Anders Grip
Created by Tony Holland and Louise Boije af Gennäs

Snoken is Swedish slang for private dick -- a "snok" is someone who puts his nose where it don´t really belongs, from "snoka," meaning to sneak around. It's also the name of a Swedish television show about ANDERS GRIP, a somewhat rumpled private detective in Stockholm. He lives in a houseboat together with his dog "Tubbe" and charges 400 SEK/hour, plus expensives. He's a rather "low-boiled" detective and his cases mostly involve cheating husbands, blackmail and threats. He drives around in an old Volvo Duett from the 60s, that's not in much better shape than he is.

Anders also has to put up with a wide circle of family and friends, including his cop contact and friend Captain Nelson, his brother Carl-Erik Eriksson (also a cop) and his wife and kids, not to mention his mother and father.

The show ran on SVT Channel One from 1993 to 1997, and was also sold to Russia.

Unfortunately, Snoken was, well, pure crap. I'm not very fond of Swedish cop or crimeshows. But Snoken was, I guess, an effort to do something different. A Swedish type of Frank Marker or Eddie Shoestring. You know, a person living a simple life far from luxury and glamour.

In Sweden we are rather fortunate to experience crime shows from all around the world. Not only Italian, French, English, Australian, American (ofcourse), but also strange ones from places like Tjeckoslovakia, Poland and our neightbours Denmark and Norway. German shows seem to be quite popular, as well.

Most Swedish crime shows tend to follow the German formula -- very realistic and also sometimes very violent. Few countries seem to use as much red paint (blood) as we do, and that is why I don´t like them. I think people need an escape from the reality and not have it served as "entertainment". To its credit, Snoken was not violent, but tried to offer a "realistic" look at a private detective living on the edge of non-existence, struggling to get along and to pay the bills.

TELEVISION

• SNOKEN
  (1993-1997, SVT 1-Sweden)
  20 50-minute episodes
  Starring Sven-Åke Gustavsson as ANDERS GRIP
  Also starring Axel Düberg as Captain Nelson
  With Carl Kjellgren, Yvonne Lombard, Lena Lindewall, Hanna Nilsson, Fredrik åden, Stig Grybe
  Writers: Tony Holland, Louise Boije af Gennäs, Lars Bill Lundholm, Bill Lundström, Jonas Frykberg, Ulf Ryberg, Liselott Svensson
  Directors: Harald Hamrell, Leif Krantz, Roger Sellberg, Kjell Sundvall
  Guest stars: Maria Johansson, Mathias Henriksson, Anita Björk, Katja Blomquist, Maria Krantz, Reine Brynolfsson, Gustav
  Levin

• Season 1
• "Bindande bevis" (Binding Agreemen; April 5, 1993)
• "Avskedsföreställningen" (The Farewell Performance; April 12, 1993)
• "Mannen utan minne" (The Man Without Memory; April 19, 1993)
• "Och himlen därtill ..." (And Heaven thereto ...; April 26, 1993)
• "Familjeband" (Family Ties; May 3, 1993)
• "Blod är tjockare än vatten" (Blood is Thicker Than Water; May 10, 1993)
  .
• Season 2
• "Vinnare och förlorare" (Winner or Looser; January 31, 1995)
• "Första, andra, tredje" (First, Secord, Third ; February 7, 1995)
• Ju fler kockar ..." (Too Many Cooks ...; February 14, 1995)
• "Bisysslor" (Part-time Jobs; February 21, 1995)
• "Modets slavar" (Slaves to Fashion; February 28, 1995)
• "Sådan fader, sådan son" (Like Father, Like Son; March 7, 1995)
• "Dåliga förbindelser" (Bad Connections; March 14, 1995)
• "Kropp och själ" (Body and Soul; March 21, 1995)
  .
• Season 3
• "Gränsfall" (Borderline Case; March 21, 1997)
• "Skenet bedrar (Not as it Looks) (March 28th, 1997)
• "Den enes bröd (One Mans Bread) (April 4th, 1997)
• "Trosbekännelser (Confessions of Believes) (April 11th, 1997)
• "Ingen dans på rosor (No Dance on Roses) (April 18th, 1997)
• "Till varje pris (At Any Price) (April 25th, 1997)

RELATED LINKS

• Snoken
  Thorough, detailed fan site dedicated to the Swedish private eye show. In Swedish.

Respectfully submitted by Anders Ahlerup.