NRK Head Of Drama Steps Down

Rossiné recently submitted to NRK his vision for the broadcasting corporation's new drama strategy until 2018. Although the former Head of Drama has been the subject of strong criticism over the last year for his managerial style and editorial strategy, NRK's programme director Per Arne Kalback told www.nrk.no that this was not linked to Rossiné's resignation. "We agreed that once Hans would deliver his drama strategy, it would be time as well for him to pass the torch".

Commenting on his decision to step down, Rossiné said: "We have raised the profile of Norwegian TV drama and made it as popular as sports, entertainment and news. This was my goal from the very outset. "I have been criticised along the way but the main thing is that we have delivered productions that I'm very proud of. The new upcoming shows Mammon, Eyewitness (Øyenvitne) and Kampen for tilværelsen (‘Struggle for Life') are TV series that will show Norwegian drama to its best".

Notable in-house NRK series that have been made under Rossiné's aegis include Harry & Charles, The Berlin Poplars (Prix Italia 2008) and the all-time high long running series Blue Sky Blue (Himmelblå). The 6x58' series Mammon covering six days in the tumultuous life of an ambitious journalist will air in the autumn 2013. Cecilie Askeland Mosli is directing. The 6x58' psychological thriller Eyewitness written and directed by Jarl Emsell Larsen should premiere the first quarter of 2014. It's the story of two young boys, secretly in love, who witness a crime from drug traffickers but decide to keep it secret because they don't want their relationship to be revealed.

Meanwhile two external productions: Lilyhammer (Rubicon TV) and The Half Brother (Monster Film), commissioned by NRK's Tone C Rønning and backed by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, have been very successful both nationally and internationally. The Half Brother set a new record last January with 1,079,000 viewers for the first episode and the entire show has had an average of one million viewers and a share of 50%. "It is inspiring to see how the audience has embraced the story and the good numbers might show that there is no need to underestimate the audience" said Rønning.