The Julekalender is a Norwegian Christmas seasontelevision series produced by and starring Travellin' Strawberrys in collaboration with Saks Film and Entertainment and TV 2, 1994. Around 400,000 viewers followed the series in December 1994, and it has since been broadcast anew in 1996, 2003, 2008 and 2012. It was based on the Danish series The Julekalender from 1991, which also inspired a Finnish version in 1997. The original concept and script of the series, as well as its numerous songs came from the Danish trio of De Nattergale. The characters spoke Norwenglish, a pidgin of English and Norwegian. The series consisted of 24 episodes, and its production crew came from Trondheim, Norway.
Characters
Nisses – mischievous Christmas gnomes/elves.
* Good old gammel nok – literally good old old enough, the oldest and wisest nisse, who will die unless someone finds the winding key to the play dåse, a music box.
* Hansi, Fritz and Günther – the three bravest nisses, who undertake this quest.
Nåså – greedy vampires wearing business suits and obsessed with money and wealth, they look human until they drink alcohol and reveal their real form, huge glasses and sharp teeth.
* Benny Jensen – a travelling salesman from who turns out to be a nåså. There is also a large clash between the two different ways of life.
Olaf and Gjertud Sand – a couple of highly stereotypical Trøndere that the same three actors also play: Olaf and Gjertrud Sand, a country bumpkin couple that live and work on a potato farm with their dog Kvikk. Olaf and Gjertrud speak with a broad rural accent, often leading to Benny misunderstanding what they say.
Erling Mylius
Tore Johansen
Ivar Gafseth
Arve Opsahl
Fritz
Hansi
Günther
Gammel Nok
Benny Jensen
Gjertrud Sand
Olaf Sand
Plot
A long time ago, in ancient Trøndelag, the nisses lived merrily in their caves, unknown to the human populace of Trondheim. One day, the wicked nåsås arrived. The nåsås killed many nisses and drove them out of their caves. The only cave the nåsås missed hid the Den Store Kloke Boken. If nåsås ever possess the Boken, they will discover the secret to increasing tax rate up to 100% and infiltrate all positions of bureaucracy and rule the world. The good old gammel nok, the surviving leader of the nisse, sent the three bravest nisses, Hansi, Fritz and Günther, on a quest to find the winding key of the play dose, a musical box playing his life-tune. Good old gammel nok warned our heroes of the dangers of the nåsås and gave them the 'Den Store Kloke Boken' to consult for wisdom.
