User Reviews

Lilyhammer is such an underrated show. I can't believe that I put off watching this for so long because it's absolutely hilarious! I read all the good reviews and heard good things about it but I still put it off for some reason. If you're like me you keep telling yourself you'll watch it later...don't. You won't regret watching this!

After some episodes of "Lilyhammer", I really think they have made something original here. Steven Van Zandt is acting like a champ, and carries the show. It's not just a drama, but it also have some funny moments. Van Zandt have some golden comments and bring something Italian-American over to little Norway. Van Zandt as a mobster in ice cold Lillehammer is suitable, and so far this show has surprised me. A lot of good supporting actors here too. Like Fridtjof Såheim and Trond Fausa Aurvaag, both well respected actors in Norway. The level of acting is good overall, with characters that brings the best and worse out of each other. I'm looking forward to the continuation, and I recommend others to see it too.

Lilyhammer was so much better than I expected. This series is about a mobster (Steven Van Zandt) who made a deal to inform on his gang therefore has to go on the run so he loves to Norway. Most people know Van Zandt from his time in Sopranos but he quickly makes you care for this character. It's is a fun and warm hearted show that you'll want to binge as quick as possible. It balances both humor and drama as good as any show you'll see like this. It's not a show that you sign up for Netflix just to watch but if you already have then do yourself a favor and go watch it. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a new show to binge.

I will start with a sentence: it isn't usual American crime drama. Throughout the scenario you will be submerged in Scandinavian culture with their simplicity, beautiful landscapes and people who prefer to keep silent instead of talking things people around already know... and that sounds kinda Sicilian :)

Watched both first series and wow! ... waiting for the next one :)

simply brilliant!

And, yes - I meant "amusing" as it is full with original and interesting Norwegian characters and loaded with comedy elements.

Humm, many will say the name of the real town is Lillehammer, but remember that the name of his dog was Lily - and then the picture is complete.

If you are after blood, whores, drugs and uber violence - these TV series are not probably for you - it is all about being what? hey - watch it!

I first watched Lilyhammer during the great covid shutdown of 2020 and thoroughly enjoyed it. But like most people, I binged so many shows then I don't think I gave it enough credit and never reviewed it. I started watching it again today and it's even better the second time around. It's a blend of smart, dark comedy comedy and subtle sarcasm wrapped in beautiful scenery. The characters are very likable and unique and become more complex as the series progresses. Yes, it starts off with a Sopranos vibe, but it's definitely not a mafia show...well, not too much anyway. Not sure why these reviews need to be so long, but just watch a couple episodes, it's great fun!

I thought this was an amazing series and hope that it continues for a second season. I found it to be very well written and entertaining. I sat and watched all 8 episodes in one sitting because I was hooked within the first 30 min. Good characters, good acting, good story line. Lots of twists and turns but Frank always comes out smelling like a rose. Anybody who has an interest in sopranos or shows like it will enjoy it. Also, over 50 percent of the dialogue is subtitled but don't let that detour you from giving it a chance. Its well worth it.

Steven Van Zandt surprised me in this series. Sure he's doing what he does best as a mafioso character, but its nice to see him on the screen again and handled the lead role very well.

Enormously enjoyable series until the last three episodes when the scriptwriters lost the plot (sorry about the pun). As a joint production with the Norwegian government I'm not surprised the Nordies pulled the plug after the last series. The central characters are wonderful but eventually lose the audience's sympathy when the plot lines degenerate into gratuitous filthy language, unfunny violence and rough sex with a dollop of buggery. Not quite the image the clean living Nordies want to project for their tourist industry. A great pity though as its hugely enjoyable until then. As Edmund Blackadder said: 'It started well, tailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the ending the better. Apart from that, Excellent!'

Great all around.

It's a great mini series. Happening in small town with Lovely twist. Writhing is smart and acting even better. Director has done great job and created smart comedy that is fun to watch and enjoy.

From the cast that has lot common with the The Norsemen, you can only expect something much fun to watch. The creators and the cast shown great job.

This mini series although not for everyone, every age group, for sure is not for low art-understanding crowd.

Highly recommend to watch this mini series although I am not a big fan of series unless they really worth watching.

Great production. Everyone did their job in the best possible way.

It's a damn shame that a show so well written is cancelled for a business decision. Suffice it to say, I laughed, I cried and I'd dispense Lilyhammer justice on anyone whose fault it was to take this charming show off the air. Shame!

New York Mafioso Frank Tagliano rats out his boss to the FBI and goes in to hiding. He fell in love with the small Norwegian town of Lillehammer after seeing it on TV during the 1994 Winter Olympics and demands to be settled there with a new identity, despite knowing very little about Norway or Norwegian culture. What he faces in Norway turns out to be something entirely different than what he expected, and he quickly moves to use his street knowledge to make the place feel closer to home. Thus the stage is set for a hilarious culture clash when this uncompromising American gangster does what he knows best in a completely naive and gullible town.

