It took me a minute to adjust from 'Rita', one of my all-time favorite shows. Her name is 'Hjordis'. They may teach in the same school. They may both be strong characters. But their worlds are very different. Their strength is expressed very differently.
You might say that this is the G-rated cousin of 'Rita'. The intended audience is clearly much younger or broader. The focus is on a group of kids brought together to create a variety show to commemorate anti-bullying week/month (?) directed by Hjordis--with added pressure coming from the anticipated attendance of a member of the Royal Family.
At first, I was a little disappointed that we don't see Rita at least fly by in the background or something (or that I didn't catch it if she did). But Hjordis has learnt to stand on her own. After seeing it, I think everyone involved was wise (intentionally or not) to have her fly solo here. I think that Helle (the headmaster) is the only other character the two series had in common.
While it isn't flawless, it's much better than most other 'family' or children's programming or films I've seen. I don't think that it was condescending as most US and Canadian programming I've seen has seemed, attempting to address bullying/the differences among us issues with kids. This is not my genre. Without having seen 'Rita', I'd have still enjoyed it greatly. But having already seen three seasons of 'Rita' probably helped. If you've found it on-line, try it.
