Matador is a Danish TV series produced and aired between 1978 and 1982. It is set in the fictional Danish town of Korsbæk (a portmanteau of Korsør and Holbæk) between 1929 and 1947. It follows the lives of a range of characters from across the social spectrum, focusing specifically on the rivalry between the families of two businessmen: banker Hans Christian Varnæs, an established local worthy, and Mads (Andersen-)Skjern, who arrives in town as a travelling salesman as the series opens, and builds up a large business. The name Matador was taken from the localised edition of the boardgame Monopoly, also the series' tentative English title. In addition, in contemporary Danish a "matador" is often used to describe a business tycoon, in the series referring to the character of Mads Skjern and his craftiness as a self-made entrepreneur.

Directed by Danish film-maker Erik Balling, Matador was the idea of author Lise Nørgaard, who wrote the bulk of the episodes, along with Karen Smith, Jens Louis Petersen, and Paul Hammerich. The series is one of the most well-known and popular examples of Danish television and represents a then peak of longtime development of Danish TV drama by the public service channel Danmarks Radio.

The series has become part of the modern self-understanding of Danes, partly because of its successful mix of melodrama and a distinct warm Danish humour in the depiction of characters, which were portrayed by a wide range of the most popular Danish actors at the time; but also not least because of its accurate portrayal of a turbulent Denmark from around the start of the Great Depression and through Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark in World War II.

Production Coined by series writer Paul Hammerich, the name of the town Korsbæk is a portmanteau of the two Danish towns Korsør and Holbæk. Series creator Lise Nørgaard based much of the provincial feel of Korsbæk on her experiences with the town of Skælskør. Even though Korsbæk was originally a fictional town, it has been built 1:1 in the Danish amusement park Dyrehavsbakken.

Matador is also the name of the localized Danish version of the board game Monopoly. According to the series' creator, Lise Nørgaard, this board game served as inspiration for the title of the series. A group of characters play the board game in episode 11, which is set in 1936, the same year the boardgame Monopoly/Matador was introduced in Denmark.

Swedish costume designer Ulla-Britt Söderlund was responsible for the series' period dress, and oversaw its representation of the period's many changes in fashion. The distinctive and, in Denmark, celebrated theme tune of the series was composed by Bent Fabricius-Bjerre.

Matador was shot entirely on 16mm film, as opposed to video. Prior to its release on DVD in 2001, all the master negatives and magnetic sound tapes had to undergo a thorough physical and digital restoration. In 2017 it was restored to 1080p High-definition television prior to the series' sixth rerun on Danish TV.

Reception Matador originally aired on DR between November 1978 and January 1982 and has enjoyed repeated successful reruns in 1984-85, 1989–90, 1997–98, 2006–07, 2012–13, 2017–18 and most recently 2020, for the latter newly restored to High Definition. Individual episodes figure prominently in Denmark's top TV viewing figures of all time, led by episode 9's showing during the series' first rerun on 10 February 1985 with an estimated 3,641,000 viewers, followed closely by 3,516,000 viewers watching the series finale during its original run on 2 January 1982; this in a country of some 5 million people at the time.

Additionally, the series has been released on VHS and in 2001 on region 2 DVD. This first edition of 12 separate DVDs with two episodes each has been one of the most sold in the country's history and surpassed a total of 1 million copies sold in 2005. A second 2006 13-DVD box set included English subtitles for a wider audience, with various DVD editions surpassing 3.6 million copies sold by 2013. The series was widely popular in neighbouring Norway, Sweden, and Germany, and it has been broadcast in more than 20 countries worldwide, one of which was Australia, here also widely popular when broadcast on Australian SBS TV in Danish with English subtitles. Queen Mary of Denmark, born in Tasmania, stated in a TV interview on Australian TV in 2004, that she watched Matador whilst learning Danish.

List and synopsis of Matador episodes

(The English episode titles are taken from the English subtitle track on the 2006 Region 0 DVD collection. Many of the original episode titles are based on Danish puns and expressions.)

