Trond Kirkvaag

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Trond Georg Kirkvaag (21 June 1946 – 16 November 2007) was a Norwegian comedian, actor, imitator, screenwriter, author and director and tv host. In his 39 years at the Norwegian TV network, NRK, he produced numerous comedy television series, and at his untimely death he was widely hailed by his colleagues as the greatest Norwegian TV-comedian in history. He was the son of NRK journalist Rolf Kirkvaag.

Trond Kirkvaag appeared on TV-screens for the first time in 1968 with an NRK 1 program titled “Smil til det skjulte kamera” (Smile to the hidden camera), which was released first October 7, 1967. This was the first step into a strong relationship with NRK, and Kirkvaag is considered to be a strong part of the national TV and radio group's identity [1].

Trond Kirkvaag was best known for his work with Knut Lystad and Lars Mjøen with the comedy trio KLM [2], which was strongly influenced by the silliness of Monty Python, with something of the nonsensical Blackadder, Not the Nine O'Clock News or the childish Mr. Bean, by Rowan Atkinson, and also the slapstick of the silent movie era, as well as the wise-cracking of the Marx Brothers. He and his fellows won the “Gullrute” (Golden Pane) honor award in 2004. The showmen themselves decide who will get this award. This shows how well-respected he was among his colleagues.

KLM won another Gullrute in 2007, but only Lystad and Mjøen were there to take the prize, because of Kirkvaag's illness [3]. Lystad cried for his friend during the thanking speech.

Contents

[edit] Career

He started working at NRK in 1968, and one of his first successes was “Buffalo Bløffs internasjonale vegg-til-vegg-show” (The Buffalo Bluff Wall-to-Wall International Tour) in 1973, made with partner Jon Skolmen and Lars Mjøen. It won the Chaplin Award in Montreux. In 1976, he and Skolmen won the Golden Rose of Montreux, the Chaplin Award and the Press Award in Montreux for “The Nor-way to Broadcasting”, a humorous program about the history of broadcasting in Norway. He began collaboration with Lystad and Mjøen in 1976 with the satirical news program, “Nynytt” (Newnews). In 1979 they made the first of four series about “Brødrene Dal” (The Dal Brothers), which were produced until 2005 [4]. They also made a live show “Brødrene Dal - Vikingsverdets forbannelse” (The Brothers Dal - Curse of the Viking Sword) in 1997 and released an LP album with songs from the show.

A Fifth series of “Brødrene Dal” was planned, but it was abandoned after Kirkvaag's death.

Other programs included “MRK Fjærsynet” (MRK TeeVee [5], Skai TV - imitert fjernsyn” (Skai Ⓡ TV [6] — An Imitated Television (Channel), 1988), “KLMs Nachspiel” (KLM's After Play, 1992) and “KLMs Vorspiel” (KLM's Prelude, the Montreux live contributions, “Diplomatix” (1985) and “The Rise and Fall of an Olympic Village” (1994), as well as the film “Noe Helt Annet” (Something Completely Different, sometimes titled “Oppskrift på jubileumskake” — Jubilee Cake Recipe), a Monty Python tag line.

Kirkvaag created in 1996 the program “Trotto Libre” on NRK 1's “Alltid Moro” (Always Fun) [7], with fellow comedian Otto Jespersen, where he played the famous characters ‘Skræmmer'n’ (the Frightener) and ‘Jacob Winche-Lanche’. When the collaboration with Jespersen ended, he started in 2000 a skit series in the “Showtalk” and a few seconds satirical sketches on TV 2 talk show [8].

[edit] Death

On 16 November 2007, Trond Kirkvaag died at 61 of a colorectal cancer. He has been cremated on 30 November [9].

His last TV appearance was on “Luftens Helter”, which he co-created with Knut Lystad. Sadly, he was dead within the last scene.

Despite controversies over his autobiography (see next section), he will be remembered as one of Norway's most beloved entertainers.

[edit] Bibliography

He wrote two books: the crime novel “Kongen” (The King), and the autobiography “Kom ikke nærmere. Jeg og far” (Come no closer. Me and Dad), where he described what it was to grow up in the 50s in Majorstuen (a part of the Frogner borough in Oslo), in the shadow of the most famous Norwegian TV entertainer of his time, his father [10] [11], then nicknamed Sjonkel Rolf by the children who watched his shows.

