We Watch Matador Season 1!!

We finally sat and watched season 1 of Matador and we talk about our impressions of the show.
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[@filosof2408]

I think what you have to keep in mind as you watch the rest of Matador is that it is a sort of founding myth of the modern Danish society. In the first episodes, Denmark is still very much divided into clear classes and notions of morality, religion, sexuality, gender roles etc. are still very traditional. So Mads Skjern's arrival in Korsbæk isn't just a disruption of a way of doing business, but of the whole class system in which rich people get better treatment than poor ones. What you will see as the story progresses is that it isn't just a soap opera with interpersonal conflicts, but a chronicle of how big world events such as The Great Depression and World War II also had a very direct impact on provincial Denmark and set in motion societal changes that define Denmark as it is today. Slowly, the old societal structures get broken down and make way for modern life. When Matador was shot in the late 1970's, the youth rebellion of the late 1960's, which was felt to have transformed Denmark quite radically, will have been fresh in the memories of all Danes, and I think what Matador does is try to explain in dramatic form is that Denmark didn't change over night (as the older generation that was nostalgic about the past seemed to think). The levelling out of classes to form a large middle class and the erosion of old traditions and morals was a long time coming and a necessary step in the evolution of our society. This becomes apparent in Matador especially when it reveals the hypocracy inherent in the old society. It hollows out the idea that those who sit at the top of society are there, because they are more virtuous than those at the bottom. There are good and bad people at every level.

[@mooimacowlord22]

Matador is a very important piece of danish history. People actually lived like that and drinking like that. Just wait for the episode called Hr Stein. One of the strongest episodes ever made.

[@Finnec123]

Ikke "peace" (fred) men "piece" (stykke). Trying to help you, man... Edit: Seems you have corrected your comment now without stating "Edit: xxx". That would've been good behavior.

[@zapador]

Is that the one where Stein "falls ill" and ends up in an ambulance? If so I have to agree! Overall Matador is amazing, one of the best things ever created.

[@martinandersen1849]

That is episode 18.

[@sirbattlecat]

@@Finnec123 Go outside and enjoy life. You're taking this KZbin thing way too seriously lol

[@marycanary86]

"jeg kan køre" iconic

[@AnnSorensen]

Hi Guys, I'm a Brit married to a Dane living in the USA and have watched Matador multiple times. If you really want to understand the Danes you will force yourself through it!!! It has helped my Danish (language) tremendously, however even though your Danish is fabulous, I'm sure, I did benefit from watching it with English subtitles and you might try that. By the time I had finished all the series, I didn't feel it was a "soap opera", more of an historical drama showing how Denmark coped and developed during some difficult years. It was interesting to see the German occupation and compare it to my parents and grandparents accounts of WW2 in the UK. We had some very interesting talks about that with my Mother in law who was a young girl at the time. By the way don't you love the "gossip" mirrors placed on the outside of the houses so you can see what's going on with the neighbours!!! After watching all the series three times, I think I am as attached to the characters as the Danes are and when my husband calls me Maude (if I'm being a little Drama Queenish), I can respond with a sharp "Hans Christian".

[@martinandersen1849]

Do you also go to bed when upset? haha Speaking of the gossip mirrors, it's not many years I saw such, the man having it was too lazy to place himself to look into it, so he had installed a camcorder hooked up with his television ... hahaha

[@martinandersen1849]

Did you by the way notice that Maler Hansen's wife Marie have an identical twin sister appearing in 1 episode of the serie?

[@triciabyrne7761]

Yes, and I am trying to find a copy with English subtitles that is USA compatible. Ideas?

[@horisontial]

Matador is a really interesting cultural moment in Danish history. The series explored themes like sexuality, sexism, mental health, differing ideologies and inequality and inadvertently sparked debates on abortion, LGBT right etc at a time where Danish society was beginning to form its egalitarian core.

[@TravelinYoung]

That is interesting, I hadn’t really though about it’s impact on society at the time of release. I only considered how it is perceived today.

[@rdklkje13]

@@TravelinYoung What I find most interesting about your comments is that everyone tells you to watch this to learn about Danish culture because we know how accurately this series portrays our history. What we don’t seem to fully realise is how much you already have to know about Danish culture and history in order to really get Matador.

[@Aoderic]

Hi, I don't disagree with you, I just want to add that it wasn't the beginning of modern egalitarianism, that happened much earlier. Grundtvigianism is a clear wave of egalitarianism, after the absolutist period of 1660-1849 (the 'Folk high school movement' is our egalitarian core) Then the Social Democratic wave came around the turn of the 20th century, (with 1st wave feminism, that lead to universal suffrage in 1915) The third wave, came in the late 60s into 70s and early 80s, let's call it the Hippie period (2nd wave feminism, with ideas such as, equal pay and free Abortion) Now all of those are mainstream, and we are (as you mention) building upon that with LGBT rights 🏳‍🌈

[@Aoderic]

@@TravelinYoung Yes, the series helped to cement the changes of the past century, into our collective history.

