''Vi på Saltkråkan'' (We on Salt-Crow Island) is a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

TV series in 13 25-minute episodes from 1964. The script for the series was written by Astrid Lindgren, who later re-wrote it as a book, also titled ''Vi på Saltkråkan'' (published in English as '' Seacrow Island'' in 1964). Astrid Lindgren was closely involved in the filming and editing of the series, which took place on Norröra in the Stockholm archipelago. The series was produced and directed by

Olle Hellbom Nils Olof "Olle" Hellbom (8 October 1925 – 5 June 1982) was a Swedish film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is most famous for directing films based on novels by Astrid Lindgren. His 1960 film '' Alla vi barn i Bullerbyn'' was entered ...

Plot

The series tells the story of a family from Stockholm, consisting of the widowed author Melker Melkersson (played by

Torsten Lilliecrona Torsten Lilliecrona (4 January 1921 – 15 October 1999) was a Swedish actor. He is mostly famous for his role as Melker Melkersson in the highly successful TV show '' Vi på Saltkråkan'' (Life on Seacrow Island) for which Astrid Lindgren w ...

) and his four children: 19-year-old Malin (played by

Louise Edlind Sandra Louise Maud Edlind Friberg (born Louise Edlind on 15 July 1946) is a Swedish actress, model and politician. Acting career As an actress she became popular as Malin Melkersson, the kind, warm and beautiful older sister in the popular 1964 ...

) who assumes the role of mother in the family, the imaginative 13-year-old Johan, 12-year-old Niklas who is calm and down-to-earth, and 7-year-old Pelle, who loves animals of all kinds. The Melkersson family spend their summer holidays as well as some winters on Saltkråkan, an idyllic place symbolising the unspoilt archipelago. The year-round inhabitants of the island are sometimes amused by the ineptness of the city dwellers, but they become fast friends with the Melkersson family: when the idyll is threatened, such as when the house the Melkerssons rent is being sold, the islanders rise to help their friends keep their summer paradise. The Melkersson children become friends with the local kids:

Tjorven The name "Tjorven" is a fictional character created by Astrid Lindgren. It comes from a popular Swedish family show on television in the early 1960s. Based on a script by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, the story is about a number of characte ...

(actually Maria) Grankvist who is the same age as Pelle and who owns a huge St. Bernard dog named Båtsman (

Boatswain A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervise ...

), her older sisters Teddy and Freddy who teach Johan and Niklas to row and sail, and Stina, a gap-toothed Stockholm girl who spends her summer holidays with her grandfather, and who tells endless stories to the long-suffering adults around her. (Astrid Lindgren added the character of Stina to the script when Olle Hellbom had met Kristina Jämtmark and thought that she would make a good addition to the group of children.) The 13 episodes of the TV series were re-made into a movie in 1968, but the original TV series is re-run almost yearly in Swedish television, and some of the actors have become very closely associated with their characters in the series. The series has been translated into German, and was popular enough to be broadcast more than 20 times.Ferien auf Saltkrokan
German TV Guide (German)

Movie spin-offs

The popularity of the series led to the production of four full-length movies: *'' Tjorven, Båtsman och Moses'' (1964) *'' Tjorven och Skrållan'' (1965) *''

Tjorven och Mysak The name "Tjorven" is a fictional character created by Astrid Lindgren. It comes from a popular Swedish family show on television in the early 1960s. Based on a script by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, the story is about a number of character ...

'' (1966) *'' Skrållan, Ruskprick och Knorrhane'' (1967)

Cast

- Melker Melkersson *

- Malin Melkersson * Stephen Lindholm - Pelle Melkersson * Björn Söderbäck - Johan Melkersson * Urban Strand - Niklas Melkersson *

Bengt Eklund Bengt Gunnar Eklund (18 January 1925 – 19 January 1998) was a Swedish actor. He is well known as Nisse Granqvist in the 1964 TV series '' Vi på Saltkråkan''. Eklund worked for many years at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, but also ...

- Nisse Grankvist * Eva Stiberg - Märta Grankvist * Maria Johansson - Maria "Tjorven" Grankvist * Lillemor Österlund - Teddy Grankvist * Bitte Ulvskog - Freddy Grankvist * Sigge Fischer - Söderman * Kristina Jämtmark - Stina, Söderman's granddaughter * Tommy Johnson - Björn *

Märta Arbin Märta is a Swedish feminine given name. The name is often a diminutive of Margareta. Individuals bearing the name Märta include: * Märta of Denmark (1277–1341), Queen consort of Sweden * Märta Adlerz (1897–1979), Swedish diver * Märta ...

- Mrs Sjöblom * Alf Östlund - Mr Carlberg *Vivianne Westman - Lotta, Carlberg's daughter * Birger Lensander - Mr Mattson * Stig Hallgren - Farmer Jansson *

Eddie Axberg Jan Eddie Axberg (born 9 July 1947) is a Swedish actor and audio engineer. He has appeared in more than 50 films and television shows since 1959. At the 8th Guldbagge Awards he won the award for Best Actor for his roles in '' The Emigrants'' an ...

- Kalle *

Lars Göran Carlson Lar Göran Carlson (born 30 August 1936 in Gothenburg) is a Swedish actor and film director. Selected filmography *1962 - '' Raggargänget'' *1964 - '' Vi på Saltkråkan'' (TV) *1966 - '' Heja Roland!'' *1967 - ''Rooftree'' *1971 - ''Den by ...

- Krister * Sven Almgren - Berra

References

External links

Life on Seacrow Island

Saltkråkan symbol för sommar, sol och skärgård
"Seacrow Island is a symbol of the summer, sun and archipelago" * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vipasaltkrakan Astrid Lindgren Swedish children's television series 1964 books 1964 Swedish television series debuts 1964 Swedish television series endings Swedish television sitcoms 1960s Swedish television series Television series set on fictional islands Television series about vacationing Television shows set in Sweden Swedish-language television shows