Hotel Cæsar

[MKA]

This week, Hotel Cæsar celebrated Christmas. Yeah, I know it's a bit strange to have Christmas in June, but the alternativ is to not have Christmas in the show at all, and that's worse... Even if it's June, I liked the Christmas scenes a lot. It was so nice to see! And I just love the final scenes of the Thursday episode (this is Christmas eve):

EDIT: It's just one thing I don't like: This was not the season final of the spring season. And it clearly should've been that, I'm pretty sure the real seson final wont be better than these scenes... What do you thnk of these scenes?

EDIT 2: Unfortunately, the video I posted is removed from YouTube.

[Ben]

Why do you have Christmas scenes in June? Does the show not air during Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb? It just seems really random considering HC is a home-grown show and not an import.

[MKA]

Mostly because if the Christmas scenes were to be shown during Christmas, they must have been recorded in May/August. At that time, it's around 20 °C and no snow, and that would have been a bit odd; after all, this is Norway...

Of course, an other option is to record the scenes either at the same period as they're shown or one year ahead, but that wouldn't fit in with the episodes before and after these Christmas episodes (unless all scenes are recorded either just around a week before airing or one year before airing, but I don't think that will ever happen).

So, I think, after all, this is the best solution.

[Ben]

So they film 6 months in advance? Most shows would just use fake snow, and the fake snow today is very realistic - you can get all different types, and you really can't tell the difference on screen.

[MKA]

These days it's 6 months in advance, yes.

Yes, that's another option, but I don't think it will ever be done. It's no reason to do it: It's snow half the year anyway.

[Ben]

Would it not be better if they filmed, like, 2-3 months in advance instead of 6? Do you get snowfall in October/November?

Does this mean that other key holidays are out of zinc with reality, too, like New Years, Easter, and any Norwegian holidays?

[MKA]

I think they want to film 2-3 months in advance, but due to the fact that the show, since last year, only is shown four days each week (and not five, as it used to be, and they still kind of film as if the show should be shown five days each week) the filming is now up to 6 months in advance. But, if they had filmed 2-3 months in advance, they could of course film the Christmas in October/November, where the snowfall has been, and show this in December.

Yes, all holidays are out of sinc with reality. As I have said earlier, it´s a bit strange, but still I think it´s the best solution.

[MKA]

Okey, time for some clips from YouTube!

Jens August reports his sister Juni to the police for tax evasion (season finale, spring 2009):

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=1VALvrZv0O8

The aftermath of a car accident (season opening, autumn 2009):

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Gn0AlOcmHYo

PS! The car accident (season final, spring 2009) can be watched here: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=8qDBI8AGx90

Viggo and Jens August (2009):

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=fi1otEiJF8k

Liv (2009):

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=tEj3n07o8Cc

Cathrine and Hans Herman is just married, but then.... (2010):

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=_uuCeTehCzE

Goggen and Tom, as well as Vanessa and Runa (2011):

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=DCAPkfspR9c

Do you have any comments regarding these clips?

[DRW50]

Thanks. Hadn't seen these. So what is the story with Goggen, Tom, Vanessa and Runa?

So Hans Herman died right after his wedding? Was he killed or was it just natural causes? Was he a longtime character?

[MKA]

Goggen and Runa had a relationship, but they broke up. Then Vanessa thinks that Runa is in a relationship with Tom, and she tells Goggen that (in the clip). Tom has become a friend of Goggen, and when Goggen discovers that Tom apparently has a relationship with his ex without telling him, he becomes a little too angry ... (I think that's roughly the short version of the story.)

Hans Herman died shortly after his wedding, but it was "only" from natural causes (pancreatic cancer). He was a relatively short term character (less than one year in the series). But of course, since he owned 43% of the shares in Anker-Hansen Group, was his death convenient for Cathrine (although she did not get all the shares on her own, but it's a pretty long story ...)

Some more clips:

2010:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH8wLOi_A1U

Preview of the new fall season, which premiered last week!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-cy5_-k70Q

I think it looks good, I'm a little nervous about people react negatively and think they are "above the line" in some of the story lines, but I like this!

[MKA]

Aah, last week was amazing! The story about Lasse+Juni turned out to be, what I would say, the best storyline this year, at least until now. Just love how they managed to keep the big plot secret for such a long time. Good!

Here, we got to know the truth about Lasse (or Henrik, as he turns out to be...):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLvDxE1-qk

The story line started with Juni Anker-Hansen feeling lonely, and just at that time Lasse suddenly arrives. He is a looot younger than Juni, and she would originally not start a relationship with him due to age difference, but in the end she goes along with it anyway. It turns out that Lasse has financial problems, apparently because of his "job" as art/furniture "designer". So, Juni lends him 230,000 NOK. She should not have done that ... It turns out that Catherine (the "enemy" of Anker-Hansen family, but that has now managed to get into the "inner circle" in the company), has organized it all and Lasse, or Henry, is a luxury prostitute (elite prostitute) Cathrine has hired to "fool" Juni (and with Juni giving Lasse money, it looks like she has paid him for the sex, and that's both inappropriate and illegal...). That's the story line very briefly told.

Lasse's/Henrik's last scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2YYFoGOeRY

[MKA]

And finally, Cathrine delivers all the information to the press...:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUCbF2nYDE0

[DRW50]

Thanks for that. Fascinating stuff. It's nice to see this show sees the great stories you can get out of older, complex female characters. How long have these women been on the show?

[MKA]

Juni has been on the show since it's start in 1998 and Cathrine since 2008 (the other woman in the last clip is just a "random" journalist).

Thanks for your comment!

[DRW50]

Thanks.