Lilyhammer Finds U.K. Home

MUNICH: BBC Four has given a slot to SevenOne International’s Norwegian mobster series Lilyhammer, starring Steven Van Zandt (The Sopranos).

Lilyhammer is set to air on BBC Four in the U.K. It originally launched January 25 on Norway’s public broadcaster NRK1 and viewers in the U.S., Canada and Latin America are able to watch the dramedy on Netflix as of today. It is produced by Norwegian production company Rubicon and Netflix will be co-producer of the second season.

The series stars Van Zandt, known for his role as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos and as a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. It is the story of a New York mobster who asks to be relocated to the Norwegian town Lillehammer that hosted the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Richard Klein, the controller of BBC Four, said, "Lilyhammer mixes sharp wit and American big city ways with the beauty of the Norwegian mountains and folksy nature of a small town—a perfect combination for a razor-sharp drama about cultural mores. I am delighted the BBC Four has acquired this drama and I am sure our viewers are going to have a good time!"

Sue Deeks, the head of program acquisition at the BBC, commented, "Lilyhammer is fresh, funny and offbeat—it makes a highly original addition to BBC Four’s rich Scandinavian drama slate."

"Wow, what a series! First the sale to Netflix and the outstanding ratings in Norway—scoring an all-time high for a Norwegian drama-series—and now to top it all off it will be airing on the BBC!" added Henrik Pabst, the director of international format acquisition and regional sales director for Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K. at SevenOne International. "It’s amazing how this dramedy series generated such a buzz so quickly. This demonstrates Lilyhammer’s quality and the appeal of the show’s terrific lead Stevie Van Zandt."