Rikets tilstand

{{Short description|Norwegian TV documentary series}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox television

| image =

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| genre = Documentary
Investigative journalism

| creator = Gerhard Helskog

| country = Norway

| language = Norwegian

| num_seasons = 4

| num_episodes = 36

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| channel = TV 2

| first_aired = {{start date|df=yes|1999|09|30}}

| last_aired = {{end date|df=yes|2002|12|11}}

| related = Dokument 2

}}

Rikets tilstand ("State of the Realm") is a Norwegian investigative documentary series that aired on TV 2 from 1999 to 2002.{{Cite news|title=Folkets tv-favoritter: Dokumentar|url=http://www.se.no/folkets/?categoryId=8|work=Se.no|publisher=Dagbladet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305153027/http://www.se.no/folkets/?categoryId=8|archive-date=5 March 2016|language=Norwegian}} The host was Gerhard Helskog, former host of Dokument 2. The series premiered on 30 September 1999.

Rikets tilstand won a SKUP diploma and the Gullruten award for best documentary for the two-part episode Norske jenter omskjæres (2000), about Norwegian Muslim girls being subjected to female genital mutilation with the secret approval of imams.{{Cite web|title=Gullruten|url=https://snl.no/Gullruten|work=Store norske leksikon|date=26 May 2015|language=Norwegian}}{{Cite news|title=Støtter omskjæring|url=http://jooh.no/root/web_pages/TV%202_no%20-%20Rikets%20Tilstand.htm|work=TV 2|date=October 2000|language=Norwegian}}

The series became subject to a scandal in 2002 after an episode made unsubstantiated allegations of doping in the Norwegian national skiing team.{{Cite news|author=Aarre, Eivind|title=Helskog: - Vi har bommet grovt|url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/sport/Helskog---Vi-har-bommet-grovt-2745426.html|work=Stavanger Aftenblad|date=22 November 2002|language=Norwegian}} The series was also tarnished for sparking a moral panic following an episode in 2001 alleging the now-discredited link between the MMR vaccine and autism.{{Cite news|author=Brekke, Bo|title=Medierikets tilstand|url=http://www.nrk.no/urix/medierikets-tilstand-1.523664|work=NRK|date=25 November 2002|language=Norwegian}}{{cite journal|author=Westin, S|title=Postmoderne vaksinevegring|url=http://tidsskriftet.no/article/511369/|journal=Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association|number=8|date=20 March 2002|language=Norwegian}} Helskog was himself sued for libel (although eventually acquitted){{Cite news|author=Hanssen, Inge D.|title=Gerhard Helskog frifunnet|url=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/Gerhard-Helskog-frifunnet-6290467.html|work=Aftenposten|date=30 January 2004|language=Norwegian}} by Jan Simonsen, who claimed the series had directly resulted in him being expelled from the Progress Party.{{Cite news|title=- Helskog kostet meg Frp-medlemskapet|url=http://www.side3.no/158677.html|work=Side3|publisher=Nettavisen|date=26 November 2003|language=Norwegian}}