Sladdermø
| Sladdermø | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Teen drama |
| Country of origin | Delkora |
| Original language(s) | Delkoran |
| No. of episodes | 100 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Norenstal Public Television |
| Original release | 20 September 2007 – 20 December 2012 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Sladdermø (Delkoran: "Gossip girl") is a Delkoran teen drama series based on an eponymous novel series. It aired on Norenstal Public Television in 2007–2012.
The series revolves around the lives of privileged upper-class adolescents in Norenstal's Avrenorn Park, which are disrupted by the arrival of working-class students Doran and Jorunn.
The show became one of Norenstal Public Television's most successful, receiving several awards and inspiring adaptations outside Delkora itself. It provoked controversy at times for its explicit content and critical, socialist stance towards its setting.
Plot
The series takes place at Bjarne Simonsen Gymnasium, a fictional secondary school in Norenstal's wealthiest neighbourhood, Avrenorn Park. Events are narrated by an unknown, omniscient blogger who goes by the nickname Sladdermø ("gossip girl", using a deliberately archaic term for "girl").
At the start of the show, the gymnasium is engulfed in a scandal over fraudulent admissions and class discrimination. Under pressure from government prosecution, it expels several fraudulently admitted students. Two of these opened slots are taken by Doran and Jorunn, siblings from a working-class family in south Norenstal, who had partly applied as a joke.
The siblings are proud outsiders to the gymnasium, and thus besides topical teenage issues they also contend with the thinly-veiled hostility of the majority of the gymnasium, particularly indignities of class discrimination and being a scapegoat for students angry at what they perceive to be government attacks on them.
Characters
- Jorunn
- Played by: Tenna Momsen
- A central character of the show, Jorunn is a student at Bjarne Simonsen Gymnasium. Her tall, skinny, and blonde appearance contrasts markedly with her shorter, older brother. Although she puts up a strong façade, she has self-confidence issues and is affected by the harassment she endures. She is torn between wanting to fit in and being disgusted by the privileged surroundings.
- While her brother is more openly rebellious and disruptive, Jorunn is subtle and cunning, preferring to ingratiate herself with others and manipulate the insular culture of the gymnasium to her advantage. She enjoys a close relationship with Doran, the two making fun of each other frequently but neither allowing anyone else to make fun of the other except as a sign of supreme trust. As the series progresses, Jorunn becomes self-confident and socially conscious, increasingly taking after her politically charged brother in opposition to the other students.
- Doran
- Played by: Felix Jepsen
- A central character of the show, Doran is a student at Bjarne Simonsen Gymnasium. Despite being older than Jorunn, he is actually shorter than her, and has long hair and a generally more unkempt appearance. He is a passionate skater and writes poetry in his spare time, although a brief stint at the school newspaper ends badly.
- Jokingly described by his sister as "an old hippie reincarnated as a teenager", Doran is a carefree stoner with a social conscience imprinted by his working-class parents. He is intelligent but lazy, preferring to focus only on his interests and coast on his abilities and charisma otherwise. He is an unruly student, spending more effort on exploiting loopholes and creatively bending rules, racking up the most absences, and showing up to classes unprepared and visibly disinterested. Nevertheless, he relies on his good memory to do well in presentations and exams, frustrating his teachers.
- Sølvig
- Played by: Inge Birch
- Recently returned to the gymnasium after a transfer period, Sølvig is the only upper-class student to be friendly with Jorunn and Doran. She comes from a rich family but is not particularly academically skilled. Her charming and laidback personality contribute to her feeling like an outsider among the more competitive and meticulous cliques of the gymnasium, the main reason she feels more comfortable around the siblings. She prefers more creative hobbies and interests than typical upper-class ones.
Production
The Sladdermø novels were chosen to be adapted for television by Norenstal Public Television in 2007. The producers hired took the first novel as a starting point, and added a political dimension to the books' satirical depiction of an elite gymnasium beset with insularity, cliques, and hypercompetitive pressures. One major change from the novels was making Jorunn and Doran the audience surrogate characters, replacing a greater focus on Sølvig and other upper-class students.
The series was filmed extensively on location in Norenstal, with the production team treating the city itself as a character in the show. Geography forms a significant role in the plot: Jorunn and Doran are "southsiders" who commute to the gymnasium by public transit, and pointedly cite University Hills and Vydenhelm Square as their favourite northside locations. Similarly, the gymnasium is named after Bjarne Simonsen, the last Conservative mayor of Norenstal.
The series features extensive references to pop culture — for instance, all episode titles are puns on film, novel, or song titles — and Delkoran politics. One of the producers described Jorunn's character arc as a deconstruction of the "good girl gone bad" cliché of teen dramas, in that her sexual and political maturation are intertwined, and greater emphasis is placed on her newfound self-confidence and ability to resist peer pressure. Doran's portrayal similarly illustrates the shortcomings of institutionalised education, to the point that one character compares him to Marius Lauritzen.
Music plays a significant part in the series, drawing praise for its eclectic choice of soundtrack and guest appearances by acts on the cusp of popularity.
Reception
The series enjoyed high ratings throughout its time on air, gaining in popularity as the series progressed. From 2008 to 2012, it was Norenstal Public Television's number one series, and the finale was watched by over 3.1 million people in Delkora. The series was nominated for several awards, winning the title of Best TV Drama in 2010 and 2012, and best soundtrack in 2010. Momsen won Best TV Drama Actress in 2007 and 2012.
Critics generally praised the show for breaking with the conventional teen drama formula. Leftist commentators spoke highly of its critical approach to issues of class, sexism, discrimination, and privilege.
The series also found popularity abroad in the Common Sphere, both through broadcasting and online streaming. It enjoyed a notable following in Gylias, particularly for its humorous reflection of the cultural aspect of Gylias-Delkora relations and the guest appearances of several Gylian bands and actors. One popular Gylian internet meme was to compare the dynamic between Jorunn and Doran to Simon Amberg and Olívia Miranda, the presenters of Popworld.