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Welcome to Sweden

When in Stockholm.... Greg Poehler is happily lost in translation in his new comedy.

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I must admit the first scene of Welcome to Sweden confused me somewhat.

Here was Greg Poehler playing money manager Bruce, accountant to celebrities, telling Amy Poehler (his real-life sister, appearing here as herself), that he was quitting to move to Sweden to be with his girlfriend.

As it happens Welcome to Sweden is based on Poehler’s own true-life experience of moving to Sweden to be with his girlfriend. That’s a whole lotta art imitating life right there.

But no matter, before we know it the credits roll and Bruce lands in the IKEA-esque airport where even the deadpan Customs agents don’t have a sense of humour.

“Occupation?”

“I just quit the other day. Anything’s possible!” smiles Bruce.

“I will just put down Unemployed,” he is told.

Bruce is “super-excited” to be embarking on his new life with the ravishing Emma (Josephine Bornebusch), a statuesque and progressive blonde who has returned from New York to live with her parents.

“My parents are so Swedish,” she sighs.

They sure are. They are living in a wooden country escape that looks a bit like the place where Benny & Björn whiled away their summers writing hit songs. Her father Birger (Claes MÃ¥nsson) is a towering retired sea-captain with limited English skills. Her mother Viveka (Lena Olin) isn’t too impressed with this new American boyfriend. There’s also Emma’s lazy brother Gustav (Christopher Wagelin) and uncle Bengt (Per Svensson) who works in a video shop.

“I’ve seen a lot of American movies. ‘You talkin to me?'” he mimicks.

But the eager Bruce is keen to make a good impression and remain optimistic, no matter how strange they are.

When in Stockholm do as the Swedes do. So Bruce joins the men in a group sauna (he’s the one keeping the towel on), eats new delicacies -just not the cinnamon pastries- and attempts a self-help language tape. He smiles through it all, believing that love can conquer all. Even when Emma’s family think nothing of barging in on their sex.

Welcome to Sweden is an offbeat lost-in-translation comedy, with occasional subtitles, that is affably entertaining. Poehler comes across as a hapless Greg Kinnear, blinded by his devotion, while the experience of Lena Olin and Claes MÃ¥nsson shows.

The series also features other cameos from Will Ferrell, Aubrey Plaza and Gene Simmons while the wonderful Illeana Douglas and Patrick Duffy play Bruce’s parents.

The show also looks rich in its colour, adding to its quirky, fresh flavour. It could be easy to get Stockholm syndrome with this.

Welcome to Sweden premieres 6:30pm Sunday on The Comedy Channel.

6 Responses

  1. I’m confused. This is allegedly premiering 6.30 on Sunday (an ad before the Daily Show confirms the copy), but Fresh off the Boat (which currently airs in that spot) still has another 4 episodes to run…and is what my Foxtel guide has airing in that timeslot.

    Foxtel’s online guide (via search) has both Welcome to Sweden and Fresh off the Boat airing in the same timeslot, whilst Title search via the IQ doesn’t have Welcome to Sweden airing in the next week at all….so my next question is: can anybody tell me when this is actually airing? And where is Fresh off the Boat going if its been displaced from its timeslot with 4 episodes to air?

  2. I really enjoyed this show. Particularly when a very famous Swedish pop star appears in episode 7 or 8! 🙂 There is something very peculiar about the Swedish culture that is brilliantly reflected in this show.

  3. Unfortunately just plain ordinary. There is a reason why this wasn’t picked up by FTA and why it has taken a year for it too land on Foxtel. Predictable, flat and leaving you with a sense of ‘Haven’t I seen this before?…..only better?’ Done well, fish out of water comedy is great, done poorly it is Welcome to Sweden.

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