[@MsJakobsen]

When Matator aired the first(and maybe second) time we only had 1 Tv Channel in Denmark. So everybody watched it. Matador was shown on Saturdays at 8 pm where it took over from another very popular series "Huset på Christianshavn". Most of the actors from Huset på Christianshavn are in Matador as well but cast in a very different roles and very very many of the actors are great stars of the 50s, 60s and 70s Fun fact: the actress who played Maude's sister Elisabeth Friis - Helle Virkner - was once married to the primeminister Jens Otto Kragh and together they visited the White House and pres. Lyndon B. Johnson

[@dambition7495]

Awesome fact

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

@@dambition7495 Even more awsome when a picture of her on stage playing a prostitute hit the world press 🤣

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

Helle Virkner OG Marlene Schwatz as Girls from Nyhavn i 1972 kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKe1mWedhJZ0pM0

[@KarstenLangPedersen]

Watching "Matador" is an important milestone in understanding Danish :-) When it was first aired, the streets were EMPTY, because everybody was watching it.

[@Tomsdatter]

And because there was only one danish tv Channel then 😊

[@KarstenLangPedersen]

@@Tomsdatter well .. people living in the middle of Jutland only had one channel, everybody else did have the ability to receive some combination of Norwegian, Swedish and German channels. It was also a time in Danish history where you had pretty much ONE CHANCE to watch something. No reruns, no recording for later, no nothing .. so, if you wanted to watch it you had to catch it when it aired.

[@klausolekristiansen2960]

And also the first reruns. The first rerun of the second episode was the most watched TV program ever, up to that time.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

@@KarstenLangPedersen Yes, I always watched more German TV than Danish TV anyway. I'd never know all the American or French movies and shows and music I grew up with in the '70s and '80s, were it not for German TV.

[@marycanary86]

if nothing else, then for the references

[@rphb5870]

First of all. Matador is a drama not a sitcom, if ye want a sitcom have have a somewhat special status in Denmark we have Huset På Christianshavn, an ye should watch that too. But Matador is first and foremost an epic. It is thestory of a man, the story a town, the story of a time and the story of a country. And the reason it have reached such cult status is the effort put into each episode and how the series as a whole fits together. It have been compared to "When the Boat Comes In"

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

My very first thought? HALLELUJAH You binged it. Wauw! Baby step, Josh. When it came out we only got one episode on Saturdays, there was time to digest. I wanted you to watch it for educational purposes. Not entertainment! Matador is your "history book" on the interwar years. And your history book on how WWII played out in Denmark. And for a history book, it's pretty good. And you seem to get it: It's about seing how Danes lived just two generations ago. The clothes, the different interiors, the identities: Your ARE your work. The class differences. The prices. The food. Not the least about morals and interactions. It's for you to see what's changed and what's not. We still eat leverpostej - but now it's bought! We still work, but it's not "who" we are. We still park awfully - but now we get fined 😒 It's for you to understand the Danes, when they say "det er en tysker" 🤣- and some other weird things🤣 I hope it grows on Josh with the war. The occupation really was a weird time! And Matador draws a fair picture.

[@Elgsdyr]

Fun fact: The theme from Matador is written and played by Bent Fabricius-Bjerre (internationally known as Bent Fabric) who also wrote and played the international hit "Alley Cat" back in the early 60s.

[@slundhansen]

Bent Fabricius-Bjerre did record the theme on record at some point. But the intro and outro to each episode was actually played by Elvi Henriksen who also has a very small role in episode 11 as the piano player from Kagls Teaterselskab.

[@BoynamedMagnus183]

Bent Fabricius Bjerre also wrote the entire movie music to the Norwegian childrens movie classic called Pinchcliffe or «Flåklypa» in Norwegian!😊 Thank you Danes!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@drdewott9154]

And of course he's also the composer of the Olsen Banden theme. His footprint really is everywhere

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

@@drdewott9154 I think the Youngs are ready also to watch the 14 Olsen Banden movies if they haven't already, they're pretty important too. And yes, Ivo Caprino's eternal puppet classic Bjergkøbing Grand Prix as well... ;)

[@kickmyself1973]

When lise nørregaard died 105 years old) the auther. She said in her last huge interview that Matador is basicly ment to show and tribute the strong women behind the men.

[@perkpetersen9937]

In my opinion the best Danish series that has been made and with many of the popular actors and tells an important story about Denmark from 1929-1947. I have seen it more than 10 times and it just gets better and better every time in my opinion. Love your videos 🙂👍. Have a great day everyone and take care . Cheers from Denmark.

[@ylva68]

I loved that show and watched in Sweden . But I love to learn about historical times and this could so easily happened in a small town of Sweden as well.

[@TheGammelfjols]

i think its a very scadinavian thing, denmark norway and sweden.

[@pederellis6889]

Love it ❤grown up with it , part of my Danish heritage , love the actors , my absolute favourite is Agnes💓 and not to foget Maude her frase "im going to bed , while holding the backside of your hand to your forehead" is stil widespreed used today love it,love it,love it❤❤❤

[@hansclemmensen1557]

Lise Nørgaard was born into lower upper class and as a girl her destiny was being a good housewife for a husband who naturaly would be the sole provider. Lise oposed to that insisting to get an education and work to earn her own money as a journalist and got her father persuaded to accept that. She became a wery succesfull journaslist and author and independent. Matador is her masterpeace and describes a period in Danish history with huge changes, not only the war . Matador is about a lot of things. Old money vs. new money, womens liberation. If you watch more episodes pay attention to how many strong women there are or women who transforms from being wounerable to strong. Those are mirorring Lise's personality. The war and the resistance movement, the jew persecusions. gay rights, political convictions and many more isues told with a lot of humor. Lise was a pattern breaker and so is many of her female caracters. Enjoy

[@Patriarchtech]

The true Boss in Matador is Katrine. Resource full, clever, compassionate and low key. Hang in there Josh! And thanks for the Vid!

