State of Happiness
State of Happiness () is a Norwegian period drama television series about the discovery of oil in the North Sea, and subsequent growth of the petroleum industry in Stavanger, beginning in 1969. It is directed by Petter Næss and Pål Jackman and is coproduced by NRK and Maipo Film. Its first season premiered on NRK1 in 2018, and is set during the years 1969 to 1972. Its second season, covering the years 1977 to 1980, premiered in 2022. A third season, covering the years 1987 to 1990, was ordered in October 2022, with filming scheduled to begin in March 2023. The series has drawn comparisons to the American period drama Mad Men.

Cast and characters 
Anne Regine Ellingsæter as Anna Hellevik, a secretary and Christian's fiancée
Amund Harboe as Christian Nyman (season 1), an oil rig diver and Anna's fiancé
Paal Herman Ims as Christian Nyman (season 2)
Bart Edwards as Jonathan Kay, a lawyer from Phillips Petroleum Company
Malene Wadel as Toril Torstensen, a young mother and worker at Fredrik Nyman's company
Pia Tjelta as Ingrid Nyman, a socialite, wife of Fredrik, and mother of Christian
Per Kjerstad as Fredrik Nyman, owner of a fish canning company in Stavanger, husband of Ingrid, and father of Christian
Mads Sjøgård Pettersen as Martin Lekanger, an oil rig diver
Adam Fergus as Ed Young, a businessman from Phillips Petroleum Company
Ole Christoffer Ertvaag as Rein Hellevik, Anna's brother
Laila Goody as Randi Torstensen, Toril's mother, and a devout Christian
Vegar Hoel as Arne Rettedal, a Stavanger politician
Roar Kjølv Jenssen as Leif Larsen, the mayor of Stavanger

Awards and accolades
The first season of the series received five Gullruten awards from among eight nominations in 2019, including best drama series and best actor (Anne Regine Ellingsæter). Its second season received another nine nominations, winning five Gullruten awards in 2022.

Internationally, the series won awards for best screenplay and best music at the inaugural Canneseries in 2018. It received nominations in three categories during the 2019 Monte-Carlo Television Festival, but did not win.

International release
Internationally, broadcasters in more than 60 countries have bought rights to the series, according to NRK. The series is known by the title "State of Happiness" in English. In the UK, the series was acquired by BBC Four. It was also acquired for Topic's  streaming platform in the United States.

Reception 
The Times Carol Midgley said of the series, "The acting is mostly very good, it is just the plot that was ludicrous", giving it four out of five stars.

References

External links 
 
 

Television shows set in Norway
Television series set in the 1970s
Norwegian drama television series
2018 Norwegian television series debuts
Works about petroleum