Season 1 (1978)

Season 2 (1979)

Season 3 (1980–1981)

Season 4 (1981–1982)

List of characters

Characters alphabetically: Character Episodes No. Actor Ada 21-23 3 Lillian Tillegreen Agnes Jensen 1-10,12-24 23 Kirsten Olesen Agnete Hansen 6,8,10,11,14 5 Lene Brøndum Albert Arnesen 1,2,3,4,5 5 Preben Mahrt Aksel (Jensen) (15,16),(20,21),(24) 5 Jan Neiiendam Arnold Vinter 1-6,8,10-12,14 11 Esper Hagen Baron Carl von Rydtger 8,13,14,16-19,21-24 11 Bendt Rothe Baroness Arendse von Rydtger 3,8,10 3 Birgitte Federspiel Consul (Emanuel) Holm 3,4,6-8,10-12,15,18 10 Karl Stegger Consul's Wife (Oda) Holm 2-8,10-13,15,16,18-24 20 Else-Marie Juul Hansen Daniel Andersen-Skjern/Skjern (1,6),(8-12),(15),(17-19,21,22,24) 14 Kristian Steen Rem, Jacob Dalgård, Jim Erichsen, Niels Martin Carlsen Doctor (Louis) Hansen 1,4-15,17-24 21 Ove Sprogøe Elisabeth Friis 1-24 24 Helle Virkner Ellen Andersen-Skjern/Skjern (1,6),(8-12),(15),(17-19,21-23) 14 Helle Nielsen, Nynne Ubbe, Christine Hermansen, Benedikte Dahl Erik Skjern (8-10),(14),(21),(24) 6 Kenneth Schmidt, Nikolaj Harris, Lari Hørsted, Jens Christian Milbrat Ernst Nyborg 8 1 Morten Grunwald Ester 12-21,24 11 Birgitte Bruun Aunt Anna (Skjern) 15 1 Kirsten Rolffes Frede "Fatty" Hansen 1-5,7-24 23 Benny Hansen Miss Hollenberg 15-18 4 Christiane Rohde Gitte Graa 4,6-8,23 5 Susse Wold Gudrun 3-5,7-21,24 19 Anne Jensen Gustav Friis 10,13,23,24 4 Finn Storgaard Hans Christian Varnæs 1-14,16-24 23 Holger Juul Hansen Helle Varnæs 19-22,24 5 Ditte Maria Norup Herbert Schmidt 9-12,15-17 7 Paul Hüttel Holger Jørgensen 6,9,17 3 John Martinus Mr. (Rudolf) Schwann 1-4,6-12 11 Arthur Jensen Iben Skjold Hansen 10-23 14 Ulla Henningsen Ingeborg Andersen-Skjern/Skjern 1-24 24 Ghita Nørby Inger Jørgensen 1-6,12,14,15,19-24 15 Vera Gebuhr Jenny 13,14,16-18,22,23 7 Lane Lind Jim Donaldson 21 1 Nicholas Farrell Jørgen Varnæs 1,3-8,10,13,14,16,18-23 17 Bent Mejding Kathrine Larsen 1-4,6-13,15-20,22,24 20 Lily Broberg Knud (Jensen) (15),(19-21),(24) 5 Martin Bak, Sebastian Sørensen, Sune Kristensen Kristen Andersen-Skjern/Skjern 4-24 21 Jesper Langberg Laura (Larsine Sørensen) 1-10,12-24 23 Elin Reimer Lauritz "Red" Jensen 1-5,7-17,21-24 20 Kurt Ravn Mads Andersen-Skjern/Skjern 1-24 24 Jørgen Buckhøj Maja Ebbesen/Varnæs 22-24 3 Rikke Wølck Marie Hansen 8,9,11,15,16,18-23 11 Kirsten Hansen-Møller Mason (Jacob) Jessen 22,23 2 Poul Reichhardt Maude Varnæs 1-24 24 Malene Schwartz Mayor Sejersen 16 1 Preben Harris Minna Varnæs 1,3,5 3 Ellen Winther Lembourn Miss (Illona) Mikkelsen 3,10,13-15,17 6 Hanne Løye Misse Møhge 1-5,7-24 23 Karin Nellemose Mogens Lamborg 17-23 7 John Schelde Mr. Stein 1-9,12,13,15-18,21-24 19 John Hahn-Petersen Mr. Town council secretary Godtfred Lund 7-11 5 Hardy Rafn Mrs. Fernando Møhge 1-5,7-18 17 Karen Berg Mrs. Mason (Sofie) Jessen 22,23 2 Bodil Udsen Mrs. Town council secretary Lilli Lund 7,8,11,12 4 Tove Maës Musse Skjold Hansen 7,8,10-13,15,16,18,19,21,23 12 Birthe Backhausen Colonel (Ditlev) Hackel 1,4-8,11-13,15 10 Bjørn Watt-Boolsen Oluf Larsen 1-24 24 Buster Larsen Oscar Andersen 20,21 2 Nis Bank-Mikkelsen Head teacher (Frederik) Andersen 13-15,17-20 7 Helge Kjærulff-Schmidt Poul Kristensen 13,15,17,20 4 Christian Steffensen Regitze Varnæs (1-6),(8-13),(17,18,22) 15 Nicla Ursin, Elisabeth Danneskjold-Samsø, Camilla Hammerich Sofus "Betjent" (Jensen) police officer 16-19,21,22,24 7 Esben Pedersen Ulla Jacobsen 7-15,17,20,22 12 Karen Lise Mynster Ulrik Varnæs (1-6),(8-13),(17,18,22-24) 17 Søren Bruun, Henrik Mortensen, Jens Arentzen Vicki Arnesen/Halli/Hackel 1-6,11-16,18-24 19 Sonja Oppenhagen Viggo Skjold Hansen 7-13,15,16,19,21-23 13 Axel Strøbye Violet Vinter 3-12,14,15,17,19,20,22,24 17 Lis Løwert Waiter (Severin) Boldt 1-5,7-20,22-24 22 Per Pallesen Aage Holmdal 1-4,6 5 Joen Bille