[@rphb5870]

well while on the surface it was the story of Mads Skjern it was actually more a story of several strong women, such as Katrine, Elisabeth and Agnes, but also Maude in her own way later

[@Aoderic]

I agree, and she is an important part of the foundation of the story. Like she's the mother of Ingeborg, and the reason why she is also grounded and compassionate. Which is the pivotal point in her story with Mads, the growing contrast between her, and his righteousness and growing superiority complex.

[@klausolekristiansen2960]

@@rphb5870 Don't forget Laura.

[@rphb5870]

@@klausolekristiansen2960 I don't think she is that strong, she is the one who comes back to the kitchen

[@lonnie4789]

@@rphb5870 There is a strength in realising where you feel happy and content.

[@madswn81]

we think of Matador as a historic show, so i would think North and South would be more like Matador (my older sister had a crush on Patrick Swayze, so i watched it a few times). And yes, bankers used to drink (a lot), my dad was a banker and Gammel Dansk was a stable back in the '80s :)

[@tacam130569]

I am a Dane - but living abroad for more than 30 years now - and I have rewatched matador so many times. I believe that nuances occur each time you watch is - and Lise Nørgaard was known for making you think about what you watch. The fact that Mads and Ingeborg got married without mentioned was her way of playing you - of course they got married - as it was a practical way forward - Mads gets what he wants.

[@tacam130569]

And of course some will be lost in translation from Danish - it’s not only from words but the underlying cultural understanding.

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

It 2nd marriage for them both. Not something you'd draw too much attention to, when you're a divorcee 🤐

[@rdklkje13]

Not back then in any case 🙃

[@Grumpy-Old-White-Man.]

And with Mads' beliefs he couldn't be living the Poland way.

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

@@Grumpy-Old-White-Man. living in Polish? Oh Dear, oh Dear!

[@Alhem11]

Matador gives the Danes' national feeling a boost, in the same way as when the USA makes patriotic films, I think.

[@madst7521]

You have to think of this as a late 70s reflection of the time the series portrays. I think you’ll find the later parts under ww2 a little more interesting. If you make it all the way through, you’ll have learned something about the dk history that may not be easy to find elsewhere.

[@ebbhead20]

This show is THE show you had to watch in the 70's. We all watched it. Most kids loved it when I was a kid. Its done like a play. So it has the same feel as all the top UK tv plays at the time. Upstairs Downstairs, I Claudius, or When the boat comes in. So its like watching them on a stage more than what USA would do. Its made to be like Dallas just more historical i would say. But its hard to find danes thay hasnt seen the whole thing about 3 times by now. Its also a ritual that everybody watched it at say a girlfriends house. It was about as hard to get away from as not hearing Last Christmas by Wham at xmas. But its seen by at least 6-7 countries as the best historical series ever made ever. We have been getting so Much. Praise from so many countries in the 70's and early 80's. And thats not Scandinavian countries. Germany was very fast to say it was a masterpiece and that it might be the best series to ever have been made i remember reading many years ago. But its not said like you say it. That's what you call a bullfighter. This means Tycoon basically. That would be its name international if you wanted to get the meaning right. The danish Dallas some called it. I know it by heart so i don't watch it anymore. But i can say that production wise its way superior to any show ever made anywhere. And no. I doubt anybody else could have done it. Theres so much meat underneath the jokes and camp acting that's clearly from the stage.. But that show was many things, but never boring. In fact its the only show most people tend to agree on cant be boring for 2 seconds. I dont watch flow tv at all anymore. And dont care for these types of shows normally. But i knew instantly that this was different as soon as I saw it. It became a trendsetter, and it's why we have had so many of those types of shows today. Matador opened the doors for well Produced and big budget tv shows back in the late 70's. It was the most expensive show ever done in denmark at the time, with over 1 million kroner per episode. It also holds the record for the biggest selling dvd ever released in denmark. And there's a reason that everytime they do a rerun it still gets more viewers than any other programme out there. There's a lot of history to this programme and looking into that might help you get what we're actually dealing with here. I would say the importance of this in danish media is about as important to the danish as the moon landing is to Americans. Its definitely up there i would say.. If the phrase.. More than just a show ever could be used its here.. So no, its not Welcome Back Kotter or The Brady Bunch. They where just tv shows.. Not history changers. Lastly, Magasin is to be said in French as its the French word for shop.. We used to use a lot of french words. It was seen as fancy. A platform at the station was a perron until they changed it to spor. My danish nan used a lot of French words in the 70's and 80's. The swedes do it too with their glass for icecream. But if you go far back, french was the main language of England. Only the peasants spoke English back then. French was the language to speak if you wanted to be seen as refined and upper class. Europe is based on class systems basically. 😏

[@johnnielund4889]

You can't really compare "Matador" with shows like Seinfeld and Friends, those are sitcoms, whereas Matador is drama

[@CarstenMarti]

I watched "Centennial", or "Colorado sagaen" in danish, as a kid. This gave Me the same vibes as Matador. Also the German "Heimat" (Homeland) was a great series.

