Sveriges Television's Christmas calendar explained

Native Name:Swedish: Sveriges Televisions julkalender
Alt Name:Swedish: Sveriges Televisions adventskalender
Genre:Children
Country:Sweden
Language:Swedish
Channel:SVT

Swedish Television's Christmas calendar (Swedish: Sveriges Televisions julkalender) previously Swedish Television's Advent calendar (Swedish: Sveriges Televisions adventskalender) is a Christmas calendar TV series mainly for children, broadcast by Sveriges Television (Sweden's Television) since 1960 and has developed into an essential part of contemporary Swedish Christmas tradition.

Every series consists of 24 episodes (with a few exceptions), broadcast daily 1 - 24 December. The theme for most series have some connection to Christmas. Prior to 1971, it was called Swedish: Adventskalendern. Sveriges Radio also has a tradition of broadcasting a similar series on the radio each year and prior to 1973, it was always the same series on the radio and on TV (with a few differences in adaptation, depending on the medium), but since then, it has been a different series on the radio and on TV. In the beginning, the series began on Advent Sunday, but nowadays, it always starts on 1 December; it has always ended on Christmas Eve (24 December). Thus, for instance, the 1967 series Swedish: Gumman som blev liten som en tesked had only 22 episodes, since the Advent Sunday of that year was 3 December.

Along with each series, there is always the opportunity to buy a paper calendar with a window to open each day. These are available in most Swedish retail outlets, shops, supermarkets etc. and the windows usually contain images of something to do with the plot of that day's episode.

Every series from 1988 onwards has been released on DVD, as well as some series before that. From the 1980s, all but the 1980 and 1987 series have been released. From the 1960s, the 1967 and 1969 series are available and from the 1970s, the 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978 and 1979 series are available. Until 2011, the older series were released by Pan Vision, but from 2012, distribution has been taken over by Scanbox Entertainment. There are usually two or three new series releases in the autumn each year.

