30 Degrees in February - New Scandi Drama

Oh joy, Sky Arts has decided to fight BBC4 for the Scandi drama crown! 2014 was full of Scandi delights on television, and thankfully there is a new series taking over from Arvingerne/The Legacy, which ended on Wednesday. Tonight sees the start of Swedish drama 30 Degrees in February on Sky Arts 1.

Danish historical drama 1864 is also lined up, and Norwegian comedy series Lilyhammer has added Bruce Springsteen to it's latest series (joining the main character played by E-Street band mate Little Steven). I found Lilyhammer series 1 simply too much to bear, it was too close to the bone and I couldn't see the funny side. Perhaps it's my Norwegian side which can't laugh at myself. I found it depressing. However, Bruce Springsteen... I might have to try it again.

One Norwegian TV-series which had me in stiches, and which I wish NRK would export to us is Borettslaget, a faux fly-on-the-wall documentary from a borettslag (a group of blocks of privately owned flats with a resident's association) in central Oslo. It's cheap, it's corny, it's great.

Arvingerne - The Legacy

At the end of last month I was gearing up for a new fix of Scandinavian drama on BBC4, having found Saturday evenings a bit pointless in TV terms since the end of Puck Bure's escapades this autumn. Having absolutely loved Puck, Eje - and most of all Christer - Inspector Montalbano was never going to do it for me.
So, having glimpsed fleeting TV ads for a new Danish series about family secrets, I was ready to indulge last Saturday. BBC4 was swiched on just before 9pm, and then, nothing. No 'The Legacy' at all, just more Monty. It wasn't until I read a review of The Legacy in The Telegraph that I realised what had happened: Sky stole it. Yes, instead of allowing everyone access to Scandi Saturday night drama, Sky reserved it for the few. On a Wednesday night. Excuse me?
Now, we do happen to have Sky Arts on TV, so I watched the first episode on demand. And I thought it was very promising. (But why on earth did the translator think the Danish 'godt' is 'jolly good' in English. I mean, who says 'jolly' good anyway? Twice, it was used, and it felt clunky and false)

'Arvingerne', as it is called in Danish, is on Sky Arts at 10pm on Wednesdays. I can't stay up and watch TV late mid-week, so I'm going to save it and watch it as a treat on demand on Saturday evening.

 Photo: DR

If, like me, you noticed the grey woolly sweater worn by the eldest daughter, and thought - 'I like the poncho-sweater look' - then a knitting pattern can be found on BetteKunGarn, a Danish on-line shop which ingeniously sells a pattern and wool kit (one would have to buy knitting needles, size 7, separately if one doesn't have them already).  The wool is chunky merino and comes in many colours, though I suspect the grey will become much sought after...

Photo: BetteKun