Lilyhammer

TUBE!

This is purportedly the first original television series produced by Netflix, and after I posted my review of the magnificent "House of Cards" claiming it was the first, someone corrected me. Except, Lilyhammer is co-produced as American/Norwegian and the Rubicon Production Company shows their cute couch logo at the end, so I think there is an argument to be made about this being the first entirely Netflix produced television show.

At any rate the whole, "no it's not" thing fired me up and I watched the whole first season of "Lilyhammer" on Netflix. Even though I am not a fan of that pitiful piece of crap "The Sopranos", (which also featured Van Zandt), I do love the E-Street Band. So Miami Steve was worth a watch. He's one of those guys that I know I could hang out with and we would totally click. Rascals? Motown? Try me brother.

This TV show stars Steven Van Zandt as a New York underboss who was passed over for what should have been his "promotion" and lets his dissatisfaction known. After an attempt on his life (which coincidently results in the death of his dog "Lily") he decides to rat out all of the mobsters he knows in exchange for being placed in the Witness Protection Program. Instead of opting for the usual Florida or the Bahamas, he asks to be placed in Lillehammer, Norway. He apparently fell in love with the place when the winter Olympics were held there. And he figures nobody will ever look for him there. And he is right.

Once he gets there, the Norwegian culture is nothing like he expected. He immediately starts using his New York tactics of squeezing and strong arming and soon owns his own nightclub which he dubs "The Flamingo" in honor of Bugsy Seigel and his beginnings in Las Vegas. Frankie Tagliano - now Giovanni "Johnny" Henricksen, takes on a local doofus to be his number two guy named Torgeir Lien played wonderfully and believeably by Trond Fausa Aurvåg. But soon Johnny comes to the attention of Police Chief Laila Horland (Anne Krigsvoll) and her over zealous officer sidekick Geir "Elvis" Tvedt (Kyrre Hellum). Besides being the Norwegian Barney Fife, Geir also is an Elvis impersonator. A bad one. Rounding out the cast is Fridtjov Såheim as the bumbling government worker, Sven Nordin as Johnny's lawyer and eventual business partner Julius Backe, and the lovely Marian Saastad Ottesen as Johnny's girlfriend Sigrid Haugli.

This series is definitely different and unique. First of all the Norwegian actors are great but Norwegians approach things differently. For example, the Police Chief and girlfriend both have teeth that although normal enough, are certainly not Hollywood acceptable. The Norwegians speak Norwegian a lot. So you have to be willing to read subtitles. But despite this and the bleak surroundings there was something vaguely compelling about this story.

The show is not without fault. Van Zandt plays his character so far over the wise-guy stereotype top that he is laughable, being not so much an antihero as a caricature. And then, since there was snow in Fargo, and there is snow here, they must also have a female Police Chief like Fargo. Things fall into place a little too easily for Johnny. And yet through these faults I found the show strangely watchable.

Rumor has it Van Zandt wasn't happy with the finished product and wasn't going to do any more, but Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band recently announced that another guitar player would be filling in on the Australian leg of the current tour, so that Van Zandt can film another season of Lilyhammer. By the way, the deliberate misspelling is a tribute to the character's little dog lost in the first episode.

The Norwegian/American collaboration on this is unique. When season one premiered on Norwegian TV in January of 2012 it drew a viewing audience which constituted nearly a third of the entire nation. They love it there.

I will look forward to season 2 here also.