In the fall of 2023, TV4 announced that they had decided to pause several of their major programs. Long-running acts such as Let’s Dance, Talang, Biggest Loser, Karl Fredrik på Österlen and Parlamenten were all deleted from the table. Also Lotta på Liseberg, Farmer seeks wife – Kärlek ät alla and Wild Kids were programs that were put on hold.
But not only well-known television programs disappeared from the screen. Even the popular presenter Anna Lindmarker chose, after being offered a severance package, to leave the channel. By then she had worked at TV4 for 26 years.
– I actually didn’t think so, but it’s a reorganisation, we’re saving and there will be redundancy in the program management group. Then I got this question and at first I thought “no, but why then? Never in my life” Because I love journalism, I love my job, Anna told TV4.
Masked Singer a great success for TV4
Among the programs that TV4 broadcasts this spring are Reneé’s bridge, Robinson, Farmen, Sweden’s master chef and Best in test.
Masked Singer is also something that the channel has invested heavily in. With David Hellenius as presenter and a jury consisting of Pernilla Wahlgren, Felix Herngren, Måns Zelmerlöw and Nour El-Refai so it has become one of TV4’s big hit programs in the entertainment segment.
Since the season premiere on March 22, they have, according to figures from MMS attracted over 1.3 million viewers – every week. In the program, twelve famous people hide behind spectacular masks. In each episode, they slowly reveal more and more about themselves – and the jury’s task is to guess which famous person is hiding behind the costumes.
Masked Singer is a great success for TV4. Image source: Anders Wiklund/TT Bild Harsh criticism from the well-known columnist
Despite the viewer success, the program has also been met with criticism. In a new column, so takes Today’s News well-known columnist Johan Croneman brings out the big sledgehammer – and total saws both the program concept, but also the famous Swedes who take part.
“One is not surprised to see Pernilla Wahlgren larking about with anything, however, for payment, she probably has no further limit,” writes Croneman and adds that he is surprised that both Måns and Felix participate in the program.
Johan Croneman. Image source: Janerik Henriksson/TT BildKängan against Felix Herngren: “A little sad”
The fact that Nour is in Masked Singer is also something that puzzles Croneman.
He writes that he long believed that she was an artist and actor with both integrity, credibility and good taste – and then wonders why a professional professional man/woman “sells herself to this type of television”.
He ends the chronicle with a serious sawing of Felix Herngren. He highlights Herngren’s great financial success, and writes that he is admired as both an entrepreneur, comedian and screenwriter.
Felix Herngren and the rest of the Masked Singer gang are totally cut in Dagens Nyheter. Image source: Jonas Ekströmer/TT Bild
“He is approaching sixty – does he have no dreams left, such as a director? Maybe ‘Masked singer’ is his dream? His high point in life? Isn’t that a little sad?”, writes Croneman in his column.