[@BrianKlausen]

Interesting to hear your thoughts and views on Matador - makes me reflect as other commenters have as well, on why it so resonates with us Danes. It is probably wrong to say that you have to watch Matador to understand Danish culture, rather it is a test to see if you understand Danish culture. Obviously you got the whole "The tale of the Disruptor" storyline right, since it is so obvious, but from there it is a ton of much more subtle and careful hints and projections of Danish culture, archetypes, societal dynamics, micro revolutions and evolutions in culture and society etc. I guess it's that constant but very subtle bombardment of (to Danes) recognizable quintessential "Danishism" that is so integrated and ingrained in the series, that makes it so enjoyable - to danes :). For those less integrated into the culture it gets really hard to pick up on, and you have to onboard for the more clearly defined drama-like storylines, that on their own is probably a bit banal. So I'd encourage you to maybe give it a shot of really looking at the subtleties - maybe even watching it with a Dane that can sort of point out some of it - because maybe it is very hard to pick up on it as a foreigner. Interesting topic... thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@Joemamma664]

Josh will never get over he's parking ticket 😅🤣❤️

[@loosjenvivafidel2710]

Dont know if others has commented about this ,but it is also a series with a cast of many of the most esteemd and popular actors i danish showbizz.

[@lohofa]

Im 47 and have watched Matador a couple of times, but it reflects my grandparents yime so well. The were more like the pig seller family. But coming at their farm as a child and growing up in a very small village it also reflects a lot of my own childhood. But the reason I love Matador as an adult is the portraits of the steong women and their development. Especially Maude. But the war time is also interesting and I like to see how my grandparents lived and how and why they were the way they were. We still have generational war damages in my family. Ptsd affects many generations.

[@lisehansen8875]

I just love the subtle humor and mauds facial expressions😊

[@Lukketz]

I am danish and what I really enjoy, is the dialogue in the whole thing. The dialogue is so clever, sharp and witty. Something else. Someone here pointed out, that we didn't have much to watch in tv back then, so we all watched it. I think a lot of people especially the young ones wouldn't watch it these days. A young friend of mine simply gave up on finishing watching it all.

[@frederikvilhelm202]

I really encourage you guys to keep on watching. At least with some space in between ‘seasons’ so you don’t get bored haha.. But really Matador is a unique showing of the 20’s-mid 40’s, and was also a great boost to the social development and to the inclusion in society in general.

[@LarsUllits]

Here is small sample of movies where the dark danish humor shines through: "Blinkende Lygter", "I Kina Spiser De Hunde", "Gamle Mænd I Nye Biler" and "De Grønne Slagtere".

[@cphhelicopter]

The name of the town Korsbæk is taken from the two provincial cities Korsør and Holbæk. So in short, the TV show depict what life was back then in a typical Danish provincial town/city far away from Copenhagen, especially with the different social levels, the settled people vs. newcomers, being a sleeping town that doesn't change much through decades until disruption arrives etc. etc.. And if you live today in such a town, you will recognize many of the same social trademarks still exist. Try move even as one from Zealand to such a provincial town in for example Jutland, you will probably even today have that experience as the TV show depict.

[@jtm5958]

Now I want to rewatch it!

[@MrTargenor]

awwwww you can call yourself danish now ❤❤❤ My father in law plays the flute solo on the outtro. I have his flute in my office.❤ I love that series.

[@jesperfuglsang]

Matador is not soap opera and I agree you don't have anything similar in the US. But Matador really explain what Denmark is and what is has become. For a Dane it's history and culture at the same time. I would assume it could compare to an young American watching North & South....history and culture...I guess!

[@mwtrolle]

I never really watched Matador, I did watch parts of it because it was on TV and my parents watched it. But I never really was that sucked into it. Then doing the Corona lockdown I watched it from start to finish. What an absolutely great show!

[@mugin11223344]

I can easily imagine that Matador can be difficult to get into for younger people and people who grew up abroad. I was born in 71, so I grew up with that generation, and that has probably given me a different perspective than people who haven't. I would just like to add that Lise Nørgaard, is a very important person who has had a great influence on how Denmark developed up to today.

[@marycanary86]

i got sucked in by the hype train when they reran it about 10-ish years ago and now i fucking live for it x'''D

[@klausolekristiansen2960]

One of he great charms of the series is how they talk to each other. It does not translate at all. The very first spoken words in the series that you can actually understand are mr. Schwan greeting two customers: "Fru apoteker Strøm. Fru købmand Munch." Women are addressed by their husbands' profession. The English subtitles have "Mrs. Strøm. Mrs. Munch." And it is correct. There is no other way to say it in English. But something is missing. Similarly konsulinde Holm. She is known by a female form of her husband's title. By the way, the scenes were not filmed in the order you see them. For each season, they would set up one set, and film every scene taking place there before setting up the next set. The very first scene recorded was the one where Hans Christian Varnæs visits Elisabeth Fries in her new appartment.

[@hellethomsen8786]

Aroundt the same tim Matador Was first broadcasted Danes also saw the the american miniseries Centenial (Coloradosagaen). I was a teenager at the time and I felt I learned a lot about America from that in the same way I learned about the time between the wars from Matador. Very colorfull stories in some what historicly accurate settings.

[@johanneabelsen1644]

True. The Dust Bowl episode still haunts me to this day. That is the one, where a small family endure a tragedy, during a sandstorm, in the 1930s...