This show has been tagged in Norwegian media as a Sopranos set in Norway, owning to the star of the show, Steven Van Zandt, also known as the legendary "Silvio" in Sopranos. But to even compare this show to Sopranos is just wrong. If that's what you are expecting you're in for a huge disappointment. This is not Sopranos, and to be fair, it doesn't try to be. Whereas Sopranos was a television epic with intelligent character development and a subtle script, this is a light- hearted comical approach to the Mafia and culture differences. And this is also a part of the show's problem. It tries to be funny, but in many instances it goes too far. Although the show has some exceptionally funny scenes, it's also filled with cheap slapstick humour and some very two-dimensional characters that are there to offer comical relief. The foolishness of these characters is almost on Disney level and it somewhat destroys immersion. The idea is great and the scriptwriters have come up with tons of brilliant ideas for what a New York gangster would find strange in Norwegian society, but for every great scene there is an equally stupid scene.

If the show had been more disciplined with it's search for comical situations, it could have acquired a cult following. Instead you sit back with very mixed feelings. As stated earlier, you are offered a mix of some very intelligent black humour, and some scenes that just make you cringe with embarrassment. None the less, this is an original idea and the entertainment value still makes it worthwhile. Some of the characters are lovable and the general storyline keeps you watching.

(I don't know what the last guy was talking about - this show is laugh out loud funny).

The show starts off pretty fast by Frank Tagliano (Steve Van Zandt) who's a New York Mobster, giving up his boss to the FBI. Within the first 20 minutes of the first episode he's relocated to Norway, more specifically, Lillehammer. This is due to the fact that he saw the Winter Olympics in '94 and decided it was a good place to start a new.

From there Frank has to adapt to Norwegian society which is proving to be quite the challenge. Public works officials like the good folk over at NAV aren't very helpful when it comes to adapting. Frank soon realizes that in order for him to succeed in Norway, he's going to have to resort to his old ways.

The show is funny, very funny. There are some things that seem a little thin, for example how fast he learns to understand Norwegian. Though he doesn't seem to understand a hundred percent of the time what people say (like the review before me implied). Other than that I think everyone who plays a part in this show does a great job. There's no reason why this show would deserve anything beneath a 8/10 rating.

And if you think I'm getting paid to say this: No, I'm not. But I thought the show deserved an honest review, and not a biased one. Give it a chance, I didn't think I'd be very funny but now I'm really looking forward to season two.

The series is out of the ordinary and hence refreshing. While Steven is double dipping on his Sopranos performance, he is non the less more than welcome in a season two. That's if NRK of Norway and Rubicon decides to produce another season and if Netflix can afford to buy it. Aside from the Norwegian English dialogue with subtitles, which should be OK for most viewers, the dialogue is witty but mostly predictable from Stevens performance. Norwegian actors have their own unique style but that's what makes it worthwhile in addition to the unique scenery. Its not often that one sees anything from Norway on the screen but perhaps the US Norwegian combination can facilitate more worthy productions cross the international border. All in, funny, peculiar and kept me up for 4 evenings in a row.

I went into the first season hoping for The Sopranos-meets-Norway. I don't know much about Norway, and it's nice to get a glimpse into other countries through productions that feature them as almost a character in themselves (for example, The American). This series did a great job in featuring Norway. However, it was also pretty hokey and featured a protagonist that I did not like.

Frank Tagliano is a narcissistic, hypocritical bully, who pushes his culture and ideas of how the world should be onto everyone in his newly adopted country, stepping on hapless and sometimes innocent Norwegians for selfish gain in stereotypical American imperialist fashion. However, unlike The Sopranos, in which Tony Soprano constantly struggled with his conscience, this show glorifies Frank. I feel like I'm supposed to chuckle as he "outsmarts" (more like strong-arms) people into satisfying his every whim.

Fortunately, in the second and third seasons, Frank became a little more judicious and tolerable, while other characters, such as Fausa's Torgeir, flourish. In my opinion, Fausa carries the show. He is charismatic, funny, humble, and tough when he needs to be. He idolizes Frank, even though he is often unrewarded for his unconditional love. Most importantly, he is the conscience of the show, and through him, we are reminded of the price one pays for being or following Frankie the Fixer.

By the way, world, look out for Maria Joana and Ida Elise Broch. You might fall in love.

Steve is amazing in the show and its creation, great story line, great characters. I really hope Nexflix runs 10 seasons. Good job Netflix keep making Lilyhammer the great show that it is. Great job Steve.

