A Swedish novel adaptation, Beartown, recently earned acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes, offering a comprehensive overview of the debut season of the Beartown Series. Additionally, it explores the anticipation surrounding a potential second season.
Beartown, adapted from Fredrik Backman’s Swedish-language novel published in 2016, revolves around a community in Sweden deeply entrenched in ice hockey. The novel swiftly gained best-seller status upon its release. Subsequently, it was adapted into a web series, premiering in 2020 and 2021 for its two respective seasons.
Overview of Beartown (Web-Series)
Originally titled Björnstad, the Beartown series, a five-episode mini-series, premiered on HBO Nordic in 2020 before making its North American debut on HBO on February 22, 2021. Despite its initial success, the series was later removed from HBO in the United States.
In 2022, with the launch of Paramount’s American television network, Showtime acquired Beartown, along with 20 other web series from HBO.
Directed by Peter Grönlund and adapted by Emmy-winning writer Anders Weidemann, Antonia Pyk, and Linn Gottfridsson, the series boasts producers Bonnie Skoog Feeney and Mattias Arehn from Filmlance. Fredrik Backman, represented by Salomonsson Agency’s Tor Jonasson, serves as the executive producer. Executive producers for HBO Europe include Hanne Palmquist, Steve Matthews, and Antony Root. The Swedish series is produced by Filmlance, a Banijay Company, for HBO Europe.
Is Beartown Based On a Novel?
Yes, the Swedish HBO series, Beartown, is indeed based on the Swedish novel of the same name, penned by Fredrik Backman. The novel, initially published in Sweden in 2016 and later in the United States in 2017, found its way to the streaming platform in 2020. Notably, Beartown is the first installment in a series, followed by Us Against You and The Winners.
Despite its critical acclaim, Beartown faced controversy when it was removed from the reading list of McMichael High School in North Carolina due to objections from some parents who found the content “vulgar” and “graphic.”
Beartown: Review
Critics on the aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes, had mixed opinions about the web series Beartown. While some praised its entertaining plot and exceptional cast, others had reservations.
Matthew Gilbert, a prominent critic on Rotten Tomatoes, lauded the series for its realism, comparing it favorably to Friday Night Lights. His review noted:
“Takes the honesty of Friday Night Lights to an even deeper and much darker level. The five-part drama, based on the 2017 novel by Fredrik Backman, floored me with its realism, as it digs into the people of a struggling community.”
Will There Be a Beartown Season 2?
Warner Bros Discovery referred to the much-anticipated series as a “Swedish Language Limited-Drama” web series, suggesting that a second season may be unlikely.
However, considering that Beartown is based on Fredrik Backman’s New York Times bestseller, with two other novels in the series, Us Against You and The Winners, there is speculation about potential spin-offs for the Swedish series.
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