What is Billionaire Island?

Billionaire Island is a direct translation of the show’s Norwegian title, Milliardærøya, and is a late-stage capitalist comedy-drama about Norwegian salmon farming.

Shows of its ilk have been incredibly popular both in Norway and abroad in recent years.

Succession, which also saw its characters take a sojourn to Norway in its latter seasons, grew into a global hit, while in Norway the show Exit, about the wealthy residents of west-Oslo, also had viewers on the edge of their seats.

READ ALSO: The best shows to watch to understand Norwegian society

The setting is what makes this show standout. Salmon farming in Norway is huge business, and the country is home to a number of barons who made their fourtune trading in the pink-fleshed fish.

Essentially the show focuses on two-family run companies and the industrial espionage, shady PR stunts, and boardroom maneuverers that ensue when one corporation, Marlax, sees an opportunity to take over its rival, Meyer Fjordbruk.

What does the show tell us about Norway?

Like most countries, there can be an element of “new versus old money”, especially when you contrast the gleaming fjordside property of one family to the typically Norwegian but rundown home of their rivals and competitors.

Many shows around the world have captivated audiences by revealing the salacious underbelly of the seemingly perfect and respectable one percent.

These shows do especially well in Norway, where social constructs like Janteloven have traditionally discouraged people from trying to stand out from the crowd and rather conform to the norms, which in turn make these characters crossing all kinds of lines in pursuit of their individual desires all the more gripping for Norwegian audeinces.

The show’s sense of humour is also typically Norwegian. Showrunners Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin used the fish out of water trope in their other hit Netflix show, Lillyhammer, to generate laughs about life in the Nordic country before.

This time round, the duo leans into the dryer aspects of Norwegian humour which then contrast against some of the more absurd aspects of the show.

Like many things in Norway, story beats are often understated with characters motivations, insecurities and short-comings revealing themselves gradually rather than straight from the off in the way they would for a Roman or Kendall Roy.

This can make the show quite slow at times, although given that Norway is famed for its popularisation of slow television broadcasts of seven hour train journeys or weeks-long ferry cruises it isn’t as slow as it could be.

Similar to establishing a friendship with the locals in Norway, the show can also convey warmth and vulnerability beneath its cold exterior.

What have the reviews said?

The show has been met with positive critical reception from most outlets in Norway. Norway uses a dice system, meaning things are ranked out of six.

READ ALSO: Why do Norwegians rate things out of six?

Business news publication E24 has given the show five out of six. NRK P3 gave the show a four out of six, while Aftenposten gave the show a five. VG was slightly less positive, rating the show a three out of six.

Meanwhile, The Guardian, using a more traditional ranking system, gave the show a four out of five.

Critics have praised the ensemble cast, unique setting and the show’s writing.