| The Almighty Johnsons | |
|---|---|
The Almighty Johnsons (DVD cover) (l-r) Anders, Mike, Axl, Ty, Olaf |
|
| Format | Fantasy, Drama, Comedy |
| Created by | James Griffin Rachel Lang |
| Developed by | South Pacific Pictures |
| Starring | Emmett Skilton Tim Balme Dean O'Gorman Jared Turner Ben Barrington |
| Opening theme | Oh My, Gin |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | James Griffin Rachel Lang Chris Bailey John Barnett |
| Producer(s) | Simon Bennett |
| Running time | 42 mins. (approx) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TV3 |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV), 720p (HDTV) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original run | February 8, 2011 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Almighty Johnsons is a New Zealand fantasy comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and is produced by South Pacific Pictures. It began airing its first season of ten episodes[1] in New Zealand on February 8, 2011.
The show follows a student named Axl Johnson, who on his 21st birthday discovers his family members are reincarnated Norse gods. The only problem is, they don't have full control of their powers and it is up to Axl (the reincarnation of Odin) to restore them and ensure the family's survival by finding the reincarnation of Odin's wife, Frigg. Matters are complicated by the presence of four antagonistic Norse goddesses who are trying to find Frigg before the Johnsons do to prevent the restoration of the gods' powers. Moreover, the Johnsons and the band of goddess rivals aren't the only Norse deities living in exile in New Zealand.
Season 1 was released on DVD in New Zealand on May 18, 2011.[2]
Funding for a second series was approved by NZ On Air in June 2011.[3]
Contents |
| Character (God/Goddess) |
Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Axl Johnson (Odin) |
Emmett Skilton | The main character of the show. Axl was raised by Mike after his father died and mother walked out. He has shown a handful of abilities the most visible being super strength, but also an instinctive battle sense as befitting a war god. He has been on a quest to seek out his soul-mate, the Goddess Frigg, so that the Norse gods' and goddesses' powers can be restored to their full potential. |
| Mike Johnson (Ullr) |
Tim Balme | The oldest of the Johnson brothers and also the wisest. Mike is seen as a father figure to Axl. He has a high sense of responsibility, and is willing to risk debt to make good on his word. He is the god of the hunt, and has the power of skill at any game, however the use of his powers brings as much bad luck as good, such as taunting his pool table opponents leading to a bar brawl and his best friend Rob going into a coma for fifteen years. |
| Anders Johnson (Bragi) |
Dean O'Gorman | The cocky brother, Anders is selfish and arrogant, wanting to reclaim his power for his own selfish needs. He has the power of manipulation of those that can hear his voice. |
| Ty Johnson (Höðr) |
Jared Turner | The very sensible brother, Ty is very shy and spends a lot of time alone. He has the power of radiating cold. Ty cannot feel warmth and is unaffected by below freezing temperatures, hence his job selling and repairing refrigerators. |
| Gaia | Keisha Castle-Hughes | Axl's flatmate, a nurse. She has a crush on him, and Axl has feelings for her but has yet to realize it. |
| Valerie Johnson | Roz Turnbull | Valerie is Mike's wife. She went through hormone treatment as part of the in vitro fertilisation process with Mike as they attempted to have a child. She was the fiancée of Mike's best friend Rob until he went into a coma. |
| Olaf Johnson (Baldr) |
Ben Barrington | The boys' grandfather who is an oracle, though his diluted god-powers and years of drug use mean he's no longer very good at it. He is god of long life and rebirth, and therefore while currently being in his 90s he still looks youthful. |
| Zeb | Hayden Frost | Axl's other flatmate. Useless and gutless, he's up for anything without thinking of the consequences first. |
| Dawn | Fern Sutherland | Dawn is Anders' secretary and first assistant in his PR company. She is constantly bemoaning her job and the lengths to which she goes to please Anders but doesn't realise that she only does these things because of his persuasive tongue, which has also kept her from deciding to quit her job. |
| Agnetha (Freyja) |
Alison Bruce | The leader of a band of goddesses that will become known as the Forces of Frigg[4] who are intent on undermining the gods' quest to regain their powers. She is the goddess of fertility and prosperity.[5] As revealed in the season one finale, she is the mother of the Johnson brothers. |
| Ingrid (Snotra) |
Rachel Nash | Goddess of prudence and wisdom[4] and oracle of Agnetha's band of goddesses who has an analogous role to that of Olaf amongst the Johnsons. Ingrid spends a lot of time researching the geneaology of potential Norse gods and goddesses in their quest to reach Frigg before Odin does. She has a soft spot for Olaf which finds her telling him things she shouldn't. |
| Michele (Sjöfn) |
