I agree with many reviewers that "Welcome to Sweden" is packed with old fashioned stereotypes and that it is overall painfully badly written and executed, with very few glimpses of intelligent laughter-provoking jokes and acting.
It is therefore really a mystery how it has been given a second season. From a Swedish perspective, however, I see a couple of things that I think might have contributed to the "success" of this series despite the at best lukewarm reviews by many critics and audiences.
One: Sweden is a tiny country in this big world and Swedes are in awe of the US. When American celebrities (and former ones) show interest in us or even come to our little pond to connect and work, we get all excited and our newspapers and social media go berserk. The series' cameos, no matter being terribly unfunny, therefore attract an automatic audience. Greg P may be a terrible actor and writer, but through his sister Amy he is certainly a strong door opener to a very attractive US market, where not many Swedish TV series have made it before. And yes, nepotism is a big thing in Sweden too so connections beat quality.
Two: I think there is an American nostalgia or fascination with Sweden, based on a very limited postcard idea of Sweden, which gives the series a good portion of US viewers. The fact that the series is located in Swedish contexts, with Swedish actors and spoken Swedish, can itself be enough to fulfill a desire of viewers with a connection to Sweden. The quality of the show is in that light not the main thing.
I think both Swedish and American audiences deserve much better comedy than this and I can only wish that more talented, intelligent and modern first time writers will get a similar bombastic chance one day in the very small and closed TV world in Sweden.
It is therefore really a mystery how it has been given a second season. From a Swedish perspective, however, I see a couple of things that I think might have contributed to the "success" of this series despite the at best lukewarm reviews by many critics and audiences.
One: Sweden is a tiny country in this big world and Swedes are in awe of the US. When American celebrities (and former ones) show interest in us or even come to our little pond to connect and work, we get all excited and our newspapers and social media go berserk. The series' cameos, no matter being terribly unfunny, therefore attract an automatic audience. Greg P may be a terrible actor and writer, but through his sister Amy he is certainly a strong door opener to a very attractive US market, where not many Swedish TV series have made it before. And yes, nepotism is a big thing in Sweden too so connections beat quality.
Two: I think there is an American nostalgia or fascination with Sweden, based on a very limited postcard idea of Sweden, which gives the series a good portion of US viewers. The fact that the series is located in Swedish contexts, with Swedish actors and spoken Swedish, can itself be enough to fulfill a desire of viewers with a connection to Sweden. The quality of the show is in that light not the main thing.
I think both Swedish and American audiences deserve much better comedy than this and I can only wish that more talented, intelligent and modern first time writers will get a similar bombastic chance one day in the very small and closed TV world in Sweden.