Despite Netflix blow Lilyhammer ‘not dead’
TV giant Netflix confirmed on Thursday that it won’t be making any more episodes of the popular TV series Lilyhammer starring Steven Van Zandt, although Petter Wallace of co-producer NRK has claimed that Netflix merely represents “an investor who’s withdrawing.”
A Netflix spokesman told the Norwegian newspaper, Verdens Gang, that the third and last season of the series, which featured former Sopranos star Van Zandt as a gangster who winds up in Lillehammer in Norway through the US witness protection program, was “a natural end” to the story about Van Zandt’s character, Frank Tagliano.
“Lilyhammer RIP,” wrote Van Zandt on Twitter. “Not my decision.” He said that he was “very proud” of its 24 episodes and that “new ideas” were on the way.
The show was produced by the Norwegian production company, Rubicon TV, in cooperation with Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), with Netflix as an investor and distributor. Its first season was an immediate success in Norway, partly because of Van Zandt’s role in The Sopranos but also because of the culture clash it portrayed between his character and Norwegian society.
The show was especially important because it was the first time that Netflix had offered exclusive content. The experiment worked, paving the way for acclaimed new shows such as Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards.
NRK, Rubicon and Steven Van Zandt hold the rights to the series and Wallace of NRK has claimed that NRK, Rubicon and the scriptwriters would “discuss the future of Lilyhammer thoroughly after the summer holidays.”
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A Netflix spokesman told the Norwegian newspaper, Verdens Gang, that the third and last season of the series, which featured former Sopranos star Van Zandt as a gangster who winds up in Lillehammer in Norway through the US witness protection program, was “a natural end” to the story about Van Zandt’s character, Frank Tagliano.
“Lilyhammer RIP,” wrote Van Zandt on Twitter. “Not my decision.” He said that he was “very proud” of its 24 episodes and that “new ideas” were on the way.
The show was produced by the Norwegian production company, Rubicon TV, in cooperation with Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), with Netflix as an investor and distributor. Its first season was an immediate success in Norway, partly because of Van Zandt’s role in The Sopranos but also because of the culture clash it portrayed between his character and Norwegian society.
The show was especially important because it was the first time that Netflix had offered exclusive content. The experiment worked, paving the way for acclaimed new shows such as Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards.
NRK, Rubicon and Steven Van Zandt hold the rights to the series and Wallace of NRK has claimed that NRK, Rubicon and the scriptwriters would “discuss the future of Lilyhammer thoroughly after the summer holidays.”
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