On December 13th, Netflix USA added a Norwegian TV series called Nobel. The series focuses on Norwegian Special Forces members serving in Afghanistan. I find the relationship between Norway and Sweden and Norway and the USA to be interesting. It is also good international intrigue.
I am going on the RS Scandinavian tour in June and feel like I am learning a bit about culture while I am being entertained.
May I suggest that you give "Lilyhammer" a try - three seasons (24 episodes) featuring Steve Van Zandt (Sopranos & E Street Band fame). Anyway, it's a real hoot and one of my all time favorite series. Sadly, it was not renewed for a fourth season.
Two summers ago, while staying in Hydra, Greece, I overheard a young Norweigan couple checking in at the hotel where we were staying. Needless to say, I could barely restrain myself from asking them about "Lilyhammer" and had a perfect opportunity at breakfast as we were sitting at an adjacent table. So when I asked for their take on the series, I was thoroughly delighted to learn how much they liked it; plus they claimed that "Lilyhammer" was widely like by viewers in Norway.
Thank you Craig. I have seen Lllyhammer and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am also watching Borgen, which is Danish.
Thanks for the Borgen recommendation. My husband lived in Denmark a year and always loves Scandinavian series. Sadly, it looks like it's not available on Netflix streaming. Might have to reinstate my DVDs...
Borgen is available for purchase on iTunes. That's where I bought it. You can get all seasons in one package at a discounted rate if you like. It's good.
Thank you for the tip! I just watched the first episode and I'm hooked.
I went on the RS Best of Scandinavia tour this year and had an amazing time. If you can, watch the Vikings and the Heavy Water War before you go as well.
Great list! We have been looking for a new series to watch.
In the US, the Swedish version of The Bridge ia available for purchase to stream on Amazon.
Vikings is available to stream for free if you have Amazon Prime. I am still looking for the others. This is a very helpful list. Thank you.
My golden doodle puppy is named Saga Noren. I have been immersing myself in Scandinavian shows. In addition to all of the shows mentioned above, here is a list of shows I have watched that you may enjoy. Some are Noir, some are not.
Pusher I, II, III
Department Q
The Inspector and the Sea
The Bothersome Man
100-year old man...
30 Degrees in February
Sebastian Bergman
Van Veeteren
The Kingdom
Witnesses
Irene Huss
Dicte
Flickering Lights
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy
Annika Bengtzon
Fjallbacka Murders
Insomnia
Occupied
Unit One
River
Arne Dahl
Modus (on my list)
Nobel (on my list)
I love the Scandinavian TV series and have found many good ones on MHZ Choice which is a subscription channel. They are great for culture and views of the country. Yes, some of the crime shows can be dark but all you have to do is choose a different one. I am a fan of Italian TV especially Montalbano and all the shows are here too. I have almost completely stopped watching television instead of the foreign shows, of course with captions. There are German, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, etc.
Oh, and thanks for all the tips on your favorite shows!
Thank you Anne. I had never heard of MHZ Choice but I checked it out and see I can subscribe through Amazon. It looks like they have many great shows.
The amount of gruesome murders that take places in Scandinavian fiction is astonishing compared to the actual crime rates!
Emma as a Dane I have to correct you, The Killing is Danish and the Bridge is a joint Danish/Swedish production.
Borgen gives a very good account of Danish politics, the characters are thinly veiled versions of actual politicians and political parties. 1864 was critically panned for the same thinly veiled political criticism of current nationalist politics, only set against a historical background. The inclusion of supernatural elements in a historical drama didn't help either. it's a shame, since it was the most expensive Danish TV production and the war of 1864 was a defining moment in Danish history and has shaped the current attitude and culture of Denmark.
Emma, since I am not actually a big fan of the Killing, I am willing to let this one go :-)
The joint production of the Bridge is not a new thing, it seems to be an unwritten rule that Danish tv shows have to have the token Swedish actor and Visa versa in Sweden.
The Killing was a nationwide phenomena when it first aired, but I was backpacking in Australia at the time, so i was completely oblivious to it. When I got home and it was all over the media and everyone was talking about who had killed Nanna Birk Larsen, I thought it was an actual murder case.
For us Danes it's funny to see all the Danish actors popping up in international shows, Sidse Babett Knudsen from Borgen is currently on HBOs Westworld and Mads Mikkelsen is everywhere from Hannibal to Star Wars.
One older show i can recommend is Unit One (Rejseholdet in Danish). It's inspired by actual murder cases and actual police work, instead of the fanciful serial killers that often show up in Scandi drama. It was also Mads Mikkelsens breaktrough, where he got his sexiest man alive image. He tried to escape this image by playing increasingly nastier and unsexy characters in a series of very popular absurd danish action comedies, (Flickering Lights, The Green Butchers, Adams Apples and Men and Chicken) but no matter how much ugly make up they apply, the ladies still loves him.
I will add Maria Wern to the list. It's a thoughtful drama about a female detective that takes place in Visby, Sweden. The settings are beautiful and make me want to visit someday.
Antboy
Not a TV series but a movie: Kitchen Stories (2004). Chatting with a real Norwegian in an Oslo bar/pub, I mentioned that my favorite Norwegian movie was "Kitchen Stories". He practically leaped out his seat in a show of excitement in agreeing.
Last year Netflix carried a Norwegian series that told the true story of the brave men who attacked the heavy water plant to stop Hitler building an atomic bomb. It was shot on location and seemed very accurate -as opposed to past movies - and paid special attention to the Norwegians involved. I believe an understanding of this part of history would be much appreciated by Norwegians you meet. If you are in Norway now, raise a glass to their memory.
Thanks for giving me a fresh information! I am pleased because im a fan of this kind of genre.
