Young and Promising (2015– ) User Reviews

Trials and tribulations of youth in Norway

[charlottelmarmstrong · 8/10 · 21 May 2019]

I really liked this series, I wouldn't say it was like Sex And The City at all, it doesn't have the glitz or glamour or the shallow material nature.

It does follow a young group of friends who are at different cross roads, living in Oslo, Norway. Its very real and raw and there are definitely no Hollywood endings.

I think many people will be able to identify with it and a sense of nostalgia of what it is to be young.

Addictive television

[debonator · 8/10 · 27 July 2021]

Realistic and interesting and beautifully designed and filmed storylines. Loved it and wanted to see more.

Great, realistic, funny, raw - definitely worth a watch!

[mgk98 · 28 July 2017]

I don't normally review movies/series, in fact this is my first review on IMDb ever. But there is only two reviews on this series and none of them are particularly positive and they don't capture what I feel about the series at all!

Yes, we have seen this kind of series and story before - a group of friends in their twenties trying to navigate in life, handling sex, relationships, family, career and social issues. They are all trying to find out who they are and how to fit in in this world. BUT the series is very different from anything I have seen before nonetheless. That is because of the realism.

It is much more down to earth and realistic than any American series I have ever seen and I can actually relate to the characters - not just relate (because of course I have related to a lot of characters form different series), but really think "this could happen, this could be real".

It is much like the widely popular series SKAM (which is also Norwegian), only the age of the characters (and the target audience) has been raised.

Maybe it has also something to do with the fact that it is set in Norway and I'm from Denmark, so I relate a lot to the culture depicted in the series.

A thing I don't like too much is that all the main characters and most of their friends are trying to get into careers like acting, writing, comedy and sports. No one is trying to get a "normal" education as a teacher or nurse or something. But I think it might have something to do with that they are all from them same "artistic" group/culture. Still it makes it a bit less realistic in that respect.

I hate rating movies and series because I can never fully make up my mind what I think about them. This series is not perfect - like almost no series are - but if you like a more realistic and down to earth feel and the portrayal of everyday life in a witty but raw manner, I would definitely recommend this series!!

The biggest downside is that there are only 6 episodes consisting of ca. 30 min in each season (and only 2 seasons so far, but I've heard that season 3 is on the way!), and that is not nearly enough!

Girls meets Skam, meets Sex And The City

[hippiehidi · 10/10 · 4 January 2020]

I fell that I can relate so much to the characters, their problemet may be far from mine, but the way they handle on and think about them is relatable. It was high time we got something of this quality, about the life of nordic women in the 20's. It's Girls, Skam, Sex And The City, but just combined in a really nice way! Tak og kærlighed fra Danmark 🙌

Unengaging

[paul2001sw-1 · 6/10 · 21 August 2017]

There's nothing exactly wrong with 'Young and Promising', a Norwegian drama about a group of young women trying to make their way in the world; but somehow, it didn't engage me. The characters struggle with boyfriends, crap jobs, and crazy families, living their lives while waiting for them to really begin; and yet, their tales are just too ordinary, with little sense of anything important at stake. In one episode, the girls go to a party, have a big fight, then make it up and go swimming, and that's all there is to it. Except in one slightly ill-fitting side plot, there's really too little in the way of love or despair here.

Author is noot an actress

[livstanglund · 6/10 · 26 September 2021]

I don't recognize the series in some of the other reviews. The comparison with Sex and the city is totally off. As a Norwegian, I can say, that is very far from what they aim for. If I should compare it to anything, it would have to be Normal people. Though Normal people goes deeper. As to how they can live in apartments in the world's most expencive cities, they live in communes and at home. And if you didn't know, Norwegians are among the richest in the world. Housing is way more expensive in many other places, but people do live in apartments there as well.

I think the series is nice and realistic. I think they experience real life problems. I don't think everything is rosy. Why I don't rate it higher, is because of the aElise. She is the worst actress I have seen in a long time. If you don't understand Norwegian, you might not catch it. Every word sounds forced and contrived. She should stick to writing. I have never seen her in anything else, maybe she got the part only because she co wrote it.

Sex and the City, Norwegian Style

[qui_j · 4/10 · 25 June 2017]

This could be considered to be a clone of the Sex and the City type TV series that are scattered in every country. The series revolves around the usual group of Angst ridden friends, trying to find their way in the world, navigating family, relationship and sexuality issues. Of course, being from Scandinavia, the sex is quite graphic, and nudity commonplace. The problem I found with the series is that there was really nothing new. I guess this reinforces the fact that no matter where one is in the world, these problems are all the same. What I found interesting and different however was how the solutions were impacted by the specific culture. From other Norwegian series I have seen, it does appear that the common thread to all of them is discussion of the issue and always a happy resolution. Sad endings, or real life issues don't appear to be the norm. But one has to remember that this is TV, and every country has its own form of fantasy and escapism to portray via TV and movies. It also reminded me a bit of the American series "Friends", where the characters all have average or low paying jobs but were able to afford nice apartments in one of the world's most expensive cities. The series overall is light and entertaining but really nothing special. Doubt it would have any global appeal outside of Scandinavia.

I liked it, but I had seen it before.

[Juliabeate-243-453729 · 4/10 · 20 May 2016]

The series as an appeal, but is far from revolutionary.

The elements of mental illness, dysfunctional sex and relationships, self-realization, "not quite making it" but doing anything to try to break though. Awkward, kinda raw, funny, quirky. For many this is quite relatable, and it's has a quite authentic feel to it.

It's entertaining, but.. This is basically just Girls in a Norwegian format. Just like HBO Girls, the girls are not perfect looking (however, I would argue the actors in Unge Lovende are pretty!), but more of the Scandinavian girl next door-look.

One of the most annoying elements with this series is how it has been discussed outside of the series and in the media. Even if the series is pretty alright by Norwegian standards (although this standard has been given a remarkable boost considering the success of Skam), it is still mediocre in the overall landscape of TV-series.