[@miriam8103]

Lise Nørgaard was a brilliant journalist/ wrighter. She created this awsome time capsule from Danish historie. It's every generation from the 70 to the 2000 who was glued to the TV. So tread carefully!!!

[@annemargrethe3626]

You simply HAVE to watch the rest!!! The story develops SO much ❤️ Have watched it at least 6 times, over the years ❤️

[@TimoJeppesen]

In regards to the "over-acting". I think it is intentional. The characters that is "over-acting" is actually showing their personality. They are "snobs", and is acting overly posh! It is important to them, how others see them, as they think they are better than others. As the series progresses, you can see that the "over-acting" stops, as they realize that they don't gain any status acting that way.

[@jandideriksen7847]

Both Mads Skjern and Ingeborg had been married before, Ingeborg got divorced, Mads's wife died, the wedding would have been done VERY quietly, in fact it must have been hard to find a priest that would marry a divorce.

[@4455thor]

Matador can be bought with English subtitles. Or if you watch it on DVD you may find the English subtitles on there. When you talked about "no equivalent" in USA, I remembered a series I watched years ago about colonizing Colorado. In Denmark it was called: "The Colorado Saga", but in US it was called Centeniel or something like that. Because the city the series was centered about was called so. It starts with trappers and indians and goes on to at least the 1930'ies.

[@akyhne]

"Centennial" is the original title. In Canada, it was called "Colorado Saga".

[@Pipieable]

@@akyhne what about "the little house on the prairy"!!! The american version of "Matador"!??

[@akyhne]

@@Pipieable What about it?

[@jrnmller1551]

The Lucy show and Laredo were shown on danish TV, I think, the reason we love it, because any town in Denmark can relate somebody to the persons in Matador, it is good story telling, also what goes on beyond local area and how it affects your life. And yes RØDE is red (communist) which was a big influencer in 1920s (the new utopia)

[@dagdriver4412]

About the "over-acting" - yes there is a bit of that, but some of I think comes from the very different way that they actually spoke on TV in the late 70'es, its quite amazing how different danish sounded 50 years ago compared to today. Parking: its amazing in how many movies and series - also from the US, that there are always a free parking space right in front of the protagonists destination.

[@lindacdk6740]

I believe you'll have to be Danish to understand the essence of and fully enjoy Matador. Lise Nørgaard picked bits and pieces from her own life as a child and a young woman - not as a documentory though. In the beginning of the show "Røde" (Lauritz Jensen, Agnes husband) is a Socialdemokrat, but ends up as a communist just before ww2 Come Christmas you should watch "The Julekalender"

[@madst7521]

As much as I love The Julekalender, I'm pretty sure most of the humor would be lost on a native english speaker. I think exploring Jul i Gammelby would be a better place to start.

[@lindacdk6740]

@@madst7521 yeah, maybe you're right here. However; I had a colleague from the UK, and he had a blast watching "The Julekaldender". And maybe - just maybe - we can get the Youngs to do the "Støvledans" - wouldn't that be funny?

[@DogBoots77]

It’s very much a show you only really get after rewatching it several times and living in the culture it’s part of for decades. Like Miranda says that she enjoyed it more the second time. The story about businesses etc. is just a scaffold - it’s the people and the world/zeitgeist that’s the headliner, and you need to know them to love or loathe them. So I can see why it’s a steep hill to climb but there IS a payoff.

[@rdklkje13]

👆👆👆

[@filosof2408]

So true! Its the interplay of the different mindsets (politically and otherwise) that coexisted and clashed during this time in Danish history that makes the series worth watching.

[@thomashovgaard3134]

you had Centennial and Roots, Both which made a great impact on me growing up

[@holmbjerg]

It is difficult to find a nation, that has a piece of culture, that has the same significance to said nation, as does Matador to the Danes. The reason for it's enduring popularity is mainly, that it captures the Danish sense of humour so accurately.

[@allan.moeslund]

Matador have so many layers. Therefore it is a very good test of your danish language level. Without understanding the language you will not understand the serie. You will only get the main story. There is so much to learn from Matador.

[@johannesnielsenjohnbates8889]

You’ll understand later in the series why Ingeborg and Mads’ wedding isn’t shown 😉

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

Incidentally, airing around the same time as Matador, for a classic US sitcom few can beat WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-82) it was also shown on Danish TV as Halløj i Æteren, which would translate to something silly like 'goofiness on the air'...

[@pallezehngraffjrgensen9759]

in the 70s we watched A little house on the prairie that was a nice cultural series back then

[@TravelinYoung]

Yeah, I’m aware of the show of course but we never watched it. I did read some of the books growing up as the English level is geared towards kids. A good adult book that touches on a similar timeframe in the US is Grapes of Wrath.

[@71kimg]

It were more a women’s rights kinds of series - in a Hollywood movie setting.

[@knus1959]

Hi again. :) I just remember an American tv series about two brothers in the time before, under and after the civil war, "North and South". It's a great tv series to learn the history about that time periode in the US. :)

[@filosof2408]

They're not brothers, though. They're friends who meet at West Point (The officers' academy), but end up fighting on opposite sides in the Civil War.

[@pouleichel2760]

what you said about the disrupter, that is stil going on today, is the KEY for Matador, the interactions between the people and their grows as individuals is still relevant even today, and that is what makes the show great.

