Heimebane

Not joking either, I watched Norwegian TV drama 'Heimbane' around the same time as the FIFA 2018 World Cup and grew to love the series. Why aren't there more female coaches in football? Thinking about it as a fan of the game, I'm struggling to find any rational explanation?!? Ane Dahl Torp plays Helena Mikkelsen the head coach of newly promoted Varg FC (fictionalized, but most of the action is set among the fjordic landscape of Ulsteinvik in the west of the country) and really makes the part her own (particularly love all the little obsessive 'ticks' and character traits she's built into the role). The football during the series is done pretty well (which certainly makes a welcome change!), but not overdone, most of the attention is on the personal and professional lives of the characters. I wouldn't know a 'known' from an 'unknown' in Norwegian drama, but enjoyed Axel Bøyum's performance as the young football prodigy emerging from the shadow of his father, Emma Bones as Mikkelsen's supportive teenage daughter Camilla, sympathetic in the role, and former professional John Carew as Michael Engersen draws attention to the problems players often face in the twilight of their careers. Finally, Rolf Kristian Larsen gives a solid performance as Eivind, Mikkelsen's embattled boss standing up for her in the chauvinistic boardroom. There's lots going on here and a a few surprises along the way to keeps things interesting. The whole thing could easily have gone pear-shaped, but 'Heimebane' succeeds because it's a drama more about the human condition than 'The Beautiful Game'. Looking forward to another season.

Very well played and a good script!! Many unknown actors, very good main characters. Worth viewing!!

I had this series on my watch list for a year and just kept giving it a wide birth for some reason. Then came the awful lockdown. Man, what a fantastic series. You don't need to like fottie, I do, to really enjoy this. I binged it all and felt sad when the final of the last season ended.

First season was very enjoyable and well written. That in mind I'm going to skip the second season. It looks like that original writer had nothing to do with the second season and reading the reviews and watching the episode scorings, it's safe to assume that this show suffers from the same faith as the Goliath. Luckily the first season was conclusive so there was really no need for the second season.

Hats off to Mr Johan Fasting and actors for the marvelous first season.

Although I have previously seen the topic of a female coach/manager been tackled (cough), by the British way back in 1989 ! in "The Manageress" with the always lovely Cherie Lunghi, it is safe to say that we haven't gotten much further in this development. Therefore this new Norwegian show is a welcome addition to the discussion of egalitarianism in sports management.

The female protagonist here is surely competent and well aware of all the pitfalls and opposition she faces during this first season. Personally I found the subplots involving her daughter a bit off, as if they couldn't really figure out what she wanted - which is probably realistic enough, but makes for bad storytelling. Also it is glaringly obvious that Jon Carew is a former player and not an actor :-), however most of the rest of the cast is really good and the location scenery is just beautiful. Norwegian fjords, I mean - come on... NRK (Norwegian PBS) is on a hot streak with their TV-shows these days - good on them.