"Semlons gröna dalar" (1977) TV mini-series

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writer:

Povel Ramel (writer)

Release Date:

22 April 1977 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | Spoof | Family Relationships | TV Mini-Series

Cast

  (Series Credited cast)

Povel Ramel	...	Semlon Pytting
Anna Sundqvist	...	Pontussa Pytting
Grynet Molvig	...	Tant Raffa
Harriet Andersson	...	Conradette Glossner
Wenche Myhre	...	Vipp Smukkeklatten
Sune Mangs	...	Minus Pytting
Martin Ljung	...	Tillbrekt
Lotta Ramel	...	Mormor Berta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lasse Åberg
Jan Bielklöv
Gösta Ekman
Christer Jonsson		(as Bonzo Jonsson)
Per Erik Lindorm
Sven Olson
Lasse Pettersson

Country:

Sweden

Language:

Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Great fun

This mini series (three long episodes) was one of the greatest times in the TV sofa in my youth. I expected much, and it delivered. Most of all, it delivered a number of great Ramel songs, some of his best, but that have been sadly forgotten. We kids memorized them and sang them to each other, especially the hilarious "Killarna som gjorde henne fet".

Povel Ramel's strength has never been to write good plots. In this series, that isn't a problem since the plot is simple and straight forward: The hero Semlon is unfaithful to his wife. That's about it. That is good, there is no need to write kludges for loose ends, which has happened at other times.

When I saw it in my youth, the many references to sex were a bit disturbing, but it never gets rude. The "foreplay" game is a very fun idea.

The weakest point in the series is the presence of Povel's daughter, Lotta. She never were meant to be an actor and should have been left out.

The series is full of the biggest names in Swedish comedy, many performing very well. Lasse Åberg does a great job in the ending number. Gösta Ekman does his fumbling act well. Martin Ljung and Sune Mangs play Semlon's sons and have big roles. Grynet Mollvig and Wenche Myhre are good mistresses, especially Myhre who is full of energy as the mistress who forces Semlong to work out.

I have heard/read that Povel Ramel was disappointed by this production, not by the actual result, but, being a stage performer, by the feeling that it was all over in *one* performance instead of many. This is sad, it is a good production, one of his last really good ones. His later TV work was done with much lower ambition and poor results. But this great series I want to see again.