Wonderful character development!

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

It is great to revisit the town of Korsbæk in 2007, approximately 25 years after it was first aired. The series is not only a truthful rendition of mid-century Denmark from 1929 to 1947, but also a documentation of Danish self-understanding in the 1980'es - at the time of Danmarks Radios broadcasting monopoly – and the series itself was, and still is, an integral part of the ongoing formation of the national self-understanding (of which we seem to have a LOT! ) Among many other things this series had a great impact on the understanding and self-understanding of gay men in Denmark. As it originally aired in the early eighties - the peak of the aids-epidemic - and connected themes such as solidarity in the face of oppression, helping those in need during the war, and the conflict between a relentlessly striving businessman and his gay son, the series undoubtedly raised both general awareness and the wider public support for the same-sex civil unions legislation, passed in 1987.

If you're looking for at tv-version of Danish history from late twenties to late fourties this is THE ONE. Never ever has anything been shown on Danish TV with this kind of appeal to all sorts of people. No matter the social background one may have this series appeals to everyone. With a truly remarkable casting of practically all Danish actors worthwhile mentioning the storyline is proven extremely strong as it is emphazied by the fabulous acting of all actors and actresses of which many now, unfortunately, are dead.It has a true unique feature which most of well-known tv-series don't have; you can watch it again and again for each time you'll discover new things. For any Dane this is a fundamental part to understanding the history of a time which may be long gone but never will be forgotten. Matador is now out on DVA and although relatively expensive (app.2500 dkr for the whole series/24 parts) it is an investment that any Danish family should consider.A series that unites generations and definately something that will last and last...

Matador is probably the most successful danish TV-series. It is written by Lise Nørrgård og Erik Balling (Erik Balling is a part of the two-man team behind Olsen Banden). The story is going on under the second world war. One of the main characters of Matador is Mads Skjern. In the first screenplay his real name is Mads Larsen, but takes the name of the city where he grew up (Skjern is in the nortwest of Jutland). He comes to the little city/village of Korsbæk. He wants to start up his own little clothing store. He tries to borrow money from Korsbæk Bank. The chairman of the board in Korsbæk Bank is Christian Varness, a high respected citizen of Korsbæk. He refuses him to lend any money. In rage Mads Skjern leaves the bank and goes to the local pub. There he meets Pigsdealer Larsen (Played by Buster Larsen). Larsen is a good man and take Mads Skjern and his son, Daniel, home to his wife, Katrine. There he meets the couples grown-up daughter, Ellen, who has a girl of the same ags as Daniel from a former marriage. Mads and Ellen fall in love with each other. With the little money Mads has and with money from Larsen they buy a house and a little closed down store. Skjern starts his own bussiness and the rest of the epsiodes is about how he prospers in Korsbæk and become more accepted and more respected than Varness, the man in the bank.The show is about if you work hard and don't give up, you can come far. If you are stubborn enough it will pay off in the end!

The serial depicting life in a small Danish town from the late 1920's through the end of the WW2, hits spot on, describing the struggles of both rich and poor, in a well-paced, amazingly well thought out story. I've only seen it twice because I haven't been able to find a way to buy it on NTSC tape.