Keen to capitalise on its biggest success so far – moody Danish crime thriller The Killing, the first two series of which had audiences gripped for most of 2011 – BBC4 has launched its 2012 schedule with another Danish import, political drama Borgen. It follows the administration of Denmark’s first woman prime minister, Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and its relationship with the country’s media corps.

Leader of the centrist Moderate party hitherto caught between the warring Liberals and Labour, Nyborg is struggling through the last week of a fraught election campaign in the first episode. Having pulled out of her pre-election pact with the Labour leader after he tacked hard right on immigration, Nyborg is facing electoral oblivion and is contemplating her resignation when she stages a last-stand at the final TV debate, making an inspiring “there is another way” appeal. Having been catapulted from also-ran to prime minister-in-waiting, Nyborg and her faithful deputy leader Bent Sejrø (Lars Knutzon – I don’t know why I’m bothering to tell you the actors’ names – none of us have ever heard of them) spend a tense and thrilling second episode struggling to put together a coalition, after which Birgette sets about changing Denmark apace – dealing with budgets, gender equality and even the CIA.

Borgen is made by its female leads. Knudsen, a stage actor for most of her career, gives an incredibly rich performance – managing to be both tough as nails and seductive and just a bit kinky all at the same time – and doesn’t make the mistake like so many before her (hint hint, Meryl Streep) of reducing a female politician to her gender, showing her equally as idelogical and ambitious as any of her male counterparts. Birgitte Sørensen is compelling as troubled TV journalist Katrine Fonsmark. For the most part they inhabit two separate parts of the show but you get the sense that their worlds are gradually moving together and there’ll be some spectacular showdown at the Christianborg Palace some time soon. And if the episodes thus far are anything to go by, it will be some of the best TV you are likely to see this year.