Reykjavík Grapevine - feb. 2022, Blaðsíða 14

14The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 02— 2022
It’s that time of the year when we hide under the blanket, eat candy and
binge TV while listening to the wind shaking the foundation of our homes.
Add a pandemic to this annual winter hibernation and you have the perfect
environment for discovering some new Icelandic TV shows. So, here goes...
Næturvaktin
Many Icelanders believe that this is the best comedy of all time. And I tend
to agree, although new shows are giving it a run for its money. Næturvaktin
was directed by the great Ragnar Bragason and stars Jón Gnarr, who later
became the punk mayor of Reykjavík. At the show’s core is the complicated
and violent relationship between a gas station manager and his employees.
The show has been remade in Norway, as Nattskiftet, but the original Nætur-
vaktin (‘The Night Shift’, in English) has been shown across Europe.
Ligeglad
This might be a controversial pick,
but it is one of the best comedies
Icelanders have produced—I
stand on that hill and I will die on
it. Although the show is set not in
Iceland but Denmark, the creators
grasp the odd humour of Icelanders
and the well-known concept of the
Icelandic loser. The show borders
on reality; for example, the charac-
ters have the actor's name and Helgi
Björnsson, the famous Icelandic pop
star and actor, plays himself at the
end of his career. (In fact, Helgi’s
career has only blossomed during
the pandemic.) These shows are
a small gem in the TV history of
Iceland.
Verbú#in
This show is, as I write this, showing
on RÚV and it’s already being called
one of the best TV shows ever made
in Iceland. The reason is compli-
cated. First, it’s about the Icelandic
fishing quota system. Sounds excit-
ing, right? And second, it’s set in the
80s. To explain the first element, the
quota system is a highly explosive
political topic in Iceland going back
decades. But don’t worry, you don’t
need to understand the system to
enjoy the show. It’s a story about
people, their emotional lives, fuck-
ing and fighting and, in the end, how
the hell Icelanders became so rich!
Well, some of them, at least. The
80s throwback is also incredibly well
executed, and Icelanders connect
deeply with many of the cultural
references in the show, making it
worth watching for everyone seek-
ing a better understanding of the
Icelandic soul.
Venjulegt Fólk
Venjulegt Fólk is greatly underval-
ued, in our opinion. The show is
one of few that made it to a fourth
season and it has a surprisingly
good combination of drama and
comedy. It also has a stellar ensem-
ble of actors to elevate it from being
a bland melodrama. The series is,
more or less, about regular people
dealing with happiness, conflict
and stress in modern times. Like
that explains anything. It took me a
moment to get on board, but when I
finally got there, I just couldn’t stop
watching these characters.
Ligeglad - it's bracing stu$
Best of Reykjavík
Best of
Icelandic TV
Shows
What to do in a storm and a
pandemic? Watch the TV, you fool!
Words: Valur Grettisson Photos: Stills from the shows
Storytelling is probably the most
important cultural tradition in
Iceland and a lot of its places
have enthralling tales to tell.
This book is a round trip around
the country, with thirty stops at
such places along the way.
A LITERARY
TOUR
AROUND
ICELAND
Forlagið bookstore | Fiskislóð 39 | www.forlagid.is
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