Line #40 Series/Naeturvaktin


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/naeturvaktin.jpg]]
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3	''Næturvaktin'' (English translation: ''Night Shift'') is an Icelandic WorkCom. It is set in a filling station, and follows the lives of two pump attendants and their overbearing boss.
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5	The protagonist, Daníel, drops out of medical school after suffering a nervous breakdown, and takes a job as a pump attendant. His dimwitted co-worker, Ólafur, dreams of fame and riches as the manager of his cousin's band, but his irresponsible antics and subservience to his boss prevent him from achieving his goals. Their boss, Georg, is a dictatorial bully who boasts to everyone about his five university degrees and has an obsession with collecting empty soft drink cans to claim the deposit.
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7	So far, there have been two sequels: ''Series/{{Dagvaktin}}'' (''Day Shift''), set in a hotel; and ''Series/{{Fangavaktin}}'' (''Jail Shift''), set in a prison. There is also a feature-length follow-up movie ''Bjarnfreðarson'' which, on its opening weekend, proved more popular in Iceland than ''Film/{{Avatar}}''.
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9	The show was broadcast in the United Kingdom on [[Creator/TheBBC BBC Four]] in 2011.
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11	A US [[{{Remake}} remake]] is in the works. [[CulturalTranslation It will take place in a Los Angeles suburb, change Ólafur's name to Tommy, turn Daníel into a "hunk playing the field" and Georg into a "survivalist".]]
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14	!! This show provides examples of:
15	* BadBoss: Georg goes out of his way to torment his employees, especially Ólafur.
16	* ButtMonkey:
17	** Ólafur. Picked on mercilessly by Georg, his sister, his brother-in-law, and victim of a [[FourOneNineScam Nigerian scammer]] and other misadventures. Of course, [[TheDitz he doesn't do himself any favours]]...
18	** Also Flemming. Not only does he have Georg as a father, he also gets picked on by kids from the neighbourhood, who draw a likeness of his father's glasses and facial hair on his face.
19	* TheCameo: Some scenes have Icelandic celebrities, playing themselves, as customers of the filling station.
20	* {{Catchphrase}}: Georg has ''five'' university degrees. Also, Olafur's "Jááááá, sæll!"
21	* CerebusSyndrome: At the start it's a sitcom about some guys working at a gas station with a horrible boss. The second series has [[RapeAsDrama rape]] and [[AccidentalMurder murder]], ''not'' played for laughs. The third takes place in prison. The movie's main plot is a full-blown exploration of how abused children go on to abuse ''their'' children, the lasting consequences of such abuse, and how the characters find themselves in life. It never stops being funny and the characters had depth from the beginning, but the focus shifts considerably towards the drama side.
22	* CharacterTitle: The movie is called ''Bjarnfreðarson'', referring to Georg's last name. Notably, last names in Icelandic aren't used the way last names in English are, so the use of his last name (a matronym) symbolizes the way that Georg is defined by being the son of his mother.
23	* ComicTrio: Georg (the idiot with the plans), Ólafur (the idiot who follows the plans) and Daníel ([[OnlySaneEmployee the sensible one]]).
24	* TheDitz: Ólafur isn't too bright, though he always means well.
25	* ExtremeDoormat: Daníel.
26	* ForeignCultureFetish: Georg's unexplained admiration of all things Swedish.
27	* FreudianExcuse: When you see Georg's mother you understand a little of why he is the way he is.
28	* HilarityEnsues: Most episodes have Georg trying to explain his way out of a "misunderstanding" that is really the result of his own foolishness.
29	* IdiotBall: Constantly passed around between the three main characters. In particular, the employees miss just about every possible chance to get rid of Georg.
30	* {{Jerkass}}: Georg manages to offend, assault, or otherwise annoy the hell out of everyone who's unfortunate enough to meet him.
31	* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Georg tends to be this.
32	* MommasBoy: Georg.
33	* MyBelovedSmother: Bjarnfreður to Georg.
34	* NewSeasonNewName: Season two of ''Næturvaktin'' is called ''Dagvaktin''; season three is called ''Fangavaktin''.
35	%%* OnlySaneEmployee: Daníel.
36	* SeriousBusiness: Never get between Georg and his empty soft drink cans.
37	* StealthInsult: Georg loves to 'encourage' people on the basis that they're of 'average intellect'.
38	* StupidBoss: Georg is full of bigotry and ignorance, despite the way he flaunts his education.
39	* WorthlessForeignDegree: He's not a foreigner, but Georg supposedly has five university degrees from Sweden... and yet he works at a gas station.
40	* WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell: Bjarnfreður was bummed, and so by extension was Georg.
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42	!! Episodes of this series provide examples of:
43	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Daníel ''can'' be pushed too far.
44	* BerserkButton:
45	** Don't ask Georg why, if he has five university degrees, he works at a filling station.
46	** ''Don't'' read Daníel's diary. And ''don't'' keep calling him "Samuel" either.
47	%%* FatBastard: Hot Dog Addict Guy.
48	* IHaveNoSon: Daníel's father is very disappointed in his decision to leave medical school.
49	* KnightTemplar: Georg righteously denounces such evils as [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking alcohol, pornography, and white bread]].
50	* MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: Ólafur manages this ''in his native language'' on the posters for his cousin's band.
51	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Ylfa Dís, the girl from the kiosk frequented by Daníel and Ólafur. Quite literally THE Chick. The only other women normally shown are female customers and Georg's mother Bjarnfreður, [[IronLady who really doesn't count]].
52	* TheStarscream: Ólafur [[spoiler:''almost'' pulls it off]] when the company sends someone to investigate all the complaints against Georg.
53	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Georg, when he learns that the night shift will be closed down.]]

Context Series / Naeturvaktin