A record one fifth of Norway’s population (50% of their television viewing audience) watched the premier of Liliyhammer on 25 January 2012. Although it had already aired in Norway, Netflix promoted it a month later as exclusive content (the first time this was done) creating a brand new era of television.
Lead actor Steven Van Zandt is a singer, songwriter, musician, producer and activist. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, having been friends with Springsteen since the early 70s. His first ever acting role was starring in The Sopranos as Silvio Dante, Tony Soprano’s second-in-command.
Husband-and-wife writing team Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin created the idea of Lilyhammer with Van Zandt in mind. They approached him whilst he was in Norway producing the Oslo based, all-girl rockband Cocktail Slippers. To begin with Van Zandt was unsure about being typecast as a member of a mob, but he had so much faith in the idea he became an executive producer, co-writer and composer on the show.
Production of the second season was delayed due to Van Zandt’s schedule performing with Bruce Springsteen in the Wrecking Ball Tour. Van Zandt was replaced on the Australian leg of the tour by guitarist Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) so that filming for Lilyhammer could proceed.
In season 3 Van Zandt makes his directorial debut. The episode sees Bruce Springsteen playing Frank’s brother Giuseppe Tagliano. Van Zandt said it was an honour that Springsteen agreed to appear in the episode.
You can pre-order HERE.
Angelina ‘The Ex’ Tagliano is portrayed by Steven Van Zandt’s real life wife Maureen Van Zandt. Maureen also played Steven’s on screen wife in The Sopranos.
Lilyhammer was cancelled after 3 seasons as according to Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, it had “become a very economically challenged deal”. There were reports of conflict between “NRK” (the Norwegian broadcaster) and Netflix, due to NRK publishing the third season on its website earlier than Netflix.
Teh show begins after Frank ‘The Fixer’ Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt) testifies against his Mafia boss in New York, he enters the Witness Protection Programme and makes an unusual demand: he wants to set up with a new life in the Norwegian town of Lillehammer after falling in love with the place while watching the ‘94 Winter Olympic Games. Frank knows he is a marked man and figures nobody will ever look for him there. However, vengeful gangsters are only a part of his problems and adjusting to the Scandinavian way of life is driving him crazy! Thrust into a brand new world, it is not long before Frank is back to his old ruthless ways and involved in shady dealings with the locals. Confronted with a colourful cast of characters totally unlike the New York variety, he soon finds out, the past always has a way of catching up with you…
The CW has released a new extended trailer for The Flash, offering up some new footage from several upcoming episodes and teasing the unmasking of Zoom:
It is the final episode of Season 1, and as expected following the somewhat calmness of last week's episode this week is about to go off the scale. Our crew Read more
Episode 5 of Zomboat! is the penultimate episode of Season 1 and it gave the audience a chance to catch their breath before the grand finale. Instead of the fast Read more
In Zomboat! Episode 4 we discover that even a shopping trip can be hazardous to your health in post-apocalyptic Birmingham. With the boat moored and apparently safe Amar (Ryan McKen) Read more
After our diversion last week our Zomboat crew begin travelling in the right direction and end up back where they first got on the boat. This also happens to be Read more
Zomboat! burst onto our screens last week and while we loved it we noted that it felt "a bit rushed with lots crammed in." As Episode 2 washed over us Read more
Debuting on ITV2 in the UK, Zomboat! is filmed in the 2.35:1 widescreen ratio of most zombie movies and answers the life long question of what would happen if you Read more
After surviving the 'Multipocalypse', Ben tries to live a normal life, hiding the fact that he is infected with a zombie plague. His new friends have just found out ... Read more
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is returning for a second season and have released this teaser trailer for it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWUG-WTeCL0
In this joyous and celebratory drama, Zoey Clarke is a whip-smart computer coder forging her way in San Francisco. After an unusual event, she starts to hear the innermost wants Read more
In this joyous and celebratory drama, Zoey Clarke is a whip-smart computer coder forging her way in San Francisco. After an unusual event, she starts to hear the innermost wants Read more
In this joyous and celebratory drama, Zoey Clarke is a whip-smart computer coder forging her way in San Francisco. After an unusual event, she starts to hear the innermost wants Read more
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist returns on March 28th 2021 until then we have this trailer for Season 2 Episode 7... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNohGeMlsHk
From the mind of the iconic Gene Simmons! Return to the world of Zipper - an alien trapped on Earth fights his way home to Etheria. In his absence, he Read more
A UFO lands on Earth, unleashing a giant monster that is half lizard, half gorilla - Zillafoot! The monster rampages, decimating any military response and even awakening a strange dinosaur. Read more
So Season 3 of Zapped draws to a close, but what a season it has been. What was already an exciting and funny programme expanded its borders further to allow Read more
Zapped opens with a wood cutter meeting a gruesome end, presumably from the world traveller we saw previously. Anyway it is making the Hawthorn the Fairy (Ricky Grover) nervous so Read more
The soon to be award-winning third season of Zapped returns and life appears to be getting back to normal in Munty following the hectic adventures of the previous few weeks. Herman Read more
The awesome third season of Zapped returns with it's third episode - Popcorn- where Brian (James Buckley) has moved on from being the pub chef and has launched a business Read more
Zapped returns for its second episode of Season 3 where following his escape from the circus Brian (James Buckley) is spending his time persuading Herman (Louis Emerick) to give him Read more
Brett Summers
Brett founded CultFaction.com in 2014 a website and podcast that deals with cult film and tv. He also has a strong interest in grappling martial arts both as a practitioner and as a historian.
More Stories
Preview- Louis Feuillade: The Complete Crime Serials 1913-1918 (Masters of Cinema Limited Edition Nine-Disc Bluray Boxset
Preview- Elvira’s Haunted Hills (Bluray)
Preview- Astro City Metrobook Book 6 (TPB)