Acting
Matador is a Danish TV series produced and shown between 1978 and 1982. It is set in the fictional Danish town of Korsbæk between 1929 and 1947. It follows the lives of a range of characters from across the social spectrum, focusing specifically on the rivalry between the families of two businessmen: The banker Hans Christian Varnæs, an established local worthy, and social climber Mads Skjern, who arrives in town as the series opens. The name Matador was taken from the localised edition of the boardgame Monopoly, also the series' tentative English title. In addition, in contemporary Danish a "matador" is often used to describe a business tycoon, in the series referring to the character of Mads Skjern and his craftiness as a self-made entrepreneur. Directed by famed Danish film maker Erik Balling, Matador was the idea of author Lise Nørgaard who wrote the bulk of the episodes alongside Karen Smith, Jens Louis Petersen and Paul Hammerich. The series is one of the most well-known and popular examples of Danish television and represents the peak of longtime development of Danish TV drama by the public service channel Danmarks Radio. The series has become part of the modern self-understanding of Danes, partly because of its successful mix of melodrama and a distinct warm Danish humour in the depiction of characters, which were portrayed by a wide range of the most popular Danish actors at the time; but also not least because of its accurate portrayal of a turbulent Denmark from around the start of the Great Depression and through Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark in World War II.
In 1970s Denmark, the criminal police in a provincial town solve different criminal cases, when the police was dominated by men and DNA was not yet a tool in investigation.
The terrorism from a juvenile gang culminate when the gang leader kills a gang member who want to leave the gang.
Before tipsters and electronic lottery games, you could turn to centrally located citizens who sold lottery tickets. One such person is Peter Blomberg, and with him, butcher Lund and his wife won a quarter of a million Danish kroner! In 1936, that was so much money that you could throw it all around and radically change your lifestyle. And Mr. and Mrs. Lund do so in the most festive way... and Blomberg should also have a piece of the cake...
A group of young people want to change society, so they cut off the head of a statue of Christian IV. The head is hidden in the archives of Director Lund, where Anna has just been hired. Anna teaches Director Lund to be young and liberated. Lund goes along with it but is ultimately betrayed by the group.
The king's presence, his courtier Poul Flemming, who loves Elisabeth Munk, is to be the king's deputy at the wedding. However, the king hears rumors that the sheriff Albert Ebbesen has often been seen at Elverhøj with an elf girl, and when Ebbesen now arrives, he must explain away his secret meetings with the elf girl to the king.
Opposite Regensen lives the brave and well-off coppersmith Smidt with his equally brave wife and their delightful young daughter Rikke, as well as the three journeymen Madsen, Mikkel and Lars, who, according to old craftsman custom, both eat and stay with the master. When an acquaintance of journeyman Madsen comes to visit, he learns that he is unhappily in love with Rikke, and he promises to help him get in touch with her.
Venus aux belles fesses, or Venus with the beautiful buttocks, is the name given to a statuette by the famous Swedish sculptor Sergel, and this small work of art, a draft in fired clay, plays a significant role in this fantastic story. In a strange way, Venus intervenes in the turbulent fate of art historian Hannibal Svanø and creates conflicts for many others. After spending the whole summer leading a nomadic but rather pleasant life, interrupted only by occasional periods of work with old friends around the country, Svanø now sets off for the capital. On the way, he manages to persuade an old schoolmate, Judge Truelsen, to give him a loan that enables him to enjoy a hearty meal in a small, cozy restaurant called "Asietten."
Somewhere on the island of Funen, where the hedgerows surround the meandering fields, lies Uglegaarden. It is the largest and richest farm in the parish, and is owned by the widow Dora and her three brooding stepsons Karl, Viggo and Thomas. Their regular haunt is the village inn, where the crone Sara has to put up with their coarse-grained advances. The three brothers have big plans for the small neighboring farm Mosegaarden. They have discovered that under Mosegaarden's lean fields and high slopes there are large quantities of raw gravel. Chr. Thorup, who owns the site, has mortgaged the farm far above the chimneys. Now the Uglegaards brothers are just waiting for the right time to take over Mosegaarden. But when Thorup's son, Henrik, unexpectedly shows up at Mosegaarden, the three brothers' sinister plans are thrown into disarray.
1905. A couple of cheerful traveling salesmen, Hansen and Larsen, are on their last round of visits to customers before settling down in the big city to open their own business selling women's underwear. They hold a farewell dinner for one of their old customers in Lilleby. There is a ball at the hotel, and a couple of young ladies make the acquaintance of the two friends, which will have consequences in more ways than one.
The story of the life of a political prisoner in a Russian gulag. Based on the book by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Criminal genius Egon Olsen presents his accomplices Benny and Keld with yet another infallible plan that can only end badly. The booty is a red suitcase containing values ​​worth five million. The sinister mastermind Bang-Johansen carries the suitcase. The Olsen Gang follows him to Paris, where they put their cunning and carefully organized plan into motion.
Benny and Arnold are homeless and along with others living on Nørrebro in Copenhagen. The police is set to clear the building they squat in, but on the night of the forced eviction, local acid head Spacy jumps from the sixth floor.
A large Danish provincial town in the year 1888. Headmaster Wang's wife needs recreation, and the kind headmaster sends her and his youngest daughter Emma to Fanø. In his solitude, he delves into his youth memories and invents, among other things, a "Nordic tragedy", which he wrote during his student days and gave the proud title "Erik Ejegod's Pilgrimage". A theatre director encourages the headmaster to have the play performed at the theatre.
Theodor Nielsen lives a peaceful life with his adult daughter Eva. Then the weather vane on the nearby church tower starts squeaking every night. Theodor goes to the priest, who refers him to the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which in turn refers him to the municipality, which in turn does nothing. Theodor takes advantage of his side job at the radio station and tells all the listeners about the annoying weather vane. Theodor becomes a folk hero and is encouraged to run for municipal office. He is elected but is heavily manipulated by his party colleagues. However, Eva helps him get back on track.
A woman is found strangled in her shop. Shortly after, another murder is committed. Perhaps the most terrifying is that the both girls' name is Sonja. The police is convinced it's the same killer and at each scene is heard a woman singing the same song. A song which is soon dubbed the 'murder melody.'
The young fisherman Kurt Vinderup returns home to the small fishing village of his childhood after completing his military service in the Royal Danish Navy. On the quay, he meets a young girl named Bitten. He and Bitten had been in the early stages of a relationship before he left for the capital. But in his absence, she has become engaged to his brother Jacob Vinderup.
An unreliable lover of women and a hunchbacked clockmaker are suspected of killing a beautiful woman. Only one of them has done it, but whom?
The large manufacturer, engineer Steen Andersen, is a powerful man. A large staff jumps at his slightest whim, he is used to his every order being carried out, and he does not know how to be told off at all. But suddenly his entire regular life is shaken up, and the reason is a young, lovely girl on horseback in the Deer Park. Steen Andersen has met her several times on his morning rides. But how to get to know her?
Egon, a young man from Jutland living with relatives in Copenhagen, meets sensible young girl Ruth and falls in love. But Egon is involved with a gang of criminals, and when they assault a man they meet in a bar they are caught by the police. Egon is sent to a juvenile home, but can he stay out of trouble?