List

YearTitleEnglish translationDVD release dateNotes
1960TittelitureTittelitureTBAThe premiere was on 27 November (Advent Sunday) and not 1 December, but the series still contained 24 episodes, since Swedish Television did not broadcast on Wednesdays at this time.
1961Julbåten JulianaThe Christmas Boat JulianaTBA
1962Tomtefamiljen i StorskogenThe Santa Claus Family in the Big WoodsTBA
1963Den tänkande brevbärarenThe Thinking PostmanTBAThis calendar is also known as Brevbäraren vid TV-gatan (The Mailman on TV Street; in radio, it was called Brevbäraren vid Radiogränd [''The Mailman in Radio Alley'']) and the mailman was played by Stig Grybe.
1964Lill-Stina på reportage i StorskogenLittle Stina on report in the Big WoodsTBA
1965Farbror Pekkas handelsbodUncle Pekka's ShopTBAThe at the time very popular Pekka Langer had a shop in the woods.
1966En småstad vid seklets börjanA Small Town at the Beginning of the Century.TBAIn radio, it was called En jul för 50 år sedan (A Christmas 50 years ago) and it was set just before World War I.
1967Gumman som blev liten som en teskedThe Little Old Lady who Became as Small as a TeaspoonBirgitta Andersson played Teskedsgumman (Mrs. Pepperpot) and Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt played her husband. The series began on 3 December (Advent Sunday), so there were only 22 episodes and not 24. In 1973 there were new episodes made in colour. This series was simply called Teskedsgumman, but it was not a Christmas calendar.
1968Klart spår till TomtebodaAll Aboard for TomtebodaTBA
1969Herkules Jonssons storverkThe Labours of Hercules JonssonThe boy Herkules Jonsson was played by James Dickson, while his dad "Bara Jonsson" was played by Tage Danielsson, who also wrote and produced the series. This was the first time the calendar was made in colour. The series contained 25 episodes instead of 24, since it began on 30 November (Advent Sunday).
1970RegnbågslandetThe Rainbow LandTBA
1971Broster, Broster!Broster, Broster!TBAThe series concerned a family, expecting a new family member at Christmas. As the other children in the family did not know whether they would have a brother or a sister, they combined the two words into "broster".
1972Barnen i HöjdenThe Children in the Heights
1973MumindalenMoominvalleyThis was the first time the calendar was broadcast on Swedish Channel 2, which not everyone in the country could watch at the time. This was also the first time there were different calendars in radio and on TV.
1974Rulle på RullserödRulle at Rullseröd
1975Långtradarchaufförens berättelserThe Lorry Driver's StoriesTBABeppe Wolgers played the lorry driver, who was told various stories by hitchhikers.
1976Gumman som blev liten som en teskedThe Little Old Lady who Became as Small as a TeaspoonRerun from 1967.
1977Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanterFive Ants Are More than Four ElephantsThe original series was broadcast in 1973 and 1975. This series contained parts from the original one, with sequences of "window opening" with the three main characters Magnus, Brasse and Eva added. The windows of the calendar were not numbered, but had letters on them. Since each episode concerned one of the letters of the Swedish alphabet, this calendar had 28 episodes and therefore started on 27 November (which happened to be Advent Sunday). The window openings and parts of the episodes themselves are included in the DVD box with the original series.
1978Julius JulskötareJulius, the Christmas CaretakerBjörn Skifs played Julius.
1979TrolltiderTroll TimesBirgitta Andersson and Eva Rydberg played the main characters, two trolls.
1980Det blir jul på MöllegårdenChristmas on the Mölle FarmTBA
1981StjärnhusetThe Star HouseSif Ruud told Johannes Brost about Greek mythology.
1982Albert & Herberts julkalenderAlbert & Herbert's Advent CalendarA Christmas spin-off from Albert & Herbert, which in turn, was a Swedish remake of the British series Steptoe and Son.
1983Lille Luj och Änglaljus i strumpornas husLittle Eluy and Angel Light in the House of StockingsStaffan Westerberg made this calendar where his figures of Lillstrumpa och Syster Yster (Little Sock and Sister Skittish) turned up for the first time.
1984Julstrul med Staffan & BengtChristmas Troubles with Staffan & Bengt
1985Trolltider med trollkalenderTroll Times with the Troll CalendarRerun from 1979.
1986Julpussar och stjärnsmällarChristmas Kisses and Star Explosions
1987Marias barnMary's ChildTBA
1988Liv i luckan med julkalendernLife in the [Calendar] Window with the Advent Calendar
1989T. Sventon praktiserande privatdetektivT. Sventon, Consulting Detective
1990Kurt Olssons julkalenderKurt Olsson's Advent Calendar
1991Sunes julSune's ChristmasAlso had a spin-off in the 1993 film Sune's Summer.
1992Klasses julkalenderKlasse's Advent CalendarThis is the only time the Calendar has been broadcasten live, since people could make phone calls to it. The episodes were unusually long (30 minutes) and it began on 29 November (Advent Sunday), so there were 26 episodes all in all.
1993TomtemaskinenThe Santa Machine
1994Håll huvet kalltKeep Your Head Cool
1995Jul i KapernaumChristmas in CapernaumEach episode consisted of two parts  - one with a continuous adventure played by actors and one with free standing episodes with puppets. The entire series was published on VHS, but the DVD edition only contains the continuous adventure.
1996Mysteriet på GreveholmThe Mystery at GreveholmThis was the first Christmas calendar that had its own website.
1997Pelle SvanslösPeter No-TailThis series had a spin-off in the movie Pelle Svanslös och den stora sKattjakten (Peter No-Tail and the Big Treasure Hunt) in 2000, where the K in "sKattjakten" is capitalised as a note to the fact that all the characters are cats (Swedish "katt").
1998När karusellerna soverWhen the Carousels SleepIt was filmed in Liseberg
1999Julens hjältarThe Heroes of Christmas
2000Ronny & JuliaRonny & Julia
2001Kaspar i NudådalenCaspar in the Now-Then-Valley
2002Dieselråttor & sjömansmössDiesel Rats and Sailor Mice
2003Håkan BråkanHåkan the Trouble MakerThis series had a spin-off in the movie Håkan Bråkan & Josef in 2004.
2004Allrams höjdarpaketAllram's Hit ParcelThe main characters Allram Eest and Tjet (two puppets) made their debut in the series Allra mest tecknat in 2002.
2005En decemberdrömA December Dream
2006LasseMajas detektivbyråLasseMaja's Detective AgencyThis was the first Christmas calendar broadcast in HDTV (720p). It had a spin-off in the movie LasseMajas detektivbyrå – Kameleontens hämnd in 2008.
2007En riktig julA Proper Christmas
2008Skägget i brevlådanThe Beard in the Mailbox
2009SuperhjältejulSuperhero ChristmasThe main characters Supersnällasilversara and Stålhenrik made their debut in Swedish Television's children's show Bolibompa and then had their own series Supersnällasilversara och Stålhenrik in 2004.
2010Hotell Gyllene knorrenThe Golden Twist HotelThis series also had a spin-off in the movie Hotell Gyllene Knorren – Filmen in 2011.
2011Tjuvarnas julThe Thieves' Christmas14 November 2012
2012Mystery at Greveholm: Return of the Count13 February 2013This series is a sequel from the 1996 years Christmas calendar, Mysteriet på Greveholm.
2013Barna Hedenhös uppfinner julenThe Hedenhös Children Invent Christmas5 November 2014
2014 Piratskattens hemlighetThe Secret of the Pirate Treasure5 October 2015This series was filmed in Croatia, becoming the first Sveriges Television's Christmas calendar program to be mostly filmed outside of Sweden.
2015Tusen år till julaftonA Thousand Years until Christmas EveTBA
2016Selmas sagaSelma's Story2 October 2017
2017Jakten på tidskristallenHunt for the time crystalTBA
2018Storm på Lugna gatanStorm at Calm street7 October 2019
2019Panik i tomteverkstanPanic in Santa's Workshop7 December 2020
2020MirakelMiracle4 October 2021
2021En hederlig jul med KnyckertzAn Honest Christmas with Knyckertz24 October 2022
2022Kronprinsen som försvannThe Crown Prince who disappearedTBA
2023Trolltider – legenden om BergatrolletTroll Times - the legend of the mountain trollTBAReboot of the 1979 Sveriges Television's Christmas calendar. Not yet released.
2024SnödrömmarSnow DreamsTBANot yet released.
YearTitleEnglish translationDVD release dateNotes

See also

Further reading