In Come no closer [12], Kirkvaag describes his father as being some Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, both at home and at work [13], brutally punishing his children when they broke his rules, sometimes beating them [14] [15], though their sisters were always saved from harsh treatments. Trond Kirkvaag writes that he and his brothers were so frightened they used to call him The stranger. Trond's uncle Tor Kirkvaag (now 78, Rolf Kirkvaag's younger brother) denies this and all the rest of it [16]. Trond Kirkvaag's younger brother Rolf Jr., 59, has been as adamant as his uncle, firmly denying what his brother wrote [17], before admitting on the same day that he and his elder brother were actually mistreated by their father [18]. Trond claimed that he tried to make up with his father before he died, but it didn't happen.

[edit] Trivia

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.


  • He listened to many kinds of music, from folk music to bands like AC/DC and Metallica.
  • Despite claims by the tabloid Se og Hør [19], he did not write or finish his autobiography from his hospital bed.
  • He recorded an audio-cassette with parody skits for “Norsk Lotto” together with NRK-freelance TV-host Dan Børge Akerø.
  • He died the same day as fellow comedian Grethe Kausland, but he was one year older than her. They worked together in the last Brødrene Dal series.
  • He co-wrote and directed a show for the trio “Tre kæll” (with Pål Nielsen, Øyvind Johannessen and Atle Jenssen) in 2001 and got involved with them in a campaign for strong health care reforms [20].
  • Trond Kirkvaag became involved in politics in the 70s, shooting a political campaign short film for the Rød Valgallianse (RV — Red Electoral Alliance) together with Klaus Hagerup [21]. He usually didn't mix politics into his comedy skits.
  • Side 2 (TV2) [22] and others claim that Trond Kirkvaag shared hospital room with the legendary actor and singer Arve Opsahl and that both became closer.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ NRK Nett TV: «Nekrolog over Trond Kirkvaag ved Lisa Strindberg» (Obituary of T. Kirkvaag, by L. Strindberg) — video report.
  2. ^ You Tube: Here is an example of KLM: Trond Kirkvaag parodierer Dan Børge Akerø (KLM: Trond Kirkvaag parodying [fellow] Dan Børge Akerø).
  3. ^ Dagbladet, June 6, 2007: «Trond Kirkvaag alvorlig kreftsyk» (Trond Kirkvaag seriously ill with cancer).
  4. ^ IMDb: Trond Kirkvaag's Filmography.
  5. ^ This mocks NRK's title, with the acronym being an abbreviation of “Morsk Rikskringkasting” (Hard and Fast National Broadcasting Corporation). Fjærsyn is a colloquial pronunciation of “fjernsyn” (TV).
  6. ^ Not to be confused with the Greek Skai TV (ΣΚΑΪ Τηλεόραση) channel, set up five years later…
  7. ^ Dagbladet, October 5, 1996: «Morsomt» (Funny).
  8. ^ NRK, August 29, 2002: «Ubetalelig morsomme klipp» (Priceless humorous clips).
  9. ^ NRK: «Trond Kirkvaag ble bisatt fredag» (Trond Kirkvaag cremated Friday)
  10. ^ Dagsavisen, August 14, 2007: «Alt om hans far» (All about his father).
  11. ^ NRK, November 17, 2007: «Trond Kirkvaag er død» (Trond Kirkvaag died).
  12. ^ “Kom ikke nærmere” (Published by NRK aktivum Forlag, 2007, 270 pages, ISBN 9788281782389).
  13. ^ Aftenposten, August 1, 2007: «Minner uten filter» (Memories without filter).
  14. ^ VG, July 18, 2007: «Slått av far han fryktet» (Beaten by his father he feared).
  15. ^ Se og Hør, July 18, 2007: «Kirkvaag slått av far» (Kirkvaag beaten by his father).
  16. ^ Se og Hør, July 19, 2007: «Lillebror Kirkvaag raser» (Lil' brother Kirkvaag enraged).
  17. ^ Se og Hør, July 18, 2007: «- Kirkvaag var en god far» («Kirkgaard was a good father»).
  18. ^ VG, July 18, 2007: «- Jeg valgte ris på rumpa framfor husarrest» («I chose to be spanked on the buttocks instead of being prohibited from going out).
  19. ^ Se og Hør, June 22, 2007: «Skriver bok fra sykesenga» (He writes a book from his hospital bed).
  20. ^ Dagbladet, June 2, 2001: «Latterlig helsereform» (Preposterous health care reform).
  21. ^ Bøygen, April 2002: «Intervju med Dag Solstad” (Interview with Dag Solstad).
  22. ^ Side 2, November 30, 2007: «Ble bestevenner på dødsleiet - Arve Opsahl og Trond Kirkvaag delte rom på sykehuset.» (Became best friends on deathbed - Arve Opsahl and Trond Kirkvaag shared room at hospital).

[edit] External links