Knit to This
Knit to This: Scandi Netflix
Dear Ann,
Once again some excellent knitting TV has washed up on the shores of my Netflix menu. But before I tell you about it, I am legally required to issue the following…
GARTER STITCH ADVISORY: Level 4/5 (Clementine)
Unless you are fluent in Swedish and/or Danish, you will need to read subtitles to enjoy these programs.
I can knit to subtitles—yes, I’m that good. I knit garter stitch and plain stockinette in the dark, and reading subtitles, and in the park. In a box, with a fox—you get the picture.
So with that proviso, let’s get to it.
Anxious People
Set in Sweden and based on the best-selling novel by Fredrik Backman, Anxious People is a comedy, sort of. It’s a thriller, a little bit. Mostly it’s a perfectly crafted story about being human, in which details that you think don’t matter, do matter, and things that seem disconnected, are connected. You keep thinking you know what happened, and find out that you actually had no idea what happened.
I can say no more without spoilers. I loved it and watched it all in two sittings/knittings. It’s a cop buddy story that surpasses the gimmick of its father-son premise by a lot.
Rita
After Anxious People, Netflix clocked me as a daughter of Scandinavia, and suggested that I watch the Danish series Rita, so of course I did. (These temperature blankets are not going to knit themselves.)
Rita Madsen is a school teacher in Denmark. She’s a smoking, drinking, truth-telling badass, with a chip on her shoulder and a heart of gold. Every aspect of her life—work, love, and family—is complicated. If you liked Last Tango in Halifax, you’ll find similarities in some of the story lines here, involving wayward young adults and bad behavior by role models, but with love, loyalty, and kindness at the heart of it all. It’s fun for me to see what contemporary Denmark looks like, in a variety of small-town settings.
There is even a character named Rasmus, like my Danish great-grandfather—I almost thought my grandmother made that up. (Too Dane, Grandma, too Dane!) This show has five series and I’m on the second. So far, so good.
Skål!
Love,
Kay
Rita is awesome, I watched all the way to the end. Highly recommend.
I think you will like the British TV series ‘The Detectorists”. Very gentle. And gently, subtly funny.
Loved The Detectorists!
Aha moment. Despite a phase of total immersion in Scandi-noir, it never occurred to me that there is a first name Rasmus that explains the existence of the more familiar last name, Rasmusson.
Anxious People- one of my top ten favorite all time books! But this limited series leaves a lot to be desired. The twists and turns are played out far better in the book. IMHO
True in this one as in all. Screen plays are usually not more than about 70 pages. They often have to leave entire story lines out.
The book is always better.
Rita is wonderful, and even has a character named Hjordis, my mother’s name!
You can add Borgen to the list.Danish Political drama. 4 or 5 seasons. Rake is Australian and We still needed subtitles. Politics comedy hugely fun
In the last season, the dialog was dubbed in English (British) but I preferred hearing it spoken in Danish and reading the subtitles. Sorry when I got to the end…
Did u go to Westbury High School?
Seaside Hotel(Amazon prime) is one of the best shows I’ve ever watched!
Also on PBS passport. Another garter stitch alert, they talk fast and subtitles alsocome and go fast. Excellent twists and turns in Seaside Hotel.
I’m really enjoying Seaside Hotel too. Also available on PBS Passport.
Binged Anxious People last night (all of it —loved it) and made a to-watch list of the other great recommendations in the comments. Thanks!
Totally agree!
Loved Rita, hoping for another season. I will be checking out Anxious People. Thanks
Read the book, and read all of Fredrik Backman.
I watched the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night (Swedish version) which is on Amazon Prime. I did ffwd through some of the more violent scenes but it is an excellent mystery and the character of Lisbeth is complex and compelling. I had read the book years and years ago so I had forgotten the details but the movie is supposedly a great version of it. That the scenery is beautiful is a bonus.
AND the sweaters!
I am currently totally immersed in Seaside Hotel (there are eight seasons on Passport/PBS), but I would also recommend The Border, especailly for fans of Borgen. Its extremely timely: the Russian government insidiously taking over control of the Norwegian government (choice of subtitles or dubbing)
After the delight and tears of Backman’s Ove I have been saving Anxious People for a special treat, so I can’t comment on it. But don’t miss Ove. I always prefer book first then movie; both are excellent.
Enjoyed Anxious People, but am loving Rita especially all the knitwear. I’ve gotten hooked on Scandinavian movies and mini series over the last 2 -3 years. Maybe it’s all the knitwear spotting, lol. Another good one is Bonus Family on Netflix
I listened to Anxious People in Audiobook form – you can knit anything to that! I hated everyone in the beginning but things changed… highly recommend.
2 other suggestions. 30 Degrees in February is intriguing and touching. Perfect for just knitting.
Lillehammer with Steve Van Zandt is in English and is his post Sopranos show. A mobster is sent to Lillehammer as part of his witness protection program. Hilarity ensues because once a mobster, always a mobster.
I have loved the 3 Fredrik Backman books that I have read. Anxious People is my favorite, well written, funny, tragic and human.
my comment won’t post
I was an exchange student in Denmark long ago. I love watching Seaside Hotel on PBS in part because I am able to follow dialogue without completely relying on the subtitles. I don’t know if they are still on Netflix, but I recommend Hjordis, which is a short, sunny spinoff of Rita and Dicte, which is about an investigative journalist who does the work for the police.
