something as miserable as this.