Michelle Langstone | One of Agnetha's band of goddesses, Sjöfn is the goddess of love, and is bisexual. Michele in her mortal guise is a local area doctor. She is often entrusted with the riskier intervention missions against the Johnson brothers. |
| Stacey (Fulla) |
Eve Gordon | One of Agnetha's band of goddesses and Frigg's handmaiden.[4] The only member of the Forces of Frigg without any real powers to speak of she is sent all over the city whenever an errand needs to be done. |
| Colin Gundersen (Loki) |
Shane Cortese | Colin is a lawyer and the estranged father of Eva. As the god Loki he is the God of Fire. He makes a contract with the Johnsons for Axl to marry his daughter, Eva, on pain of death if the contract is not fulfilled. He has secretly allied with Agnetha. |
| Episode # |
|
Director | Writer(s) | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It’s a Kind of a Birthday Present"[6] | Mark Beesley | James Griffin | February 8, 2011 |
| It is Axl Johnson's 21st birthday - which explains the fire in the sky; the Waitemata Harbour being the colour of blood; the various women who seem to want to kill him; and the sudden need for a ceremony in a forest where his brothers reveal that they are all reincarnated Norse gods, and that he is Odin. | ||||
| 2 | "This Is Where Duty Starts"[7] | Mark Beesley | James Griffin | February 14, 2011 |
| Olaf explains that Axl must be reunited with Odin's wife, the goddess Frigg, otherwise disaster will strike the entire family | ||||
| 3 | "God's Gift to Zebras"[8] | Murray Keane | James Griffin | February 21, 2011 |
| Axl meets and woos a librarian who claims to be Frigg; Ty is infatuated with the Goddess Iðunn. Michele reveals the goddesses' plans. | ||||
| 4 | "You Gotta Love Life, Baby"[9] | Murray Keane | Rachel Lang | February 28, 2011 |
| Sometimes the line between doing the honourable thing and doing the easy thing, can get very blurred - especially when it comes to gods and their offspring. Olaf has had considerable experience of the latter, given his longevity. | ||||
| 5 | "This Is Not Washing Powder, My Friend"[10] | Mark Beesley | Maxine Fleming & James Griffin | March 7, 2011 |
| When something seems too good to be true, this is inevitably because it is too good to be true. And this is a lesson Axl Johnson is about to learn after Michele plants cocaine in his car. Meanwhile, the flatmates are visited by Gaia's gay dad, Brin, from Waiheke Island. | ||||
| 6 | "Goddesses, Axl, Come In All Forms"[11] | Mark Beesley | James Griffin | March 14, 2011 |
| The paths of the gods and goddesses cross at a rural funeral and both groups encounter Derek, the current incarnation of Thor. But is Derek's daughter, Delphine, the Frigg and will Axl mate with her? Meanwhile, Olaf and Ingrid bond, Anders and Michele indulge in a little verbal sparring, and Ty and Dawn explore a deeper relationship. | ||||
| 7 | "Bad Things Happen"[12] | Murray Keane | Tim Balme & James Griffin | March 21, 2011 |
| Two nights out drinking lead to two different forms of temptation - both of which could end very badly for the parties concerned. With ever-increasing financial problems Mike decides to use his powers to alleviate the pressure a little and realises that their side-effects are not always bad. Anders' past returns to haunt him and Axl has an opportunity to assert his authority. | ||||
| 8 | "I Can Give You Frigg"[13] | Murray Keane | Rachel Lang | March 28, 2011 |
| It seems that the goddesses have finally found the lost goddess Frigg, in the form of a singing female butcher, Eva. However, Ingrid is still susceptible to Olaf's charms and the Johnson boys are soon notified. Mike and Val's marriage hits a rocky patch after the sudden revival of Rob, Val's formerly comatose fiancé. Meanwhile Stacey, Michele, Axl and Anders close in on Eva. | ||||
| 9 | "Hunting Reindeer on Slippery Rocks"[14] | Mark Beesley | James Griffin | April 4, 2011 |
| Axl and Eva begin a hesitant relationship, but will Colin Gundersen, Eva's estranged father and also the god Loki, be supportive? A ceremony for the union of the God clans takes place, and Zeb and Dawn suffer the consequences of being too close to Gods. Ty suffers a broken heart as he realises he can never be together with Dawn, the mortal woman that he loves, while Freyja and Loki scheme together behind the scenes. | ||||
| 10 | "Every Good Quest Has a Sacrifice"[15] | Mark Beesley | James Griffin | April 11, 2011 |
| Axl has second thoughts about wedding Eva, as he realises that he loves his flatmate Gaia, instead. How will this affect the gods' acquisition of their powers? Loki doesn't intend to let the Johnson clan out of the nuptial contract, given that it was signed in blood, but then the oracles deduce Eva is actually Hel, goddess of the dead and the underworld, not Frigg at all. To fulfil the contract Ty marries Eva. However, Gaia leaves for Waiheke Island after the protracted events that follow. Meanwhile, Val is pregnant to Rob, so Mike and Val's marriage ends, and Anders makes overtures to Agnetha, who confirms that she is the long-lost mother of the Johnson brothers. | ||||