From Nordic noir to Slow TV, here are 3 television concepts you may or may not know they come from the Nordics

Television in the Nordics is a big thing. Everyone tunes in to watch their kings’ and queens’ New Year’s speeches or the legendary old Christmas shows that repeat year after year (like Disney’s juleshow in Denmark or Kalle Anka – commonly known as Donald Duck – in Sweden).

That may contradict a popular view of the Nordic people as very advanced when it comes to media. Yes, indeed. Media literacy in the Nordics is at its peak (among the highest in the world).

And yes, Nordic people have engaged with online media (such as the internet and then the streaming platforms) longer than many other nations.

But television (in any of its modern-day forms) is still big in the Nordics. Whether sitting around the telly or watching from their mobile devices, Nordic people love television and have actively invested in media.

This is why quite a few television concepts have their origins there. Some of them are well-known and popular. Some of them are interesting to get to know.

And it all comes down to their long tradition with the media and their continuous desire to innovate and bring something new to the table (um, screen, to be literal).

Here are 3 television concepts you may or may not know that have their origins (or have been extensively developed first) in the far North of Europe.

1. Nordic noir

Surely, you know the series “The Bridge” or “The Killing”, right? If not, why do you even consider yourself a Nordic fan? Jokes aside, Nordic noir has proven to be one of the most popular and successful television/fiction concepts of the last 20 years or so.

For those not familiar, Nordic noir is a crime fiction genre that takes place in Scandinavia or other Nordic places. If you like American-style films and series, chances are you will find Nordic noir a bit strange. But it’s not in reality.

The stories are usually dark and complicated and take place in gloomy settings (many of them during the dark, frigid Nordic winter). The heroes are flawed; a happy ending is not the most common scenario.

Some of the most renowned Nordic noir writers are Henning Mankell, Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbø, and Jussi Adler-Olsen. They have written many books, some of which have subsequently been transferred to the screen and are now regarded as Nordic noir masterpieces.

Apart from “The Bridge” and “The Killing”, which may mark the beginning of the era of global love for dark Nordic series, other well-known series are “Trapped” from Iceland, “Wallander” from Sweden, “Borderliner” from Norway, “Deadwind” and “Bordertown” from Finland, and “Trom” from the Faroe Islands.

2. Educational TV

Many may now wonder, “What’s the pioneering with that? It’s also in other countries!”. Yes, perhaps. But there is no other place than the Nordics where this unique blend of education and entertainment has been so extensively developed.

Two children from Sweden watching TV – Design by Canva Pro

Again, this has to do with the long tradition of media in the Nordics and the historically rooted need for adult education (if you want to read more on that, check out folkoplysning in Denmark or study circles in Sweden).

However, it’s not only about adult education; children’s education has traditionally been a high priority of Nordic states and societies, too. The advances of media and television cannot be left out of that. Consider this: when Disney Channel launched in Scandinavia in the 2000s (Sweden was the first country to give Disney the licence to broadcast), the public broadcasters responded swiftly by creating their own children’s channels (like DR Ramasjang in Denmark).

Adults or children, everyone had to be educated while entertained. This is why educational television got a big headstart in the Nordics. Not only are there channels targeted to children (with both educational and entertaining shows), but the educating aspect has also spread to all target groups.

In its present form, educational TV in the Nordics may as well include reality shows where certain lessons are learned or specific values (like teamwork or equality) are promoted.

If you switch to Nordic media or visit their web TVs, you may, for example, catch a new episode of “I hus til halsen” (literally translating to “In the house up to the neck”) where ambitious homeowners of the past tackle their personal financial problems related to their house (e.g. debt because of a mortgage that is no longer sustainable) with the help of experts. And all this while renovating their minimal -or not- Nordic houses to sell them at a good price.