Annika - The Beginning Part 1 1982

This three-part drama sensitively portrays a teenage romance between an English boy and a Swedish girl. A joint Swedish-British production, Annika stars Jesse Birdsall and Christina Rigner alongside Bulman star Don Henderson, and was co-written by Colin Nutley, a multi-award-winning English director now living and working in Sweden. Nutley is highly acclaimed for his insightful treatment of the mores of his adopted country, and several of his films have been chosen to represent Sweden at leading international film festivals and at the Academy Awards. Eighteen-year-old Pete Daniels is spending the summer doing casual work on the Isle of Wight when he meets and falls in love with Annika, a fifteen-year-old language student. Their relationship quickly intensifies - but the time inevitably comes when Annika has to return to her homeland, and Pete makes a life-changing decision.

[@rolandrothwell4840]

Remember this on TV 📺 I was still at school. Thought it was earlier than 1984? I loved it so much happy memories ❤

[@Max12mld]

I remember watching this in 84 and I've never forgot it . Thanks for uploading it. I was 14 or 15 at the time I'm 46 now and it's great to watch again. Thanks :)

[@smokie33]

The same as me. :-)

[@smokie33]

Me too.

[@jamieorourke767]

Now you're 51

[@Max12mld]

Just turned 52 lol oh well

[@spanishpeaches2930]

Remember nothing about the series now only that i loved it at the time.

[@MulletRecords]

• Watched this back in '84 (with my Mum & Dad), and was allowed to "stay up" to watch it. I thought Pete was very cool and I "obviously" fancied Annika. I've been searching for this for years... thank you very much for the upload :)))))

[@rosacaudevilla3855]

Thanks for the upload but I don´t think it was a true representation of what went on as most south coast English boys of the time would verify. The falling in love bit did happen on occasions, on both sides, but both the English guys and the Swedish girls knew the score - holiday romance and a bit of fun for 3 weeks, and maybe a few letters afterwards. (We both knew there was another coach load coming next week anyway!) Some like me went a bit further and bothered to learn the language and even went to Sweden for a visit. There, they soon found out that the Swedish girls behaviour in front of mummy and daddy was a lot different than it was on holiday. And there was no way any of the parents would let me slip in the same bed as their daughters in their own home, again falsely represented in the film. Overall, good education for both sides. Tack s@ mycket for minnen. Hejd@.

[@rosacaudevilla3855]

Typo slip = sleep.

[@spleeeen4it]

what a beautiful little series

[@aburaeese]

Watched this when I was around 13 on my black and white tv. Mostly with a hardon. 😆

[@cathyshuter417]

When I watched this in the 80's I decided I wanted to visit Sweden. I found it inspiring.

[@seanmothoin]

Loved this when it came out back in the 80's fell in love with Annika.Having been to sweden twice and a few years of studying the language , i wanted more of this , Tack Sverige och SB. happy memories

[@dcalver1967]

Annika was so adorable! I've searched for Christina Rigner several times since the 80's to see what she did after Annika but can't find any information - any ideas question

[@scottishwildcat]

@@dcalver1967 Had never acted before this and never acted again, and it's not surprising having watched this.

[@colinwilcox1402]

remember when it was first showed in the 80s, don't think its ever been repeated in the UK. definitely a film of its time

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

the knife stuff needs leaving as of its time, + probably blocks a repeat. 80a dramas had a ridiculously macho portrayal of teenage

[@shadow2471958]

We named our daughter Annika after watching this programme.

[@suzanneandrews2942]

nostalgia...love this. I recorded this on VHS and watched it endlessley, now have it on DVD. Memories....

[@spleeeen4it]

takes us back to a more innocent time

[@melgrant7404]

@@spleeeen4it a better time

[@greensleeves31]

omg ive tried to find this for years. Thank you for uploading. Used to watch this with my Nana when I was a little girl :-) v happy

[@ladykillergringo]

I can remember this show I've been looking for it for a while great to see it again fancied the arse off annika I was only 14

[@sheffnick]

ladykiller44 gringo47 total Ditto there mate 😂😊

[@philipparogers5613]

Me too!

[@redd605]

When I saw the headline Annika on TV the first thing that came into my head was this series, yes there are doing a follow up to this series but to my disappointment it was for a TV detective series. I wished there had done a follow up to this fantastic drama

[@stevecant2369]

Filmed in '83, they showed it in '84. Great times!!

[@svalbard909]

Thank you very much for uploading...this was a brilliant series

[@mhurleymh]

Love that Fairlight synth. Very ambient

[@mhurleymh]

Great to see this again. Christina was a childhood crush. Tried googling her name but nothing comes up . I guess that was her one shot in showbiz

[@506BD]

Cult classic shown in 1984. Never thought i would see it again. Good ole utube and modern tech.

[@MrWidmerpool99]

A very insightful and moving story of the traumas of young love, touching on issues of class and national identity. And hot Swedish birds in the nuddy.