Anyone who watches the first episode will be hooked into watching all eight amazing episodes in one day. The show has its great funny points throughout all episodes, and a great story line with amazing talent from all the cast. Please Take sometime to watch this amazing first time production by Netflix.

Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt), a former member of the New York mob, is put in the witness protection program after testifying in a trial in the United States. Tagliano is relocated to Lillehammer in Norway as he was intrigued by the town when he saw television images of the 1994 Winter Olympics, and therefore chooses to start his new life, as Norwegian-American immigrant Giovanni Henriksen.

Netflix has scored again with Lilyhammer. This show is primarily a comedy and I find myself laughing out loud during every episode.

Imagine a cross between Al Pacino and Archie Bunker and you have a fair understanding of the main character, Frank Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt)--a mobster who turns state's evidence and goes into the Witness Protection Program in, of all places, Norway. This is a fish-out-of-water story that gives Frank plenty of cultural differences to deal with. He is a guy who leads with his fists inserted into a pacifist environment.

Before he leaves the states, he is warned that if he gets in trouble with the law in Norway, he is on his own. So we know up-front, that this story can go either of two ways. In Lillehammer, Frank deals with an eccentric cast of characters and the viewer never knows which direction the story will take. The series finds humor in the most interesting places.

Much of the humor has an agenda. It takes a playful jab at anti-terrorist paranoia, for example. Bureaucracy is often the target.

The scenery is beautiful. The music is eclectic and very enjoyable. The cast does a good job with the multi-cultural narrative. The dialogue is in both English and Norwegian, but subtitles are used and it is never difficult to understand what is happening.

There are unmistakable reminders of Fargo. And the quirkiness of the locals might remind you of Local Hero (a great film to emulate). Frank's approach to "justice" is reminiscent of Walking Tall or Death Wish or the other vigilante movies.

I am midway through the second season and enjoying the ride very much. I do not recommend the series to anyone squeamish about violence or raw language. For anyone else, I highly recommend Lilyhammer.

I first heard of Lilyhammer through a Howard Stern interview with Steven Van Zandt. Since I was a huge Sopranos fan I immediately became interested in Lilyhammer. The show itself is great and I'm really impressed with Netflix's first original program. One concern is that they would not have enough funding to continue the project. Lilyhammer will never be confused with Soprano's but it has a lot of similarities to all organized crime dramas. Steven and the other actors do a great job, the only issue I have is sometimes it is difficult understand the native actors. While it does add authenticity to the setting it requires you to give your full attention to the screen. Luckily, the show is great and there is no worry of losing interest.

First season of Lilyhammer had me laughing frequently as our mafia fixer created his new life in a Norwegian town. The mix of his street wise business sense with the quaint Norwegian folks was funny and the characters were eccentric. Second season was okay but it was more of the same. Third season really fell flat. It was written in a frenetic pace with sub plots ranging from Brazil drug fiasco to Jan coming back from Iraq even nuttier than before. The storyline was all over and I found myself not laughing but instead wondering how any of it was supposed to be funny. Lots of adolescent male humor with blow jobs, male psychotic fixation on lactating breasts and nonsensical violence every ten seconds. IMDB has lost credibility when there are so many 9 and 10 ratings. Still, Van Zandt plays an excellent italian mobster and his motley crew of associates are all played by good actors. It was just the writing that lost its way. Some shows should only be one or two seasons.

When I first heard Netflix was making an original episode I was not at all impressed. I was like great, pile on crap to your already disgraced name. Well, I was wrong. Forgive me Netflix. I absolutely, love this new series. I put the show on this afternoon, and I have been glued to it all day. I am now on the 8th episode. Van Zandt (The Sopranos) is ruthlessly awesome. He may be a thug/wiseguy, and uses his bullish ways to get what he wants in this small, sheepish town of Norway, but you find yourself attached to his character. The townspeople, each have unique story to tell. They are all odd in a wonderful way.

The only thing I see a problem is.., subtitles. I like it, but may turn off some viewers. So, if your not a foreign film watcher, or like to read, you will hate it. No, this is not a foreign film...just an example. The entire film is spoken in Norweign with atiny bit of English spoken. So be warn. Who knows you might like it, and learn a new language. It could happen. Overall, I love Steven Van Zandt is in this series..A+ job.

I do like it, don't get me wrong. But I feel like this show was a bit too much at times. Starting in season 2 they got a little too ambitious and tried to be more than it had any right to be and they continued on that path in Season 3. Seems like they tried to match the epicness of The Sopranos without succeeding. Ultimately it was nothing more than a pointless comedy show with a few awesome one-liners, mainly provided by Little Steven.

It still has replay value and I watch it on Netflix when I'm in the mood for some cheesy fun. It will not be remembered 50 years from now but it doesn't need to be. Those of us who got to see it will remember it fondly.