Important characters

The Skjern dynasty Mads (Andersen)-Skjern — (1:24) Jørgen Buckhøj- (born 1897) Scion of the Skjern dynasty. Mads is a stranger who arrives in Korsbæk with his motherless son Daniel as a traveling salesman in 1929. Seeing that the local clothing shop caters only to the interests of the well-to-do, he decides to start his own business, Skjern's Magasin, to provide clothing for the common people. Personality: Industrious; almost ruthless businessman who does not "forgive and forget"; a stern and overbearing father who expects much of his son Daniel. As time goes by he becomes increasingly stern to his son, as he slowly realizes that he will never be ready to take over the family business. Instead he favors his adoptive daughter Ellen, who is doing well in school, unlike Daniel. Because of this, she can get away with almost everything. When he accidentally finds out about his son's homosexuality, he banishes him from his home. This action almost costs him his marriage to Ingeborg.

As his business grows, Mads, originally honest and well-meaning, is corrupted by his growing power and occasionally engages in questionable business practices. Despite his religious upbringing he eventually assimilates into a more moderate lifestyle. His political views are conservative, particularly concerning morals, as he is a firm opponent of abortion, then illegal in Denmark.

Ingeborg (Andersen)-Skjern — (1:24) Ghita Nørby - (born c. 1901) Wife of Mads Andersen-Skjern and daughter of Oluf and Katrine Larsen. She is also the mother of Ellen from a previous marriage. She and Mads eventually have a child named Erik. Despite loving to work, Mads insists she tends the house in the style of a proper upper class wife. Personality: Kind, loving, modern, intelligent; unlike Mads, she is far kinder to Daniel; still, she too turns a blind eye on Ellen's choices as she grows older. Kristen (Andersen)-Skjern — (4:24) Jesper Langberg - (born c.1899) He is the younger brother of Mads Skjern and Anna Skjern. Kristen arrives in Korsbæk about a year after Mads, and eventually becomes director of Omegns Bank, a bank for the lower-class denizens of Korsbæk. When the Nazis occupy Denmark, he becomes active in the Danish resistance movement along with Dr. Louis Hansen. Personality: An honest man; unlike his brother, he is more willing to overlook class differences and has few social ambitions. He has an on-and-off relationship with Elisabeth Friis, sister-in-law of Hans Christian Varnæs, but after a particularly grim falling-out between them, he marries Iben Skjold-Hansen, which turned out disastrous and they divorce. In episode 23 he finally marries Elisabeth Friis (Skjern). Daniel Skjern — (1-6) Kristian Steen Rem; (8-12) Jacob Dalgård, (15) Jim Erichsen; (17-19,21,22,24) Niels Martin Carlsen (born c. 1924) He is the son of Mads Skjern and his first wife. His father wants him to join the family business, but he displays poor business skills and can't live up to his father's expectations. Instead he shows talent for design and fashion; a field where he later enjoys a certain success and becomes marginally involved in his father's business. Daniel is a homosexual, which is near impossible for his father to accept though Ingeborg and Katrine readily accepts it. Ellen (Andersen)-Skjern — (1-6) Helle Nielsen; (8-12) Nynne Ubbe; (15) Christine Hermansen; (17-19,21-23) Benedikte Dahl (born c. 1924)