Big Welcome for Welcome to Sweden

Last week, TV4 in Sweden premiered its first original series in English – Welcome to Sweden – with a whopping audience of 1,695,000 – nearly 20 percent of the Swedish population (preliminary numbers from MMS). The series has also been purchased by NBC to be shown in the U.S., where the broadcaster recently announced it will air later this fall.  

Welcome to Sweden features comedian Greg Poehler as an accountant who leaves the U.S. behind to move with his Swedish girlfriend to Stockholm. The show features Josephine Bornebusch from TV4’s hit Solsidan as Poehler’s girlfriend, Lena Olin as her mother and American actors Ileana Douglas and Patrick Duffy as Poehler’s parents. Playing his sister is Parks & Recreation star Amy Poehler, his sister in real life, and in bit parts, actors Will Ferrell, Aubrey Plaza and even Gene Simmons of KISS.

The show, created by Greg Poehler and commissioned by TV4, is a co-production of eOne, TV4, FLX and Syskon, which is Greg and Amy Poehler’s own production company.