Frank Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt) is a former New York mobster who after testifying in a trial in the United States joins the witness protection program. Intrigued by the place after watching the Winter Olympics in 1994 he is relocated to Lillehammer in Norway. The transition from being a feared and respected gangster in New York to becoming an unemployed immigrant in Norway is not simple. Frank soon discovers that in order to succeed in this rural Norwegian society he must resort to his old ways.
Review
I first heard of Lilyhammer through a Howard Stern interview with Steven Van Zandt. Since I was a huge Sopranos fan I immediately became interested in Lilyhammer. The show itself is great and I'm really impressed with Netflix's first original program. One concern is that they would not have enough funding to continue the project. Lilyhammer will never be confused with Soprano's but it has a lot of similarities to all organized crime dramas. Steven and the other actors do a great job the only issue I have is sometimes it is difficult understand the native actors. While it does add authenticity to the setting it requires you to give your full attention to the screen. Luckily the show is great and there is no worry of losing interest.