[@PVflying]

Thanks Barry Norman 👍

[@Creighton-Jones]

@@PVflying -" "hot Swedish birds in the nuddy." ..and why not? That, in a sense, is what it's all about..."

[@paulmca9731]

Thanks for posting. Loved this at the time.

[@chymistrie6071]

This was aired in Australia 84 or 85, I'm not sure. I was 11 years old. Watching this was the moment I realised what the fuss was about ... when a girl and boy get naked. Bittersweet.

[@dcalver1967]

I remember watching it in '84 and feeling very sad that things didn't work out. I watched part 1 today and still get emotional- great acting and a great show. I know Jesse Birdsall had an acting career afterwards but can't find anything about Christina Rigner- anyone have any idea what she did after "Annika?"

[@MulletRecords]

• Hi D, it appears that Annika was Christina's first and final acting role... what a shame...

[@oskuharry]

Thank you for uploading this!

[@Stevienuts]

it was 1984.. loved it

[@pitbullsandcalicos]

I've got a crush on Jesse Birdsall

[@ajs41]

I think this was probably filmed in 1983 and shown on TV in 1984.

[@slorbz]

I knew this couldn´t be from 1982, you could tell by the clothes they´re wearing.

[@wiganrugby]

You fookin beauty, loved this as a 13 yr old.

[@nick1071]

Anyone any idea what became of the actress who played Annika ?

[@506BD]

Just found out that ebay now sell this dvd in its entirety.

[@jonnapat3213]

A good watch, thank you

[@Squiddley69]

I was a kid living on the island when it was filmed, got told off many a time by the film crew for being a nuisance, and I had nothing to do with the film, just being a delinquent

[@stevek6432]

they hate that, makes sense as they have a job to do and people get in the way. there's a scene in the sound of music where the cropped the image to get the crowd watching out of the shot

[@scaramouche8507]

It was mini series shown on channel 4 about 10pm and the first showing of it was back in 1984 I should deeply remember as I got to watch in bed (hospital bed) with a few girls and a few nurses,,, arent I the lucky one, if only

[@mhurleymh]

It was a 3 part series on ITV at 9PM shown during Aug 1984. It was shot in the summer of 1983.

[@krishnan-resurrection714]

makes me want a swedish bird ...cheers !

[@liberate72000]

Am I the only one who trout that Karen looked really fit in that jumpsuit and that he should have tried to make it work with her. And not treat her like crap.

[@SoulStylistJukeBox]

Didn't this air in '84?

[@annieturner79]

Does anyone know what the track is that starts at 36:47 ? I need it in my life

[@cronauer1985]

Awesome

[@LeviTate2000]

Yes, The Waltons. They were from the Isle of Wight. Long broken up unfortunately. Try Wikipedia. There is info on them there. Cheers.

[@cradrenshaw7106]

Surely even in 1984, people that wanted to go from Sweden to London would have flown?

[@Creighton-Jones]

The cost of flying back then was far greater than today. There were no 'Budget' / No Frills' airlines and so the choice of airline would have been considerably more limited - just British Airways and SAS (IIRC). As a Deck Chair Attendant / part-time Barman (and no 'minumum wage' in those days) the cost of flying from London to Stockholm would have been out of the question.

[@arnoldoaltamirano3776]

How Can I get this video? Somebody know?

[@mistofoles]

Isn't that Vas Blackwood ( supermarket thief "THE SHADOW" ) in ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES?

[@stingray4real]

Yes, and he was 'In Sickness And ln Health ' as Pele.

[@seriousros7280]

"the shadow" Hilarious! Great Episode of Only Fools and Horses. Thx for reminding me!

[@siliconesal]

Jesse Birdsall - great actor Take Me Home was a great series too, and I hated the eighties but it spawned some great fula

[@alisonlee3314]

I've been looking for Take Me Home for years...

[@Creighton-Jones]

@@alisonlee3314 Your search is at an end. It is now officially available on DVD. There was / is a trailer floating around KZbin uploaded when it was released. Hope this helps.

[@jenkitching43]

@@alisonlee3314 So have I.

[@OLDMANBADGER]

im sure it was 1984? i was 13 and i have been haunted by this programme ever since

[@SIGNIFYING_NOTHING]

Is that Mark Kermode?

[@SoulStylistJukeBox]

+roggeray LoL

[@thealchemist1111]

3:30 It's Rory Breaker from Lock, Stock, and two Smoking Barrels

[@isleofwightdave2286]

And the `Sha a a adow` from only fools :-D

[@wiganrugby]

same here mate.

[@Max12mld]

@ soul stylistjukeBox Yes it was 84 x

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

30:49 he's done it again!

[@jerseyrooster]

WARNING: contains repeated use of the N word.

[@GariSullivan]

You mean "nigger"? Don't worry, we don't need warnings. We grew up in the 80s.