# The Julekalender (1994)

> A Norwegian Christmas advent-calendar comedy told in twenty-four short daily episodes, spoken in a playful English-Norwegian pidgin.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/14765

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 24
- Episode runtime: 12 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, family
- Created by: Hans-Erik Saks
- Network: TV 2 Direkte
- Cast: Arve Opsahl, Tore Johansen, Erling Mylius, Ivar Gafseth
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108825/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: cozy, cheerful, whimsical, nostalgic, playful

## Synopsis

The Julekalender (1994) is a Norwegian Christmas season television series created by Hans-Erik Saks for TV 2 Direkte, a one-season limited run of twenty-four short episodes, each about twelve minutes long, that unfolds like a daily advent calendar through December. Produced by and starring the Travellin' Strawberrys, the series features Arve Opsahl as Good Old Gammel Nok, with Tore Johansen as Gjertrud Sand, also known as Hansi, Erling Mylius as Benny Jensen, also known as Fritz, and Ivar Gafseth as Olaf Sand, also known as Gynter, as the principal figures whose playful mishaps drive each installment. The characters speak Norwenglish, a pidgin blending English and Norwegian, which gives the whole production an eccentric, unmistakably homemade charm. Its engine is light and episodic: each small day-by-day episode builds the holiday mood with silly situations, comic routines and a steady stream of songs adapted from the Danish trio De Nattergale. Rooted in Norwegian Christmas tradition and modeled on a Danish original, the show is warm, cheerful and nostalgic, and fans of Julekalender-style holiday comedies and Muppet-like musical sketch humor will find resonance in its gentle absurdity and seasonal coziness. Viewers have returned to it through reruns across several decades, making it a festive family favorite for the holiday season.

## Shows like The Julekalender

- [The Julekalender (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/7517)
- [Brødrene Dal og Spektralsteinene (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/35516)
- [The Joulukalenteri (1997)](https://ember.film/tv/8269)
- [Christmas on Vesterbro (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/41199)
- [Kummeli (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/12580)
- [Nytt på nytt (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/18547)
- [Sunes jul (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/30889)
- [Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/39381)
- [Macken (1986)](https://ember.film/tv/15690)
- [Brødrene Dal og legenden om Atlant-is (1994)](https://ember.film/tv/35524)

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