It was in Denmark that I learned to knit thanks to my wonderful host-mothers.
I was an exchange student in Denmark long ago and really enjoy Seaside Hotel in part because the dialogue is simple enough I don’t rely as much on the subtitles. In addition to Rita, there is a spinoff, Hjordis which is sunnier. I also watched Dicte, a crime show about an investigative journalist who likes to do the work for the police. Like Rita, it gets a bit dark and adults do disappointing things. I don’t know if these are still on Netflix. Seaside Hotel is available on PBS Passport.
If I hadn’t gone to Denmark, I don’t know if I would have ever learned to knit. Mange tak (many thanks) to my wonderful host-mothers who taught me.
We loved Dicte, it was our earliest foray into Scandi-series. We’re now recovering from finishing 7 seasons of Beck, Swedish, so good, with the added attraction of Mikael Persbrandt, who is a co star. Also The Sandhamn Murders, Swedish, and I would add Occupied, Norwegian, also about Russia occupying Norway. All knit worthy of course!
I love “Beck” . What channel do you watch it on? We no longer get the MHz channel on PBS.
We love the Sandhamn murders. The islands themselves and the beautiful summer light are as much of an attraction as the likable chapters and stories.
But is there knitwear eye candy in these shows?
The Girl From Oslo was terrific. I watched the whole thing in one night.
We’ve been hooked on Nordic Noire throughout the pandemic but we have a new passion 6 seasons worth, “LONGMIRE” . If you like Yellowstone, you will like this but I don’t like Yellowstone. There are too many people being mean to each other but I do love the horses and the country. LONGMIRE is a toned down version with great who done it and Native people insights. It looks like there may be a season 7 but who knows.
My great-grandfather’s name was also Rasmus (Hansen)! My dad was a 2nd generation Danish American. He grew up in Tyler Minnesota, a small Danish town.
Thanks to you and everyone for the great viewing tips!
I’m also from Tyler, MN. My grandparents were Aage & Andrea, other names in town were Evald, Elin, Sigrid & Otto. There was Nils, Hans, Torvald, Eilif, Harold, Eric, Sonja, Greta, Tove, Margaret, Edna… So many Danish names in the area. Oddly I didn’t learn to knit until I was married and living in the South. There were lovely sweaters that we simply took for granted back then.
@kay, I was told by a Danish friend (our vintage) that the Danish government used to tell people what names they could choose from each year. Not idea if it is actually true, but it is interesting b
True for most European countries for many years. Loosened up during 20th c. But the state can and does reject names at times
I heard something similar about Norway (where my parents emigrated from). Apparently in the past, only names approved by the church of Norway could be used. You have to keep the in the fold you know!!
Edit. Keep the sheep in the fold.
Thank you for these recommendations. I was a foreign exchange student in Sweden, where I learned to knit. I understand most of the Swedish and enjoy watching Swedish/Scandinavian series, but I don’t usually knit while I watch them. My garter stitch temperature blankets are so easy — they might be the exception to the rule.
My favorite Scandinavian series is still The Investigation.
Weirdly, I’ve encountered the name Rasmus 2-3 times in the past couple of weeks. One was an Olympic snowboarder or skiier, one is a kid in our town.
I love Scandi noir and am currently watching The Bridge, evidently the first series to set the trend off. Highly recommend.
I LOVED RIta! Being Danish, I already watched it on Danish TV streaming, and I am so glad Americans now have the chance to see normal Danish life through her eyes. So funny and so thought-provoking at the same time,
Loved Rita… now Anxious People is on my list! I also have The Bridge on my list because The Tunnel…I don’t have any Scandinavian heritage 🙂 but Nordic favorites include:
Trapped
The Valhalla Murders
Borgen
Home for Christmas
Wallander
Will have to give Anxious People a try. Glad to know other people didn’t know how to classify it either. Certainly had plenty of comic overtones. And Hjordis was also the name of David Niven’s second wife (his first wife died). One of those things you know but don’t know why you know.
Bonus Family is a terrific Swedish series on Netflix.
My great grandfather is also from Denmark. His first name was Jasper. Danish names are weird.
I spent my entire childhood half listening to my Swedish father speak in Swedish to fellow Swedes — he was very active in the Swedish-American community. And I even took a couple of years of adult education Swedish a million years ago. These days I can watch a Swedish tv show or movie without subtitles and more or less know what is going on. And I can swear very colorfully in Swedish.
Thank you!
I will add Netflix’s Occupied to the list
Loved Anxious People. Have read and or listened to all of Fredrik Backman books.
Loved Anxious People! Looking forward to Rita. Thanks for the suggestion!
If you’ve got acorn, you might also enjoy this programme: https://acorn.tv/raisedbywolves/
short eps and only 2 seasons so an easy watch though you’ll be wishing for more!
Not a series, but if you like Danish with subtitles (is that a snack?) watch “Another Round” (“Druk” in Danish meaning “binge drinking’). The premise is that according to a psychologist, people really are alcohol deficient and should maintain a certain blood alcohol level all the time. The premise is based on a facetious comment in a book preface by a real person.
Need tutorial on knitting to subtitles.