Husker du? (Norwegian for "Do you remember?") is a television music program aimed at senior citizens, broadcast between the years 1971 and 1985 by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. It was initiated and largely hosted by Ivar Ruste, accompanied by Odd Grythe initially and Børt-Erik Thoresen after Grythe's health deteriorated. When Ruste retired due to ill health, Thoreson merged the show with a classical-music program he had hosted, continuing until mid-1985. Ruste's death earlier that year influenced Thoreson's decision to conclude the program; at that point 130 programs in the series had been broadcast, with several recordings from the show being published for EMI.
History
editOn 7 October 1971, a new TV show "aimed at people who had lived a while", hosted by Odd Grythe and Ivar Ruste, Husker du?, was announced.[1] It first premiered on national television on 13 October, starting at 21:15 during the night. It was shot from Engebret Café in Oslo with direction from Bjørn Scheele.[2] Arnt Haugen was responsible for the music, leading an orchestra of seven.[3] It contained interviews with and performances by musicians who were invited to play on the show.[4] The second and third episodes followed on 10 November[5] and 8 December.[6] These were the only planned programmes for the show,[1] but by December, Grythe had informed that it would likely continue over the New Year.[6] Ruste had gotten the idea of TV shows for the elderely after he performed at a nursing home with Grythe and Haugen: "The television really should have been here now!". He had sent the suggestion for a new show to NRK the day after, but it wasn't picked up until a year and a half later, when Grythe's position at the company had changed.[7]
In April 1980, Grythe announced that the 101st episode would be the final one, but stated that a comeback was a possibility.[8][9] The 100th episode was broadcast on 17 May, Norway's Constitution Day,[10] and the 101st aired on 10 June.[11] In response to the show's conclusion, the production company received thousands of protest letters, many of which were from pensioners' associations. The immense response made them reassess whether to shut it down or replace it with something similar. Despite claims that it was shut down because of company management, Grythe stated that it was entirely his decision to stop.[12]
The show returned to NRK on 1 September 1982 with the 102nd episode.[13]
Ivar Ruste died on 25 February 1985.[14] Ruste was not commemorated on any of the following programmes. When question about this, Grythe stated that "they do not tend to it on such programmes". The woman who called him to ask was also informed that there would only be two more episodes left of the show before Grythe would retire.[15] On 31 May, it was announced that the final programme of the show would air in June, with Grythe retiring in December.[16] The 130th and final programme aired on 30 June 1985.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b "Husker du dengang -" [Do You Remember Back Then -]. Samhold/Velgeren (in Norwegian). 7 October 1971. p. 16.
- ^ "Husker du -?" [Do You Remember -?]. Tidens Krav (in Norwegian). Vol. 62, no. 236. 13 October 1971. p. 3.
- ^ "Husker du?". Fremover (in Norwegian Bokmål). Vol. 69, no. 231. 7 October 1971. p. 12.
- ^ "Hørt Sett" [Heard, Seen]. Tønsbergs Blad (in Norwegian). Vol. 102, no. 237. 14 October 1971. p. 4.
- ^ "Arnt Haugen i TV i kveld" [Arnt Haugen on TV Tonight]. Laagendalsposten (in Norwegian). Vol. 69, no. 140. 10 November 1971. p. 6.
- ^ a b "Nora Brockstedt og Frank Robert hos Grythe i dag" [Nora Brockstedt and Frank Robert with Grythe Today]. Drammens Tidende og Buskeruds Blad (in Norwegian). No. 284/1971. 8 December 1971.
- ^ Grødahl, Solveig (21 February 1975). "Ivar Ruste - fetteren til "han Karlsen"". Tromsø (in Norwegian Bokmål). No. 44/1975. p. 7.
- ^ "Populært fjernsynsprogram forsvinner: Kroken på døra for "Husker du"" [Popular TV Programme to Go Away: End of the Line for "Husker Du"]. Telemark Arbeiderblad (in Norwegian). Vol. 58, no. 88. 17 April 1980. pp. 1, 18.
- ^ Hvattum, Torstein (17 April 1980). "Huskestue-slutt". Nationen (in Norwegian). Vol. 62, no. 88.
- ^ Jahreie, Marit (16 May 1980). "NRK-ledelsen stanser "Husker du": - I morgen må jeg skuffe mor" [NRK Management Halts "Husker Du": "Tomorrow I'll Have to Disappoint Mother"]. Arbeiderbladet (in Norwegian). No. 112/1980. pp. 20–21.
- ^ Glorvigen, Eva (16 July 1980). "Nå er "Husker du" bare et minne" ["Husker Du" is Now Nought but Memory]. Billedbladet Nå (in Norwegian). No. 29/1980. pp. 2–3.
- ^ Johansen, Arnstein (8 July 1980). "Proteststorm kan redde "Husker du?": Det hundrede og første skulle bli det siste..." [Protests Could Save "Husker du?": The Hundred and First was Supposed to be the Last...]. Nationen (in Norwegian Bokmål). Vol. 62, no. 154. p. 16.
- ^ ""Husker du?" for 102. gang" ["Husker Du?" for the 102nd Time]. Asker og Bærums Budstikke (in Norwegian). Vol. 84, no. 167. 1 September 1982. p. 19.
- ^ "Ivar Ruste er død" [Ivar Ruste is Dead]. Porsgrunns Dagblad (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 26 February 1985. p. 5.
- ^ Gautneb, Harald (23 April 1985). "Min linje" [My Line] (in Norwegian Bokmål). No. 92/1985. p. 4.
- ^ Hansen, Lone (31 May 1985). "Aller siste "Husker Du"" [Very Last "Husker Du"]. Fremtiden (in Norwegian). Vol. 77, no. 121. p. 9.
- ^ Wibecke, Lie (29 June 1985). "Navn i nyhetene: Odd Grythe" [Name in the News: Odd Grythe]. Rogalands Avis (in Norwegian). No. 146/1985. p. 22.
External links
edit- Husker du? on NRK's TV archive