NBC welcomes Swedish sitcom

MIPCOM: NBC in the US has acquired rights to the first English-speaking sitcom to be commissioned by Swedish broadcaster TV4.

Welcome to Sweden is a coproduction between Canada’s Entertainment One (eOne) and Stockholm-based prodco FLX, together with Syskon, a venture set up by series creator Greg Poehler and his actress sister Amy (Saturday Night Live).

The show became the first English-language series to win a green light from TV4 earlier this year. Now NBC has picked up US broadcast rights via eOne’s international distribution arm.

The series is a fish-out-of-water comedy based on Greg Poehler’s own experiences and centres on a New York accountant who follows his girlfriend (played by Josephine Bornebusch) to Sweden.

Filming took place in Sweden, New York and Los Angeles.

Poehler makes his acting debut in the lead role while his sister, Will Ferrell, Aubrey Plaza, Gene Simmons and a string of other stars provided cameos.

The Poehlers exec produce alongside Fredrik Arefalk for TV4, Carrie Stein for eOne and veteran Swedish TV helmer/creator Felix Herngren for FLX.

“This show is a ‘first’ on so many levels,” said Stein, executive VP of global production for eOne Television, one being “the first time NBC has been involved with a comedy shot in Stockholm with a large Swedish cast.”

eOne is presenting the show to buyers here in Cannes together with other new series including Discovery period drama Klondike and female werewolf thriller Bitten, destined for Space in Canada and – as of last month – Syfy in the US.