Whiskey on the Rocks
{{about|Swedish television series|the drink|Whisky|and|Ice cube}}{{Short description|Swedish historical satire television series}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| genre = Satire
| creator = Henrik Jansson-Schweizer
| based_on =
| writer = {{Plainlist|
- Jonas Jonasson
- Henrik Jansson-Schweizer
}}
| screenplay =
| story =
| director = Bjorn Stein
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Rolf Lassgård
- Elsa Saisio
- Anders Mossling
- Niklas Engdahl
- Filip Berg
- Adam Lundgren
- Kęstutis Jakštas
- Mark Noble
- Spencer MacIntyre
}}
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| country = Sweden
| language = Swedish
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 6
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Henrik Jansson-Schweizer
- Patrick Nebout
- Magnus Bimberg
- Anna Croneman
- Sonja Hermele
- Nanna Mailand-Mercado
- Peter Zell
}}
| producer = Jan Marnell
| editor =
| cinematography =
| runtime =
| company = Humanoids
| budget =
| network = {{Plainlist|
}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|2025|01|22|df=y}}
| last_aired =
}}
Whiskey on the Rocks is a Swedish satirical television series based on a story by Jonas Jonasson and written by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer inspired by real life events during the Cold War. From Sveriges Television, it broadcasts internationally on Hulu and Disney+ from 22 January 2025.
Premise
Based on a real life incident in which Soviet submarine S-363 became beached on Swedish soil during the Cold War.
Cast and characters
- Rolf Lassgård as Thorbjörn Fälldin
- Elsa Saisio as Aleksandra Kosygina
- Anders Mossling as Ola Ullsten
- Niklas Engdahl as Börje Lagerkrantz
- Filip Berg as Håkan Martinsson
- Adam Lundgren as Captain Hammerberg
- Kęstutis Jakštas as Leonid Brezhnev
- Mark Noble as Ronald Reagan
- Spencer MacIntyre as Chester Lang
Production
=Development=
In 2020, production company Dramacorp began developing Cold War comedy drama series Whiskey On The Rocks based on a real-life 1981 incident.{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2020/tv/global/sweden-dramacorp-whiskey-on-the-rocks-tv-series-1234821278/|website=Variety|accessdate=20 January 2025|date= Nov 2, 2020|title=Sweden's Dramacorp Raises 'Whiskey On The Rocks' (EXCLUSIVE)|first= Naman |last=Ramachandran}} Initially conceived as a thriller, it developed into a comedy drama with the input of writer Jonas Jonasson. The series is directed by Björn Stein and produced by Henrik Jansson-Schweizer and Patrick Nebout with Magnus Bimberg’s Humanoids.{{cite web|url= https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/470429/|website=Cineuropa.org|accessdate=20 January 2025|title= Björn Stein • Director of Whiskey on the Rocks|date=20 November 2024}} A series order from Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Television came in September 2022.{{cite web|title= Sweden's SVT Orders 'Whiskey On The Rocks'; Netflix Women Pitch Contest Winners; Keshet International Hire; 'Gogglebox' Wales; Red Arrow Mipcom Scripted — Global Briefs|first2=Jesse |last2=Whittock|first1=Melanie|last1= Goodfellow
|date=September 5, 2022|url= https://deadline.com/2022/09/svt-skyverse-whiskey-on-the-rocks-global-briefs-1235108245/|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=20 January 2025}}
For Stein, the six-part series is not partisan, saying that "Swedes, Russians, Americans − there are idiots everywhere. We don’t have a political standpoint with this. It’s more like men with power abuse it repeatedly, and diplomacy is the way to go. That’s what we’re communicating". Some crew members were initially not told that the series was a comedy, with Stein saying the mentality and the approach was to be "the same as for a traditional spy thriller. By using this visual language, we can slide from the funny bits to the thrilling bits without changing costume, so to speak".{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/01/jonas-jonasson-on-whiskey-on-the-rocks-swedish-cold-war-submarine-satire-1236259701/|website=Deaine Hollywood|title= Jonas Jonasson Lifts The Lid On Disney+ Original 'Whiskey On The Rocks'; Ronald Reagan & Leonid Brezhnev Face Off In Swedish Cold-War Submarine Satire|first=Stewart|last=Clarke|date=January 20, 2025}}
The cast includes Rolf Lassgård, Elsa Saisio, Anders Mossling, Niklas Engdahl, Filip Berg and Adam Lundgren, as well as Kęstutis Jakštas as Leonid Brezhnev and Mark Noble as Ronald Reagan.{{cite web|url= https://advanced-television.com/2024/11/26/whiskey-on-the-rocks-coming-to-disney/|website=Advanced Television|accessdate=20 January 2025|title= Whiskey on the Rocks coming to Disney+|date=November 26, 2024}}
Filming took place in Sweden and Lithuania in 2023.{{cite web|website=c21media|url= https://www.c21media.net/news/swedens-svt-disney-dive-into-cold-war-submarine-satire-whiskey-on-the-rocks/|accessdate=20 January 2025|date=6 July 2023|title= Sweden's SVT, Disney+ dive into Cold War submarine satire Whiskey On the Rocks}}
Release
The series had a Swedish premiere at the 35th Stockholm International Film Festival in 2024. It began airing on SVT1 in Sweden in December 2024. The series is available in the United States on Hulu and in the United Kingdom on streaming service Disney+ through the Star content hub from 22 January 2025.{{cite web|url= https://press.disney.co.uk/news/swedish-cold-war-political-satire-whiskey-on-the-rocks-premieres-january-22-exclusively-on-disney+|website=Disney.co.uk|accessdate=20 January 2025|title= SWEDISH COLD WAR POLITICAL SATIRE WHISKEY ON THE ROCKS PREMIERES JANUARY 22 EXCLUSIVELY ON DISNEY+|date=26 November 2024}}{{cite web|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=20 January 2025|url= https://deadline.com/2024/12/european-tv-dramas-to-watch-2025-the-leopard-the-seduction-costiera-1236200571/|title= 'The Leopard' Will Pounce And 'The Seduction' Begins: Eight Hot European TV Dramas To Watch In 2025|first=Jesse |last=Whittock|date=December 28, 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|tt13391432}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiskey on the Rocks}}
Category:Swedish television series
Category:2024 Swedish television series debuts
Category:Television shows filmed in Sweden
Category:Television shows filmed in Lithuania