Lilyhammer: The Crime Comedy-Drama Series That Put Netflix on the Map
Lilyhammer is a crime comedy-drama television series starring Steven Van Zandt as a former New York gangster who tries to start a new life in the remote town of Lillehammer, Norway. The series was created by Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, and co-produced by Norway’s public broadcaster NRK1 and Netflix. It was the first original series to be exclusively distributed by Netflix, and the first time the streaming service offered exclusive content.
The series premiered on NRK1 in Norway on January 25, 2012, with a record audience of 998,000 viewers (one fifth of Norway’s population), and on Netflix in North America on February 6, 2012, with all eight episodes available for streaming. The series received positive reviews from critics and audiences, who praised its blend of humor, drama, and cultural clash. The series also won several awards, including six Gullruten awards (Norway’s equivalent of the Emmy Awards) and a nomination for the International Emmy Award for Best Comedy.
The series produced three seasons, with a total of 24 episodes. The final episode aired on December 17, 2014. On July 22, 2015, Van Zandt announced on Twitter that the series had been cancelled, and the following day Netflix confirmed that they were pulling out. However, Van Zandt has expressed interest in reviving the series in the future, saying that he has \”a lot of ideas\” for a possible fourth season.
Plot
The series follows Frank Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt), a former underboss in an American Mafia crime family, who testifies against his former boss Aldo Delucci (Thomas Grube) in a trial. As part of the witness protection program, Frank requests to be relocated to Lillehammer, Norway, where he had watched the Winter Olympics in 1994 and was fascinated by the place. He assumes a new identity as Giovanni \”Johnny\” Henriksen, a Norwegian-American immigrant and nightclub owner.
In Lillehammer, Johnny tries to adapt to the Norwegian way of life, but faces various challenges and conflicts with the local authorities, criminals, and cultural differences. He also befriends and hires some colorful locals to work for him, such as Torgeir Lien (Trond Fausa AurvÃ¥g), Roar Lien (Steinar Sagen), Jan Johansen (Fridtjov SÃ¥heim), and Roy \”Fingern\” Aass (Robert Skjærstad). He also falls in love with Sigrid Haugli (Marian Saastad Ottesen), a local teacher and single mother, and becomes a surrogate father to her son Jonas (Mikael Aksnes-Pehrson).
Throughout the series, Johnny has to deal with various threats and complications from his past and present, such as Delucci’s hitmen, rival gangs, corrupt politicians, FBI agents, and his own family members. He also gets involved in various schemes and adventures in Norway and abroad, such as smuggling alcohol, kidnapping celebrities, rescuing animals, visiting Rio de Janeiro, hosting a wedding, and even meeting former US president Barack Obama.
Cast
- Steven Van Zandt as Frank Tagliano / Giovanni \”Johnny\” Henriksen: The main protagonist of the series. A former New York mobster who moves to Lillehammer under witness protection. He is smart, charismatic, ruthless, but also loyal and compassionate. He runs a nightclub called Flamingo and tries to balance his criminal activities with his personal life.
- Trond Fausa AurvÃ¥g as Torgeir Lien: Johnny’s right-hand man and best friend. He is loyal, naive, imp