[@Joliie]

12:45 Mærsk had a personal butler, its not common, but with the rich rich here, it is still used, its not really something that is seen or talked much about and its just another job, so you would not see much of class difference from any other job. My mother was out servering as the maid for the children when she was a teenager, my grandmother was a house maid in her teenage years, where she lived in the house with the family she worked for.

[@kinuuni]

I think one thing that makes this show so iconic is that it is actually about the war. It is a tiny society with its tiny dramas and their little intrigues and all their little lives and trivialities and then the war hits. It manages to capture a society that is very divided in every way possible, the old vs. new, the upstairs vs. downstairs, the political left vs. the political right and how all of it is rendered utterly meaningless when forces much grater than this small town suddenly comes crashing in. It also as far as I understand actually managed to help cross the gap between the generation that lived the war and the occupation and the generations that followed because it was hard to describe exactly what it was like. Especially in the last year when the country was lawless.

[@Love42se]

I love Matador even though I'm Swedish.

[@290766rene]

Hi Joshua and Miranda. I admire that you have both seen Matador, and tried to understand what the series is about, regarding the history and culture from the time it takes place in Denmark. It is also quite clear that Joshua has not understood what the series is about. It is a small community that lives during the occupation of the second world war, and the everyday problems that can arise during the war. It is probably because America was not occupied by the Nazis in the second world war, and has not felt the horrors in the same way, as it was to be occupied by a great power.And the problems it caused in everyday life. It may well be, that you have to be a native Dane to understand the series. I think it is a good loving series with everyday drama and humor, but it not an aktion movie.

[@jf2500]

The Olsen Banden movies (68-98)are even more relevant today than Matador ever was. It's all about the corruption and double standards among, the police, manor houses, politicians, banksters etc. The director Erik Balling who made Matador also did the Olsen-banden movies. Many of the actors from Matador are also casted for the Olsen Banden Movies. They are still funny and have a large fan club in Germany still active today. The movies from the 70'ies are classics.

[@CarlAlex2]

Damernes Magasin didn´t fail because it was disrupted - it failed because the owner was vain, incompetent and living above his means and it was failing from the start of the series. The bank director predicted his fall in episode one after he rejected to lend money to the new competition. Grisehandler means pig TRADER - not pig farmer.

[@PepsiMaGs]

Remember, that Matador was filmed 40 years ago. Back then Danish actors where mostly classically trained, worked in theatres, too, and that reflected on their film acting. And another thing: I've not even tried to make my two adult children (18 and 20 YO) watch this because I think they actually have to be older to get something out of it. They would fall asleep way too fast because the pace in movies and tv-series 40 years ago was just different from it is today. It is an important cultural piece if you want to understand what happened up to and during the war, this was what our families went through, and you can skip several history lessons in school if you just watch Matador. :) (BTW: The emphasiz is on the last part; MataDOR. :) )

[@ErikFVS]

I'm an old guy. Danish. For me I reconiced the different people. So if you knew how the culture was, the different types of danes from that time, you'll have a dejavu...

[@jrgenhald3520]

The Matador series is worth watching until the end, as the characters continually evolve over time, providing insight into Denmark's development. If you decide to rewatch the series in the future, you'll uncover new angles and details that you may have missed the first time

[@user-ix6pv3rc7t]

In Amerika you have Colorado Sagaen, made same time as Matador. Is a fantastic saga there tell the story about Colorado and follow several generations from the birth of Colorado up to the 1970.

[@mgb9694]

It is WAY to early to watch something you dont understand at least 80-90% becaurse the devil is in the detail especially in this series. The mother of my son watched this series when it came out in the 80’s and did NOT like it. Now that she Got older she Think it is the Best there was ever made. I agree. There wil NEVER again be a production where they Can rally all the Best actors in a production. It will never happen again, so another attempt to do a new version wil be doomed to fail. That is why this will still be relevant 50 years from now.truely what you Call an evergreen. But watch it again in a couple of years when Your Danish has improved more, and see how Manu details that you missed the first time watching. This is a heavy series where the texts are crucial for understanding the whole series. So revisit it again later with no bias. Promise me that. 😉👍

[@Donnah1979]

It's the brother, who becomes a banker, even though Mads Skjern lends out and gives people more credit than "he should" in the start 😊

[@kristofferholst6053]

Josh buy like a beer calendar thingy and have one at each episode. YOU CAN DO IT MAN 😂 would like to hear yours and Miranda’s thoughts on the rest.

[@holmbjerg]

Matador can mean a bullfighter, but it is also what you would call a business tycoon whose business ventures spands multiple industries. So the boardgame was named Matador, because you can become a business tycoon in it.

[@TravelinYoung]

Ahhhh this makes so much more sense now

[@michaelmeisner7671]

The The Brady Bunch has a completely different conceptual focus than Matador. The Brady Bunch focus on love, conflict and everything in between amongst people. Matador has a much wider scope. Whatever takes place in an episode of The Brady Bunch, it could happen 200, 20 or 2 years ago. Or yesterday. Or tomorrow. Matador is a timeline story focusing on multiple perspectives: Culture, living conditions, technology, historical events, politics, society development over decades, as well as how the whole of Denmark changed from 1910's all-through to 1960's, and how people of Denmark changed perspective during that period. Honestly: Nothing like Matador can ever exist in USA!

[@mwtrolle]

3:30 I would say the US equality of the Danish Matador would be something like Roots from the late 70's or maybe North and South from the early 80's.

