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FAMILY HAPPINESS: Randi (Kristine Riis) and his brother August (Kevin Vågenes) in a sibling dispute. Mother (Brit Elisabeth Haagensli) is looking for coffee. Photo: NRK
Even Kevin Vågenes can’t save this.
The family of happiness
Norwegian commission in ten parts
With: Kristine Riis, Bjørn Hallgeir Myrene, Lea Mathilde Skar-Myren, Eliseo Gautefall Mungai, Leon Mosand-Christiansen, Brit Elisabeth Haagensli, Kalle Øby, Mikkel Bratt Silset
Concept: Aleksander Herresthal
Script: Eirik Moen Holsve, Mike Torsvik Johansen, Oddne Lekang Hølaas
Directed by Frans Graham Guttormsen
Premiere October 31 on NRK TV and NRK 1
New episodes Saturdays
A suitably dysfunctional family. Mother of three children with a new partner (sick leave) who has taken over her childhood home and is upset by her own parents’ daily visits, because they still consider the home “theirs”.
Yes, and a brother who still lives in the big city of Oslo and thinks his sister has inherited too much.
“The Happiness Family” is so little funny that just talking about the show without mentioning Kevin Vågenes in the same sentence is boring. So, let’s take one of the strongest cards in Norwegian humor yet: he’s the supporting character August, Randi’s (Kristine Riis) brother. A mix of various Party Therapy characters, with various estimates of Samantha inclined to speak English.
NORWAY: A Norwegian family, in a Norwegian house. This is the Happiness family. Photo: NRK
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Nordhordlendingen does a perfectly decent job with the lines they have been awarded. Like the other actors.
Britain’s Elisabeth Haagensli plays a suitably modest mother with a broad Eastern dialect and a penchant for the jaws of coffee and Baileys. Bjørn Hallgeir Myrene (Torstein Hund on the Vikings) is Randi’s Kim-Rune partner, on sick leave with back problems, but he’s generally not very useful for anything other than watching football games. Why he and Randi are together is a mystery, as it often is in this type of humor. Of Randi’s three children, Leon Mosand-Christiansen impresses as Liam, the smart little brother, with purple hair and comments like “gender is a social construct.”
The concept is the closest NRK has ever come to “Courage in the Breast.” The set is a popular nineties house with pine paneling on the chest and roomy sofas. Fredagskos is great with extra cheese and “Randi” written in tomato sauce. The issues in the first episode are which of the 13 smoke alarms needs to change the battery. And that Randi’s parents want to join in on the big evening, while Randi’s children don’t. The second episode tries to provide perspectives on bullying between siblings, watching television and the responsibility of aging parents.
RELAXATION AND ENERGY: Kim-Rune (Bjørn Hallgeir Myrene) and Liam (Leon Mosand-Christiansen) have a plan. Photo: NRK
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Also, Randi’s father (Kalle Øby) is stressed out watching the exciting episode of “Courage in the Breast” where Karl is so angry.
Yes, exactly.
“The Lykke Family” may have come up as a good idea when humor producer Aleksander Herresthal came up with the concept. When it is now finished on the screen, well hidden after “Kåss til kvelds” with nothing “dangerous” indicating a late airtime, one can feel that NRK has also understood where this is leading.
The script is full, jokes don’t exist. A screenwriter overlaps with the TV2 series «Abuelo». Despite this, everyone involved presents everything as high quality. They should have that. By the way, the strongest card of “Familien Lykke” is that each episode ends after only 20 minutes.
Rarely have 20 minutes lasted that long.
The reviewer has seen two episodes
