"Matador" (1978) TV series 1978-1982

User Rating:

9.6/10   

Director:

Erik Balling

Writers:

Paul Hammerich (co-writer)
Lise Nørgaard (main writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

11 November 1978 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Mads Skjern arrives in the small Danish town of Korsbæk in 1929. Hans Christian Varnæs, manager of the town bank...

Plot Keywords:

Denmark | Gay Son | German Occupation Of Denmark | 1940s | Humor

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jørgen Buckhøj	...	Mads Skjern / ... (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Ghita Nørby	...	Ingeborg Skjern / ... (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Buster Larsen	...	Oluf Larsen (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Malene Schwartz	...	Maude Varnæs (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Helle Virkner	...	Elisabeth Friis (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Kirsten Olesen	...	Agnes Jensen (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Elin Reimer	...	Laura Larsine Sørensen (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Benny Hansen	...	Frede 'Fatty' Hansen / ... (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Karin Nellemose	...	Misse Møhge (24 episodes, 1978-1982)
Holger Juul Hansen	...	Hans Christian Varnæs (23 episodes, 1978-1982)
Per Pallesen	...	Severin Boldt / ... (22 episodes, 1978-1982)
Ole Andreasen	...	Narrator (22 episodes, 1978-1982)
Jesper Langberg	...	Kristen Skjern / ... (21 episodes, 1978-1982)
Kurt Ravn	...	Lauritz 'Røde' Jensen (21 episodes, 1978-1982)
Ove Sprogøe	...	Dr. Louis Hansen (21 episodes, 1978-1982)
Lily Broberg	...	Katrine Larsen (20 episodes, 1978-1982)
Sonja Oppenhagen	...	Vicki Hachel / ... (19 episodes, 1978-1982)
John Hahn-Petersen	...	Hr Stein (19 episodes, 1978-1982)
Else-Marie	...	Konsulinde Holm / ... (19 episodes, 1978-1982)
Anne Jensen	...	Gudrun (19 episodes, 1978-1982)
Bent Mejding	...	Jørgen Varnæs (18 episodes, 1978-1981)
Lis Løwert	...	Violet Vinter (18 episodes, 1978-1982)
Karen Berg	...	Enke frue Fernando Møhge (17 episodes, 1978-1981)
Vera Gebuhr	...	Inger Jørgensen (15 episodes, 1978-1982)
Holger Perfort	...	Tjener Olsen / ... (15 episodes, 1978-1982)
Ulla Henningsen	...	Iben Skjern / ... (14 episodes, 1979-1981)
Kirsten Hansen-Møller	...	Marie Hansen (14 episodes, 1979-1982)
Axel Strøbye	...	Viggo Skjold-Hansen / ... (13 episodes, 1979-1981)
Birthe Backhausen	...	Musse Skjold-Hansen (12 episodes, 1979-1981)
Esper Hagen	...	Arnold Vinter (12 episodes, 1978-1980)
Karen-Lise Mynster	...	Ulla Jacobsen (12 episodes, 1979-1981)
Arthur Jensen	...	Rudolf Schwann (12 episodes, 1978-1979)
Lisbeth Frandsen	...	Fru Svendsen - Servant / ... (12 episodes, 1978-1982)
Ann Margrethe Schou	...	Kassererske frk. Mortensen (12 episodes, 1978-1981)
Bendt Rothe	...	Baron von Rytger (11 episodes, 1979-1982)
Holger Vistisen	...	Bogholder Christiansen, Omegnsbanken (11 episodes, 1979-1981)
Bjørn Watt-Boolsen	...	Oberst Hachel (10 episodes, 1978-1980)
Karl Stegger	...	Konsul Holm (10 episodes, 1978-1981)
Birgitte Bruun	...	Esther (10 episodes, 1979-1982)

Runtime:

Norway:50 min (32 episodes)

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Gedser, Falster, Denmark

Company:

Nordisk Film

Trivia:

The name "Korsbæk" is an amalgamate of two real Danish provincial cities: Korsør and Holbæk.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The inside of the church has the boards with the numbers of the songs that will be sung during the service. These numbers are taken from the official book of church songs introduced in the early 1950s. That is, in the 1920s to 1940s these numbers should have been different to be in accordance with the songs actually sung.

Movie Connections:

Featured in De sendte en dame - og tak for det (1997) (TV)

As good as television gets

Auuchh - my arm! If you ask, where it hurts, you most surely never saw this television serie - and you are very likely to be either a foreigner or an alien, because no one else would ever ask, they would know that you are quoting "Matador" being impressed or surprised. No tv-show was ever better, then it would never have such a fortunate compilation of talent, magnificent writers, magnificent actors and a magnificent director.

The tale of the struggle between the two families is made ever present, so the point is not lost even though there is a multitude of sidestories that even includes real events. The way the story goes is so original that you never loose interest, although it is a slow going story - it takes 27 hours for it to come to an end. Real addicts find the playing time too short though. The text comprises a multitude of funny lines and jokes, you never stop laughing. The way each scene is shot, and the way the picture is framed is bold in itself. The director dares leaving the person speaking out of picture, if the facial expression of another person is more interesting. Also, he uses events as a way of foretelling, what will be happening - the doctor being quoted just prior to his appearing on screen. There are millions of details like that and it takes a long time to discover them all, but that's part of the fascination - you never get it all.