Television series

Lilyhammer

Name: Lilyhammer
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime
Released: 2012
Cast: Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Steven Van Zandt, Steinar Sagen, Marian Saastad Ottesen, Tommy Karlsen Sandum

A New York mobster in witness protection relocates to Lillehammer, Norway, expecting a quiet escape but finding himself hilariously out of place in small-town Scandinavian life. Lilyhammer is a fish-out-of-water comedy-drama that finds genuine warmth beneath the culture clash, balancing crime-world cynicism with oddball Norwegian characters who refuse to be bowled over by American swagger. It's for anyone who loves fish-out-of-water stories with real stakes and surprising heart.

TVMaze rating

4.0

If you liked this

The Sopranos1999

The definitive prestige crime drama that pioneered the idea of a morally complicated protagonist we root for anyway. Steven Van Zandt himself appears, and the show's influence on everything that follows, including Lilyhammer, is immense.

But Six seasons is a genuine commitment, and the pacing in the middle seasons can drag. Some violence is graphic and disturbing, not comedic.

Better Call Saul2015

A criminal comedy-drama about a guy trying to go straight and failing, set outside the mainstream. It shares Lilyhammer's dark humor, its sympathy for con artists, and its willingness to let character moments breathe in quiet scenes.

But Slower and more formally ambitious than Lilyhammer; if you want constant momentum, you'll find it meanders. The tone is heavier overall.

Ozark2017

A man from the crime world relocated to an unfamiliar place, trying to blend in while his old life intrudes. Four seasons of escalating stakes, strong ensemble cast, and the same tension between domestic life and criminal past.

But Relentlessly dark and stressful; lacks Lilyhammer's humor and genuine affection for its characters. By season three, it becomes grim.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Lilyhammer

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Borgen2010

Both are Nordic noir-adjacent prestige shows about outsiders and insiders, but Borgen inverts the formula: a woman gaining power in an establishment rather than a criminal losing it in exile.

Danish political drama about a woman PM navigating power and compromise. Like Lilyhammer, it's a Scandinavian production with acute observations about regional identity, institutional culture, and what happens when an outsider enters an entrenched system—but here the outsider is the protagonist and the stakes are national.

But No crime plot or American swagger to carry momentum; it's about policy, negotiation, and domestic politics. Subtle pacing will feel glacial to those wanting action.

The Gentlemen2020

A stylish crime caper about American hustle meeting English class systems, full of quaint locale culture clashing with underworld pragmatism. Guy Ritchie's energy and humor match Lilyhammer's tone more closely than you'd expect from a film.

But Fast-talking and reference-heavy; if you don't like Ritchie's baroque dialogue style, it'll feel exhausting rather than clever. Also significantly more violent.

In Bruges2008

Two hitmen hide out in a medieval Belgian city after a job goes wrong. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson anchor a film about criminals stranded in a place of beauty and morality, with equal parts tragedy and dark comedy.

But Precious and arch in places; some find it self-consciously literary. Violence is sudden and disturbing rather than comedic.

Godless2017

A man on the run finds himself in an unfamiliar community with its own rules and values he must navigate. Set in a Wild West town run entirely by women, it captures that fish-out-of-water tension and eventual integration into a strange new world.

But Only one season, so limited investment payoff. Tonally uneven between serious drama and Western revenge plotting.

Kim's Convenience2016

Character-driven comedy about family, business, and community in Toronto. No crime plot, but shares Lilyhammer's warmth, its humor drawn from character rather than jokes, and its genuine affection for oddball locals and immigrant outsider perspective.

But Slice-of-life sitcom pacing; if you need plot momentum and stakes, this feels low-key. Shorter episodes mean less immersion.

The Wire2002

The most sprawling crime drama ever made, which traces how systems fail and ordinary people navigate them. If you want the crime-world authenticity and dense ensemble that grounds Lilyhammer's more fanciful premise, this is the source code.

But Five seasons, sixty episodes, very slow-burn storytelling. Requires active attention and patience. Some find the Baltimore dialect and slang initially impenetrable.

Midnight Run1988

Both center on a criminal or criminal-adjacent protagonist stranded outside their element, learning grudging affection for an ordinary place and people they expected to despise.

Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter transporting a wise-guy accountant across America—a buddy film about two criminal-world men forced into proximity across an unfamiliar landscape. It's funny, touching, and has exactly Lilyhammer's blend of cynicism and charm.

But 1980s action film pacing means it moves fast past character moments. By modern standards, the buddy-cop template feels familiar and slightly stale.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople2016

Both find unexpected tenderness in stories of men stranded in unfamiliar terrain among skeptical locals, using landscape and cultural displacement as the engine for character growth rather than plot complication.

Taika Waititi's film about an old man and a foster kid on the run in the New Zealand bush. It's a story about outsiders and misfits learning to belong, filmed with genuine warmth and odd humor. Shares Lilyhammer's tone: funny and touching without being sentimental.

But Whimsical indie film sensibility; if you need conventional crime drama or traditional narrative momentum, it will feel slight and precious. Very New Zealand in register.