Sweden’s TV4, Amy Poehler hook up for comedy

Swedish network TV4 has hooked up with Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler to produce a half-hour comedy about an American man who falls for a Swedish woman.

Poehler and her brother Greg will produce Welcome to Sweden under their new production banner, Syskon. Also on board are Stockholm-based producer FLX, which is behind TV4’s comedy Solsidan and indie studio Entertainment One, which has international distribution rights. It also marks TV4’s first English-language coproduction.

The series is based on Greg Poehler’s true-life story and he will star as a New York accountant moves to Sweden to be with the woman of his dreams. Shooting will be shot in Sweden and New York and begins next Monday (May 13).

“I’m overjoyed to work with everyone involved to create what we hope will be a uniquely international show. Mostly, I’m happy to finally start profiting from my strange Swedish experiences,” said Greg Poehler.

When Greg teamed up with Felix Herngren and his excellent team at FLX, there was no doubt that this series had a unique and huge potential to reach further than the Swedish comedy audience,” said Asa Sjöberg, director of programmes at TV4.

Pontus Edgren, FLX’s managing partner described Welcome to Sweden as “not only a multinational comedy series, but also in terms of the way it is being financed and produced. FLX is very proud to be a part of this collaboration with eOne and TV4 and we believe this model will open up new opportunities of making great content”.

Amy and Greg Poehler, TV4’s Fredrik Arefalk, Entertainment One’s Carrie Stein and FLX’s Felix Herngren are executive producers.