Matador
11/11/1978
Matador is a Danish TV series produced and shown between 1978 and 1982. It is set in the fictional Danish town of Korsbæk between 1929 and 1947. It follows the lives of a range of characters from across the social spectrum, focusing specifically on the rivalry between the families of two businessmen: The banker Hans Christian Varnæs, an established local worthy, and social climber Mads Skjern, who arrives in town as the series opens. The name Matador was taken from the localised edition of the boardgame Monopoly, also the series' tentative English title. In addition, in contemporary Danish a "matador" is often used to describe a business tycoon, in the series referring to the character of Mads Skjern and his craftiness as a self-made entrepreneur. Directed by famed Danish film maker Erik Balling, Matador was the idea of author Lise Nørgaard who wrote the bulk of the episodes alongside Karen Smith, Jens Louis Petersen and Paul Hammerich. The series is one of the most well-known and popular examples of Danish television and represents the peak of longtime development of Danish TV drama by the public service channel Danmarks Radio. The series has become part of the modern self-understanding of Danes, partly because of its successful mix of melodrama and a distinct warm Danish humour in the depiction of characters, which were portrayed by a wide range of the most popular Danish actors at the time; but also not least because of its accurate portrayal of a turbulent Denmark from around the start of the Great Depression and through Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark in World War II.
TV Show Information
Jørgen Buckhøj
as Mads Andersen-Skjern
Ghita Nørby
as Ingeborg Skjern
Holger Juul Hansen
as Hans Christian Varnæs
Malene Schwartz
as Maude Varnæs
Jesper Langberg
as Kristen Andersen-Skjern
Helle Virkner
as Elisabeth Friis
Buster Larsen
as Grisehandler Oluf Larsen
Lily Broberg
as Katrine Larsen
Kirsten Olesen
as Agnes Jensen
Elin Reimer
as Laura Larsine Sørensen
Karin Nellemose
as Misse Møhge
Ove Sprogøe
as Dr. Louis Hansen
Bjørn Watt-Boolsen
as Oberst Ditlev Hachel
Sonja Oppenhagen
as Vicki Hachel
Else-Marie Juul Hansen
as Konsulinde Holm
Per Pallesen
as Severin Boldt
Kurt Ravn
as Lauritz 'Røde' Jensen
Benny Hansen
as Frede 'Fede' Hansen
Esper Hagen
as Arnold Vinter
Lis Løwert
as Violet Vinter
Karen-Lise Mynster
as Ulla Jacobsen
John Hahn-Petersen
as Hr Stein
Bent Mejding
as Jørgen Varnæs
Anne Jensen
as Gudrun
Vera Gebuhr
as Inger Jørgensen
Kirsten Hansen-Møller
as Marie Hansen
Ann Margrethe Schou
as Frk. Mortensen
Holger Perfort
as Tjener Olsen
Ulla Henningsen
as Iben Skjold Hansen / Iben Skjern
Axel Strøbye
as Viggo Skjold-Hansen
Birthe Backhausen
as Musse Skjold-Hansen
Holger Vistisen
as Bogholder Christiansen, Omegnsbanken
Bendt Rothe
as Baron Carl von Rytger
Birgitte Federspiel
as Baronesse Arense von Rytger
Birgitte Bruun
as Esther
Susse Wold
as Birgitte 'Gitte' Graa
Ole Andreasen
as Fortæller
Jens Arentzen
as Ulrik Varnæs
Niels Martin Carlsen
as Daniel Skjern
Benedikte Dahl
as Ellen Skjern Lamborg
Camilla Hammerich
as Regitze Varnæs
John Schelde
as Mogens Lamborg
Solveig Kallenbach
as Fru Rum, ansat hos Agnes
Sebastian Sørensen
as Knud Jensen
Ditte Maria Norup
as Helle Varnæs
Søren Markers
as Aksel Jensen
Poul Reichhardt
as Murermester Jacob Jessen
Bodil Udsen
as Fru Murermester Jessen
Rikke Wölck
as Maja Ebbesen / Maja Varnæs
