Rykter


Rykter is a Norwegian teen drama television series about the life of Erik Nielsen, who had to move to the fictional island Vesterøy. It is produced by NRK3, which is part of the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

Premise

Rykter revolves around Erik Nielsen who needed to leave Bergen because he beat up one of his football teammates and was caught by the police. He moves to the fictional island Vesterøy to live with his mother where he tries to hide the reason why he had to move before his new friends.
The first season covers the problems Erik faces with integrating into the small community as well as the relationship between Mathias and Sara. Problems arise when Mathias plan for his future doesn't align anymore with the plan of Sara, which leads to Mathias and Sara growing apart while Sara and Erik grow closer together. This leads to multiple problems including Sara's relationship with Thea, her best friend, who tries to take revenge on Erik with Mathias together.
The second season continues seamlessly with the story line. Mathias now tries to befriend Erik and tries to integrate him into his friend group but faces backlash from Felix his best friend. Felix attempts to force Mathias to choose between Erik and him.
The second season hints at Mathias' growing attraction to Erik, and at the end of the season, Mathias bestows a very long kiss on Erik; Erik does not actively respond, but does not pull away either.
At the beginning of Season 3, Mathias has an erotic dream concerning Erik, and Erik remarks that he enjoyed the kiss. However, their relationship remains unexplored for the rest of the season. Although it's clear that Mathias is fully aware of his same-sex feelings toward Erik, it's unclear what Erik is thinking or feeling.
The series deals with the influence of rumours on mental health and social standing. The impact of the beforementioned social standing is also addressed. Alcohol and drug consumption as well as sexual harassment are also addressed throughout the series.

Characters

Main

  • Benjamin Ebbesen as John Erik Nielsen : a new student in Vesterøy who is struggling to adapt to his new life and making new friends, after having to leave Bergen because he beat someone up.
  • Teo Tomczuk as Mathias : a student and lifelong resident of Vesterøy who has struggles in his relationship with Sara as well as with his parents because he wants to pursue his dream not follow the plan of his parents and Sara, where he would take over Vesterøy Seafood. His growing attraction to Erik results in a very passionate kiss with Erik at the end of season 2.
  • Martin Storebø Koh as Felix : a student and Mathias' best friend who has problems with Mathias and Erik growing closer together and struggles with adapting to the new life situation since Erik moved to Verstrøy
  • Serian Jeng as Olivia
  • Alisa Sussmann as Sara: a student and lifelong resident of Vesterøy who wants to study in Bergen to become a doctor but struggles with finding her real dream in life
  • Sissilja Garen as Thea: a student who manages the Snapchat Channel Vesterøy Exposed and is very keen on keeping her social status as a rich child of a lawyer in London but faces difficulties when reality catches up

Recurring

  • Tobias Vassnes as Elias
  • Jon Kennedy Dushime Niyokindi as Nathaniel
  • Negusse Behre as Moses
  • Ole Jakob Sunde as Anders
  • Martin Bøstrand as Alexander
  • Mathea Onarheim Grønnevik as Synnøve
  • Simran Skulberg de Souza as Maira
  • Dorthe Bakken as Katrine-Marie
  • Helene Iversen as Louise
  • Emil Jonasdal Johannessen as Adrian
  • Aymen Said as Mohammed
  • Jessica Johnsen as Ragnhild
  • Juliana Fagertveit Haukedal as Yara
  • Siv Torin Knudsen Petersen as Sigrid
  • Heine Totland as Olav
  • Sigmund Hovind as Christoffer
  • Astrid Bergtun Elnes as Elisabeth
  • Amy Black Ndiaye as Sandra
  • Dominika Natalia Minkacz Sira as Jolanta

Guest

Double

  • Henrik Åsheim as Mathias in Season 1 Episode 12
  • Henrik Kalgraff as Mathias in Season 1 Episode 13

Production

Rykter is produced by the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK3 in cooperation with Mothership Entertainment AS. After the first seasons success the German public broadcaster NDR joined as co-producer with the goal to distribute the show internationally. The show has been granted a subsidy of 2,750,000 NOK from the Nordisk Film & TV Fond and has a total budget of 18,061,936 NOK.

Location

The series takes place on a fictional island named Vesterøy. The show was filmed in the sea gap in Øygarden Municipality in Western Norway west of Bergen, where some scenes were also shot.

Release

The series premiered on September 22, 2022, on NRK TV, the streaming service of NRK, as well as on NRK Super in live television. After the success of the first season the second season premiered on the 24th of February 2023 again on NRK TV and NRK Super. It was premiered in Italian on RaiPlay on July 14, 2023.

Reception

Norway

The main audience for Rykter is Norway, where it landed a success. After the release of the first season it achieved high viewership ratings on NRK which lead to the production of a third season. It was well received in Norway and gained some reputation.

International

The series has received international attention even though it is specifically targeted at a Norwegian audience. This has led to its distribution on RaiPlay, the streaming service of the Italian public broadcaster RAI. It is the first Norwegian program to achieve the top spot ranking on RaiPlay for multiple weeks.