Norsemen
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Norsemen is a raunchy and violent comedy from Norway about everyday life among a clan of Vikings. Much of the humor is based in the anachronistic behaviors of the Vikings as they deal with relationship problems or work politics using modern language and contemporary social attitudes. There are jokes about sexual organs and a number of references to the raping (and pillaging) that happens during Viking raids. Older teens who have an appreciation for absurd humor in the vein of Monty Python will definitely enjoy this.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Funny show, Misleading descriptions
What's the story?
NORSEMEN takes place in the year 790 and follows a clan Vikings as they go about the mundane activities of everyday life in their village waiting for the next raid. Among the characters we meet are: Arvid (Nils Jørgen Kaalstad), a good-hearted but dim warrior who feels like he needs to settle down; Rufus (Trond Fausa), a worldy Roman slave and thespian who can’t believe how terribly slaves are treated; Orm (Kåre Conradi), the chieftain’s petty brother of who longs to rule the village, and Freya (Silje Torp), Orm’s warrior wife who has little respect for her husband’s lack of raiding experience. We watch these characters deal with universal issue like marital relationships, funerals, and conflicting management styles, using contemporary language and progressive social attitudes, yet in the end problems are often solved using era appropriate violence. Nosrsemen is essentially a comedy of manners among a group of rather brutal people.
Is it any good?
Funny, raunchy, gory -- yet still well-meaning at its core -- this is an absurd, Python-esque look at the lives of a village of Vikings. Filmed like a very serious period adventure piece, like Game of Thrones, and not like a comedy, only adds to the humor, much of which is grounded in the anachronistic behaviors of the Vikings as they deal with relationship problems or work politics using modern language and contemporary social attitudes. In what seems like the show trying to offer something for everyone, their are also a number of physical comedy bit that come off as quite low-brow in contrast to the rather subtle, behavior-based humor of the rest of the show. Ultimately, no matter what kind of comedy you like: slapstick, farce, black, social satire, mannered, mean spirited or good-hearted, Norsemen will deliver at least a couple of laughs in that style.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about pain-based comedy. Why Is it acceptable to laugh at someone, for example, getting hit in the head with a shovel when we know how bad that would hurt? When does it go from being funny to being mean?
Is Norsemen an accurate portrayal of how Vikings lived? What makes anachronisms funny?
TV details
- Premiere date: October 1, 2017
- Cast: Nils Jørgen Kaalstad, Kåre Conradi, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Silje Torp
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Available on: Streaming
- Last updated: December 3, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love historical comedy
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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