SKAM: Norwegian Sensation Overlooked in the UK

It has been hard to miss the increasing presence of foreign-language television in the UK in recent years. Regular watching of non-English language television and cinema has increased by 24% among 18-64 year olds, according to Advanced Television.

The easy-access provided by streaming on platforms such as Netflix is a key factor in this rise in popularity. The correlation with the Covid pandemic also seems significant; I know my family certainly had more time to explore television outside of our comfort zone during various lockdowns.

In 2021, Lisa Amjörn’s hit coming-of-age drama, Young Royals, premiered on Netflix. The show was an immediate success, and not just with its native Swedish audiences. Many praised its representation of a diverse range of characters, particularly its considered portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes. In the US, it was nominated for three Dorian TV Awards, winning “Best LGBTQ+ Non-English Language TV Show.” The show continued for three seasons, and demand never faltered.

After watching and being a huge fan of Young Royals, various algorithms on social media inundated me with related content. It was through watching a foreign-language series on an easily accessible streaming giant that I discovered SKAM, a Norwegian teen drama. Its marketing and formatting reminded me of the UK show Skins, however the characterisation was clearly an inspiration for Young Royals.

Its popularity cannot be overstated

After researching the show to decide whether it was worth a watch (and where I could even access it) I found out that SKAM, despite its anonymity in the UK, is hugely popular in Europe. The SKAM universe, that was once contained only to Norway, now includes SKAM France, Italia, España, Austin (America), NL (Netherlands), wtFOCK (Belgium), Sram (Croatia), and DRUCK (Germany). Whilst not all of these remakes are as successful as the original (SKAM America lasted two seasons), its popularity cannot be overstated.

It seemed incredible that nobody I spoke to in the UK had ever heard of it. When I came to university and found somebody else who had watched it I was amazed – it had seemed for a while that I was the only person to have watched the show!

I was intrigued by how such a popular series in Europe had gone generally unnoticed by UK and English-speaking audiences so I went looking for a place to watch it. The fact that the primary platform to stream SKAM outside of its native countries was a Tumblr page entitled “Skam English” is probably one of the reasons this show hasn’t been on UK audience’s radars. The English subtitling is generally well-done, although whoever is responsible for posting the series on this Tumblr page has clearly run into some copyrighting issues with the music, meaning audiences have to follow different links to watch “unmuted versions”.

The storylines never felt as though they were intended to lecture or endeavoured to leave everything neatly resolved

SKAM, meaning “shame” in Norwegian, follows a group of teenagers in their last few years of school, raising money to take part in the Norwegian tradition “Russefeiring” by buying or renting a “russ bus” for end-of-school celebrations. Each new season focuses on a different character’s “shame” and sees their struggle to accept a part of themselves and move forwards. Some of these “shames” include cheating, sexual assault, homosexuality, mental health conditions, racism, and religious discrimination.

The format of the show is particularly interesting to me. SKAM is formatted episodically, and split into four seasons each following a different character. However, the show was originally released to mirror real life. The episodes were uploaded in 10-minute segments in “real-time.” Sections of episodes in which the characters were at school would be released during Norwegian school hours and if there was a late-night party in the show, it would be released online at the same time it was set to be happening.

Every character also had dedicated Instagram and YouTube accounts that were run to seem as though the character was a real person. SKAM’s ability to make its audience feel that they are watching real events happening to real characters continues beyond its formatting. The storylines never felt as though they were intended to lecture or endeavoured to leave everything neatly resolved. They felt believable.

Season three of SKAM Norway was specifically recommended online as a parallel to Young Royals, with its focus on Isak, a closeted gay teen who is distanced from his family and deeply religious mother. His love interest is the openly pansexual Even who is struggling with bipolar disorder.

SKAM feels like the most authentic depiction of teenage life I have watched

The reception of SKAM’s presentation of both LGBTQ+ characters and mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression, and eating disorders has been overwhelmingly positive. I have encountered numerous people online commenting on what a validating and comforting experience they have had watching this show.

For me, SKAM feels like the most authentic depiction of teenage life I have watched. Despite me not being a Norwegian “russ” preparing to graduate, the show feels familiar. It isn’t overdramatised or complicated. Stylistic choices such as casting actors in the same age-range as their characters; not using heavy makeup, unless it’s to fit a characters personality and filming scenes at the high-school that many of the actors actually attended adds to the authenticity of the show.

Because of the difficulty of accessing SKAM outside of Norway, having watched the show makes you part of a kind of niche subculture. There is a huge European fanbase for the show now that it has moved beyond Norway and is still continuing to be produced in multiple countries. Entering into that fanbase as a UK citizen requires some work, but taking the time to investigate foreign shows often leads, as it did with SKAM, to a new favourite thing.