"Skärgårdsdoktorn" was a big hit in Sweden when it was broadcast the first time. A lot of people even named their daughters after Doctor Steen's daughter Vilma in the series! I like this medical television series, because it is much more realistic than most such American and British series.
The patients have such conditions that are common also in reality: old-age dementia, depression after a loved one's death, diabetes, leukemia, undiagnosed disabilities in adoptive children when they arrive in Sweden, motorcycle accidents, riding accidents... and of course, as this series takes place on an island: boating accidents and a lot of fishing hooks where they should not be! I also liked the fact, that the patients are as patients are in reality: most of them middle-aged or elderly, and without fancy occupations, great riches or anything such.
We learn from this series, that also if you have wrinkles, warts and coarse skin, you can have a worthful life and even find love! The classical music that accompanies the series is wonderful, the nature scenery from the archipelago is beautiful and very Swedish, and all the main actors are perfect in their roles. It was also fun to see some of our old, fine actors in small roles, such as Per Oscarsson and Meg Westergren.
What I did NOT like about it, was the fact that all story lines were not completed - I mean followed-up. For example, we never got to know what happened afterwards in the family where the daughter refused to donate a kidney to her brother. Did the brother die? Did their parents forgive the daughter? And also the storyline with the two old brothers living together: one expected something to happen, that would need involvement from the doctors and nurse at the clinic - but nothing ever happens...
Another thing which is typical of Swedish state television, is the political correctness. A teenage girl's abortion is brushed off as if it was no big deal, and all the main characters even share a joke afterwards with a lot of laughing, about who the father might have been. I think that was in bad taste, because even if an abortion can be the best solution sometimes, it is no light or laughing matter!
And also the episodes about the illegal immigrants. OF COURSE the staff at the clinic are GOOD people who help to hide the illegal immigrants against the BAD authorities, and the immigrants also turn out to be GOOD people, of course... While in reality Sweden has very big problems with the mass immigration, and this was already so in the year 2000.
The patients have such conditions that are common also in reality: old-age dementia, depression after a loved one's death, diabetes, leukemia, undiagnosed disabilities in adoptive children when they arrive in Sweden, motorcycle accidents, riding accidents... and of course, as this series takes place on an island: boating accidents and a lot of fishing hooks where they should not be! I also liked the fact, that the patients are as patients are in reality: most of them middle-aged or elderly, and without fancy occupations, great riches or anything such.
We learn from this series, that also if you have wrinkles, warts and coarse skin, you can have a worthful life and even find love! The classical music that accompanies the series is wonderful, the nature scenery from the archipelago is beautiful and very Swedish, and all the main actors are perfect in their roles. It was also fun to see some of our old, fine actors in small roles, such as Per Oscarsson and Meg Westergren.
What I did NOT like about it, was the fact that all story lines were not completed - I mean followed-up. For example, we never got to know what happened afterwards in the family where the daughter refused to donate a kidney to her brother. Did the brother die? Did their parents forgive the daughter? And also the storyline with the two old brothers living together: one expected something to happen, that would need involvement from the doctors and nurse at the clinic - but nothing ever happens...
Another thing which is typical of Swedish state television, is the political correctness. A teenage girl's abortion is brushed off as if it was no big deal, and all the main characters even share a joke afterwards with a lot of laughing, about who the father might have been. I think that was in bad taste, because even if an abortion can be the best solution sometimes, it is no light or laughing matter!
And also the episodes about the illegal immigrants. OF COURSE the staff at the clinic are GOOD people who help to hide the illegal immigrants against the BAD authorities, and the immigrants also turn out to be GOOD people, of course... While in reality Sweden has very big problems with the mass immigration, and this was already so in the year 2000.