[@Manifibell]

I am 30. And I know about it but I can't say that I have ever watched an episode willingly. I probably saw some when I was a kid, but I had no idea what it was about. It is an older generation thing from my experience, and I have never heard of anyone my age watching it willingly.

[@BroccoliDwarf]

As you say in the video, the "Matador" title comes from the word being the Danish title for the Monopoly game. So the overriding theme is the "little man" arriving in a new town, to build his fortune from the ground up, while disrupting the "old money" of the town. But the true value of the show, and why it is so beloved in Denmark is, that it is a cut out of history, that reminds many people of their grandparents, and great grandparents and "how Denmark used to me" - and then characters are all played by icons in Danish movie and TV history, which makes the show a non stop tour de force in Danish acting tradition. Last, but not least, despite being a drama, it has a constant stream of quirky little fun bits, that are more of less the hallmark of Danish cinema and TV... even in tragedy, we can find a tiny bit of fun.

[@KKJ2212]

Matador er også en rigtig god tv serie og noget man skal se hvis man godt vil lære den Danske historie🙂

[@jeanricard918]

Dear Miranda and Joshua, there is not doubt in my mind that of you two, Miranda is the one that has reached longst into danish culture, when you talk about shows films that spans generations the American film: How the west was won. Comes to mind. Matador as such is not a precise history, but a fiktional place outside Copenhagen very much based on Lise Nørgaard, own memories of her upbringing in that same Periode.

[@CamkirE]

Matador is a story of how the "Old" class divided Denmark is modernized into the Denmark of today. But it is also showing the subconscious of Danish mentality. Our morals and how we view ourselves. As a foreigner it could be a look behind the curtain of danish culture. By the way, it is deliberate that the announcement of the wedding plans between Mads and Ingeborg is so nonchalant.....it is to show how Mads is, thinks and how he operates. Because why are they getting married?. And getting married back then was not always a big deal, it was sometimes more because of practical reasons than romantic.....And lastly the name 'Matador' means a lot of things. It is the board game were you mimic selling and buying land and properties, it is a bull fighter who kills the bull and it is the nickname of an influencial businessman.

[@Ettibridget]

Matador has a distinct inspiration from the british Upstairs and downstairs.

[@knus1959]

Hi :) Yes, Matador and Badehotellet tells a very great storyline about Denmark from that periode of time. :) I'm a little bit older than you two, and i do remember the American tv series Little house on the Prairie, and the English tv series Upstairs Downstairs. They have some of the same historical stories from both contries, but in different time periodes. :)

[@filosof2408]

Please don't compare Badehotellet and Matador. Badehotellet is nowhere near as intelligent about human relationships as Matador.

[@madst7521]

Badehotellet just doesn't stack up in any way, shape or form. Modern trash tv compared to Matador.

[@Noblemand]

The little house on the praire is another US serioes that is still aired..at least in DK

[@lkjh861]

I think US equivalents to "Matador" would be series more like "Roots" and "North and South", that chronicles/comments on defining moments in US history ~ obviously more dramatic stories (class struggle vs. civil war and slavery), but significant in terms of the cultural legacy of each country... "Brady Bunch", "Friends" and "Seinfeld" are more 'just' entertainment shows ~ certainly culturally significant, but they are not 'historical' shows as such.

[@peters7413]

will there be a huset på Christians havn og Olsen Banden video also 😄

[@vinozarazzi5633]

The Town "Kors-bæk" derives from "Kors-ør" and "Hol-bæk" and describes a typical danish provincial society on "Sjælland". (" Soul-land")

[@The_Keeper]

I get how you feel about Matador season 1, the actors and the series hadn't really found their "groove" yet, it get quite a bit better in the following seasons, especially when WW2: Austrian Boogaloo kicks off. And, to be fair, most shows have a kinda Meh season 1.

[@AWKnuden]

I beleave that in the US you have a show called “Homefront”. And I think that it is almost the same storytelling type of TV show. I love it. That story starts in the 40´s, right after the end of World War II.

[@vrenak]

One of the reasons it's such a big hit is it came out at the tailend of the '68 youthrebellions womens liberation, sexual liberation, and it takes place at a time where a lot of that really got its early start here, at the same time it was a time where the world was in turmoil with the great depression and rise of fascism, but scandinavia went a different way than so many countries, not going for the extremes, like fascism or communism, but had social democrats, social liberals, liberals, and conservatives, hammer out some tough long lasting deals. Deals that form the basis of our modern society. This period literally made the society we live in today. The Brady Bunch didn't make it over here, some of us have seen it on british tv via satellite, and yes it is quite an iconic american show, though quite different from Matador. Matador has also been sold to more than 20 countries over the years. Røde, the railway worker, is a staunch member of DKP (danish communist party), his character is such that if we followed him beyond the end of the show he would probably follow SF when the party split over loyalties (the soviets tortured DKP members, resulting in a party split, with DKP remaining Moscow loyal and being relegated to the sidelines, while SF was formed by the Washington loyal). The Varnæs family is Conservatives (Søren Papes party today, very different from what is called conservative in the US today, the party flirted with the manners and styres of fascism leading up to WWII). Katrine and Oluf Larsen would be Venstre, the liberals, this was and still somewhat is the farmers party. Dr. Hansen is Radikale Venstre, social liberals, a centrist.

