Lykkeland

I came across this series when searching for something to watch during the lockdown. The story of the beginning of the Norwegian oil industry doesn't sound too exciting a subject, and it isn't if you're expecting loads of action in the North Sea. Yes, there's some good tension in the diving scenes, but its really more about the personalities and how the discovery of oil effects them and their town, that's the thing that draws you in,

The acting is first superb from all the cast, but I have to say that the beautiful actresses playing Anna and Toril, are in a class of their own. The production standards of this series are first class, the attention to detail is superb, the Sixties are captured just fine to this eye (the Norwegian audience will have its own take on this), none more so than the Glasgow Rangers team picture which briefly features in episode 2: that's the personal clincher for me.

I do hope there's a second series being planned, it deserves nothing less.

As someone else said "scandi without the noir!" I haven't finished it yet but at episode #5 I'm really enjoying this series and fail to understand the people who can dismiss it as a soap opera? Some beautiful locations, an interesting story and most of the cast members are very easy on the eye ... and of course they can all act! The female lead 'Anna' in particular is superb ... her character with her slight quirkiness and do all attitude. Just great.

I watched this wonderful Norwegian TV series on BBC. We decided to look at the first episode with my wife. That was it. We couldn't stop watching the rest. Since dialogues are a little crowded and in Norwegian, we had to to watch some scenes twice. I am looking forward to another season. Those who say this is a soap or disappointing are probably depressed people. I find a little difficult not to enjoy this TV series.

Strongly recommended. Watch it at least for lovely Ana.

Yalcin

I had read nothing about this so I had no expectations (probably the best way to approach any film or tv series) and I feel really lucky to have stumbled across it. The writing is naturalistic, as is the acting, the plot isn't always neatly tied up and concluded (just like real life) and characters are multifaceted. I love the late 60's early 70's fashion and set pieces. The sound track and score bring a lot to the mix as well. I love how it is filmed, the feeling of this Norwegian town on the brink of something that could catapult it or destroy it is expertly captured.

I really hope they do a 2nd series. There is so much rubbish being churned out at the moment and I'm always really shocked that tv series like this and for example Press, often get dropped after 1 season, or 2 seasons like Mindhunter (which tonally, this reminds me of)

More please!

An intelligent and watchable series from Norway. Educational too. Impressed by the attention to small details, such as geologists sighting down along paper seismic sections at a low angle looking for subtle changes in geology when looking for oil. This is exactly how it used to be done before the advent of the Personal Computer. Not sure, but I think there is a brief allusion to the Moller-Maersk company (Maersk Oil - sadly now defunct , having been gobbled up by Total SA) when discussing Danish 'Social Democracy' allowing the North Sea to be invested in by a 'family-run' business. I think the ethos of Nordic 'Jante Law' (nowadays increasingly derided in Scandinavia), with its conservative socio-religious demands of obligation of self to the wider community, has prevented Norway from 'squandering' its North Sea Oil wealth. It now has the biggest Sovereign Wealth fund in the world ! A good reason to be Hygge !