Preben Ravn

Matador

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.

The House at Christianshavn

The series follows the residents of an apartment building on Copenhagen's Christianshavn, as they go about their daily lives and challenges. There is Olsen, a mover with an old fashion view of the world, Clausen who runs the local pet shop, Egon the career focused assistant, their wives who work hard to keep their spouses lives together, the young couple Tue and Rikke who recently moved in, the hard working caretaker Meyer, who never puts in to much effort, and of course Emma, the innkeeper of Rottehullet, where all the important decisions are made while running up the bar tab. The series was produced by Nordisk Film for Danmarks Radio TV station between the years 1970-77. The series' first director was Ebbe Langberg, then Erik Balling and Tom Hedegaard respectively. The series was conceived by an author team of well-known Danish authors such Leif Panduro, Benny Andersen, and Lise Nørgaard.

Strandvaskeren

The Missing Clerk

Two men disappear at the same time, with one of them committing suicide using dynamite. The police try to figure out which one died and what happened to the other.

One Big Family

One Big Family is a Danish television series in 12 episodes, first broadcast in 1982-1983. The series was directed by Bent Mejding, while the script was written in turns by Lise Nørgaard, Paul Hammerich and Jane Aamund. The series is produced by Nordisk Film for Danmarks Radio.

Rejseholdet

Stolen Spring

At their 25th high-school anniversary some bourgeois citizens remember their time in school as a happy one. In reality it was quite the contrary. The school was a madhouse in which the teachers, especially Blomme, tormented the students. As a result one of them became a murderer.

Copenhagen

After weeks of traveling through Europe, the immature William finds himself in Copenhagen, the place of his father’s birth. He befriends the youthful Effy, who works in William’s hotel as part of an internship program, and they set off to find William’s last living relative. Effy’s mix of youthful exuberance and wisdom challenges William unlike any woman ever has. As the attraction builds, he must come to grips with destabilizing elements of his family’s sordid past.

The Butterfly Swing

The story is centered on the stubborn farmer Ernst and his wife Louise who are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a traditional Danish gold wedding for friends and family. However, the family carries several secrets and Ernest holds on to the biggest one of them all. Through one long joyous, intoxicating, surprising, gripping and melancholic night, the truths creep out and the family is put to the ultimate test.

Murder in Paradise

The nameless journalist from Murder in the Dark receives two shocks in quick succession. First, his good friend Kurt is murdered, and then his editor-in-chief sends him to the provinces! Here, a prostitute has been killed at the brothel "Paradise." An apparently insane knife attacker has been arrested. But there is something fishy about the whole thing. A picture of the arrested man's attractive defense attorney entices our hero, and he is thus swept into a series of exciting events that take him behind the city's pretty facade...