[@holdermeddk]

Hans Christian would never ever drink snaps. Snaps is for workers. Tøjhuset is a place for storage of weapons 🤔

[@martinrpke5388]

Matador became an almost instant hit, some established critics hated it, episode for episode, viewers loved it, I was 8, and even in school the latest episode, was talked about, remember it was 1978, no internet, only 1 Danish tv channel, and depending on where you lived, if you had the antenna, you may be able to watch German TV, or Swedish tv, even cinemas at that time, was slow at getting new films, there was literally nothing like Matador anywhere except in books, I have watched it every time it was aired, and at least 4 times in between. I highly recommend you to watch all episodes

[@ellenstergaardgravesen1011]

My mother watched it when she was pregnant with me (born february 1979). When it aired the next time I wanted to see it but always fell asleep and then, when the theme song came at the end, I woke up - argh! That song has always been special to me. I managed to stay awake and have seen them all several times when I got older though 🙂

[@SB68SS]

Olsen Banden is also a important piece of danish movie history and culture,

[@TheGarnh8r]

Fun fact; Lise Nørgaard, the creator of Matador was a very knowledgeable person, e.g. she thought that Denmark should send more condoms to the Muslim and African countries to prevent migration to Europe and Denmark, a migration that would otherwise in time destroy Denmark and the Danish culture - She was a very wise lady.

[@henningmogensen9144]

The series continue to the end of WW2. Matador get's more and more intens.

[@eliza5844]

Dane here with a fun fact. There was a whole shebang about if viewers ACTUALLY SAW Ingeborg and Mads Skjern ("The disrubters") wedding or not as well as the dogs getting it on 😅😅

[@casperchristensen1592]

there are many good things about that series. but something special I've noticed is how much women's history fills the screen, the series has overall equality

[@ellenstergaardgravesen1011]

I actually went to a one-man-show last year that revolved around Matador and the characters from it. That shows how much it is loved and known by the danish population. The town "Korsbæk" where it takes place has been rebuild as a part of the amusement park "Bakken" with actors playing out scenes and with some of the original props.

[@stellabogfeldt]

Lol, I haven't watched Matador since I was a kid with my mom. My mom watched it over and over again 😂 But true it's a part of Denmark 😁

[@ulie1960]

I remeber seeing some episodes of Matador back in the 1970s when they first were shown, when I visited friends in Odense. Back then I didn't understand all of it. But last year I got the DVD box with all seasons from my wife, after we viewed the first 12 episodes during our vacation. They were stored on the harddrive of the TV in the sommerhus we rented. About parking in front of the church, well back then there weren't as many cars as now and so it wasn't a problem to park just about anywhere. The two most hilarious scenes for me are when those Nazis/Right Wing folks march through Korsbæk and Lauritz „Røde“ Jensen march behind them caring his big red flag. And then all about the 100th birthday of Frue Fernando Møhge.... or was it the 90th..... As many others already wrote, I would really recommend to watch the Olsenbanden.....

[@Tomsdatter]

Some friends and I had a Matador group once. We would meet every week and watch one or two episodes. The rule was that we should drink something, a shot or a drink, everytime a person had a drink in Matador. Well sometimes we could become quite “tipsy” 🤪. So mayby Josh should just get a snaps or a beer for every drink a person has in Matador. I promise it will be more funny to watch then.

[@alicenielsen5304]

Sounds to be a good idea lollllll

[@nicolaim4275]

Matador is interesting both for the historical look back the series attempts and as a look at the time it was made. Another (more forgotten) timepiece is "tjek på traditionerne" and "tjek på tilværelsen" that came out around the millenium. It is a comedy duo making a satirical look on Danish culture that I think you might find interesting.

[@JunkerOnDrums]

All actors in Matador are theater/film actors. Several generations of the best Danish actors. The role of Mr. Schwann was played by Arthur Jensen who was 81 years old at the time. Did he overplay? Not in my opinion. Class society was strongly rooted in Danish society at the time, and it was quite common to have servants. Sir. Schwann snorted upwards, which he played to perfection. Incidentally, he also played at the Royal Theatre, where he was trained. Director Erik Balling has a long history before Matador. The music is composed by Bent Fabricius Bjerre, who has written music for countless films, musicals and more, as well as composed "Alley Cat" which was an international hit. He perfectly captures the melancholic mood that the society of the time was also characterized by. To describe bank director Varnæs as a drunkard is, I perceive, a misinterpretation. Just like in the US, you can have a drink without losing your connection and getting drunk. Making a new version of Matador doesn't make sense since it can't be done better. That TV series is probably something particularly Danish from the period when it was recorded, and when the budgets were not endless like in Hollywood, and the language barrier limited the number of viewers. However, Matador has been shown in Scandinavia, with success. P.S: Women like Maude exist in Denmark - I myself have been married to an example of the type. In the Denmark of the 1920s and 1930s, psychiatric diagnoses were not made as they would be made today. P.P.S "Red" (Kurt Ravn) played Communist (DKP), a Moscow faithful variant of Stalin's Soviet Union. Best regards :D

[@rasmusbagge5140]

An equivalent to Matador would be North and South although that takes place way longer back. Or Roots.

[@helenaemmarasmussen1073]

You could watch the show Krøniken which is about Danish culture and the introduction of the tv. It feels a bit like Matador, however it is more modern