vigil617
US Veteran
This quirky gem is in its second season, and if you like the mob genre, "Lilyhammer" is well worth watching. Billed as comedy/drama and shot on location in Norway, it's the fictional story of a New York mobster (Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano) who's started a new life in the town of Lillehammer, of Winter Olympics fame. (The name is intentionally misspelled in the series title, for reasons that include a tribute to Frank's deceased pet dog.) Given a new identity as "Giovanni Henrikson" by the feds after giving up some of his former wiseguy friends, the irrepressible "Johnny" figures the snowy north is the last place any of his enemies will look for him. Warned by his FBI handlers to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble, Johnny seemingly can't help but bring his old ways to his new location. Before long, he's bought a nightclub, gotten involved in a number of shady projects, and attracted the attention of the local female police chief and her sidekick, who works as an Elvis impersonator in his spare time. Along the way, he falls back on some tried-and-true mob techniques in his business dealings, including a creative use of one of the former Olympic venues in convincing a rival to "see things a different way."
The ways Johnny (played by Steven Van Zandt, whose role as a hit man in "The Sopranos" was his first acting gig after years as lead guitarist for The E Street Band, and proved his theatrical chops convincingly) deals with the different culture of his new Norwegian friends and foes, is part of the appeal of the show. You can take the wise guy out of New York, but you can't take the New York out of the wise guy, and the way this plays out in the reserved and polite Scandinavian society can be hilarious. It can also be gritty and dark, and while Lilyhammer's early episodes are mostly comic, things turn deadly serious as time goes by and Johnny widens his circle of activities and the money laundering ways he conceals them.
My wife and I are streaming this one from Netflix (its first original series, originally aired on Norwegian TV). Its mix of different versions of English, along with subtitled Norwegian, takes a little getting used to, but we've quickly become hooked. First season is eight, hour-long episodes, and we're almost through those and looking forward to season two. Netflix has announced a third season as well.
Van Zandt, who despite his Dutch surname is of 100 percent southern Italian heritage, brings a Columbo-esque quality to his character, and he's fun to watch. The supporting cast, almost entirely Norwegian, is capable as well, and the episodes are well done if at times predictable. Still, there are plenty of moments of sheer delightful wackiness in a "Northern Exposure" sort of way, along with a storyline that gets its hooks into you, and I think many of you here would really get a kick out of it.
Give "Lilyhammer" a try!
The ways Johnny (played by Steven Van Zandt, whose role as a hit man in "The Sopranos" was his first acting gig after years as lead guitarist for The E Street Band, and proved his theatrical chops convincingly) deals with the different culture of his new Norwegian friends and foes, is part of the appeal of the show. You can take the wise guy out of New York, but you can't take the New York out of the wise guy, and the way this plays out in the reserved and polite Scandinavian society can be hilarious. It can also be gritty and dark, and while Lilyhammer's early episodes are mostly comic, things turn deadly serious as time goes by and Johnny widens his circle of activities and the money laundering ways he conceals them.
My wife and I are streaming this one from Netflix (its first original series, originally aired on Norwegian TV). Its mix of different versions of English, along with subtitled Norwegian, takes a little getting used to, but we've quickly become hooked. First season is eight, hour-long episodes, and we're almost through those and looking forward to season two. Netflix has announced a third season as well.
Van Zandt, who despite his Dutch surname is of 100 percent southern Italian heritage, brings a Columbo-esque quality to his character, and he's fun to watch. The supporting cast, almost entirely Norwegian, is capable as well, and the episodes are well done if at times predictable. Still, there are plenty of moments of sheer delightful wackiness in a "Northern Exposure" sort of way, along with a storyline that gets its hooks into you, and I think many of you here would really get a kick out of it.
Give "Lilyhammer" a try!
Ms. Fishers mysteries is another good one-- 