A lot of people seems to think that this is a US produced show ... It's not ! The show is a Norwegian idea and written, directed and produced in Norway by a Norwegian company. It's not an original American / Netfix produced show. Netfix only bought the rights to show it in the USA If you look at the list of production crew, you wont see any American names: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1958961/fullcredits#cast Does anyone here really think that any multi zillion dollar American production studio would spend money on a series in Norway, with mostly Norwegian actors, language and culture ? get real ! The show is great by the way

and to "eastcoastguyz" comment of 5 May 2012

"This is a spin-off from The Sopranos regardless if anyone wants to admit it or not. Same character with a different name. The show had promise but it's ruined by excessive subtitles that are totally uncalled for. In Norway they also speak English, so there is no need for the subtitles for a series that's target is the American audience"

The show is first and foremost targeted to a Norwegian audience. Netflix has become somewhat involved in season 2, but it is still targeted first and foremost to the Norwegian audience. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation ( NRK ) has the first hand right to broadcast the series and decides how many seasons etc. Unless NRK decides to not want to continue with the show, that's how it is.

The series has been sold to over 130 countries world wide.

As for Language and subtitles ... It would be a silly series, if everyone were to speak English. English is not the main Language in Norway and while it no doubt would be comfortable for an English speaking audience, it would look and sound totally ridiculous in a series made from Norway. It would be unnatural. We live in the real world up here North ...

It started as something different and very entertaining, however each season seems to lose a little bit of the magic. I would give the first season 8 Stars oh, the second season seven stars, and the third season 6 Stars, which ends up with an average of 7 out of 10.

It's definitely a show worth watching especially the first season. Season two and three are worth while watching too, they're just not as good. It's really too bad that the writing went downhill cuz the show had a lot of potential and I threw it all away.

Just finished binge watching the 2 seasons. Little Steven and a motley crew of Norwegian oddball characters scamming their way through Lillehammer- how can you go wrong with that. The dialog is a mix of Norwegian and English. Don't let subtitles scare you off. The characters are original, dialog out of this world and the setting totally cool. No pun intended. Steven van Zandt was born to play this part. There are subtle hints to the Sopranos and Bruce Springsteen. This show is not your run of the mill B.S American rehashed trite story lines. Its a Norwegian production, fresh, funny and just brilliant and totally addictive. If you are into travel this will inspire you to visit Norway.

Can't wait for season 3.

I'm a fan of Steve Van Zandt, both from his appearances in The Sopranos and from his years with the E Street Band. The premise of the series was good too, an ex-Mafioso on witness protection in the wilds of Norway attempting to navigate the countries PC culture and build a not-too-honest future. This whole fish-out-of-water concept had the makings of a sort of Sopranos/Fargo hybrid. All good so far, right?

Unfortunately, a good series needs a good concept, writing, acting and execution. Lilyhammer has the concept but everything else is missing.

The storyline quit frankly is ludicrous. Everything just happens through a series of unbelievable coincidences. I could list a dozen or more totally implausible occurrences in the first few episodes alone, but don't want to introduce spoilers. And as for the love interest...When the series was first aired in 2012, Steve Van Zandt was 62 and Marian Saastad Ottesen was 36. Can you really believe a Norwegian blonde would fall far a man who's shorter than her and 26 years older?

Regarding the acting, I know that most of the supporting cast had to contend with playing characters that were essentially wooden caricatures with no depth, but still.. quite a lot of the acting was pretty amateurish unfortunately. And that includes you Steve. Mafia tough guy seems to be the beginning and end of your acting skills, with no subtlety or variation to the hunched shoulders and knowing nods, a bit like "mafia guy by numbers" acting.

The execution was pretty poor too. I have no problem with subtitled movies, but found the constant chopping between spoken English and subtitles jarring and confusing. Quite a bit of the dialogue was switching between languages mid-sentence, resulting in not knowing whether to listen, look or both. For me it simply didn't work. Also, the cuts between scenes didn't work for me either, appearing haphazard with little thought or consideration of transition.

As I said at the beginning, I really wanted to like this series. Unfortunately for me it fell short on so many levels, and most especially on not having a coherent or plausible storyline, that I can only rate it two stars, both of which I'm essentially awarding for the concept. Apart from that I'd consign the series to "sleeping with the fishes" as they say in the Mafia.

this Netflix exclusive series was a delight to watch. full of darkness and humor . the characters are diverse and unique . adds some culture shock for non residents of Norway and its a fun ride to watch a light hearted look at a mafia goon go good sort of?

it nice that he makes good decision amount bad when it comes to helping out the right people. definitely looking forward to more episodes and worth watching a couple times.

The setting is very unique, the story may be predictable at times but over all still a great chapter series.

it does contain course language, some racial inappropriateness, nudity and other sensitive material for some viewers.