TV 2 accuses of plagiarism

Just over a month ago, TV 2 released the first season of the series “Abu og Mayoos Norge”.

The reality series follows Abubakar “Abu” Hussain and Mayoo Indiran on a road trip across Norway. It’s because even though both TV profiles grew up in Norway, neither had the chance to experience what many consider quintessentially Norwegian.

Now, however, TV 2 is being accused of plagiarism by Norwegian production company Lucky View. They believe that the concept and premise of ‘Abu and Mayoo’s Norway’ is too similar to their series, 2020’s ‘Safari på safari’.

TV 2 program editor Kathrine Haldorsen tells Dagbladet that allegations that the channel engages in plagiarism are incorrect.

– It is nothing new that content in different channels can be similar to each other. We have not copied them.

From wonder to fun

Lucky View managing director and producer Christoffer Wæraas Pettersen can say that he had the idea for the “Safari on safari” series as early as 2019.

The documentary’s lead profile, Safari Shabani, was a trainee in the production company at the time and was constantly asking his colleagues many questions about Norway, even after living in the country for six years.

A year later, Lucky View took the keen intern’s curiosity seriously and began filming the series, as well as documenting Shabani’s experiences in Norway. The first episode was released on YouTube in Fall 2020.

The program editor of TV 2 replies and says that the background of the ‘Abu og Mayoos Norge’ series started with an idea that Abubakar ‘Abu’ Hussain started working on seven years ago.

– He would expose himself to typically Norwegian things against which he is prejudiced. That led to a pilot project in 2015, of which nothing else came of it, Haldorsen says.

He adds that it is precisely the lack of experience and the experiences from Norway of Hussain and Indiran that have meant that the concept has been developed further.

He has not been contacted by TV 2

At first, the production company Lucky View didn’t know how to finance their series on ‘Safari on safari’.

The initiators say that although they received financial aid from the population through splicing schemes and were sponsored by numerous well-wishers, they themselves contributed their own funds to complete the project.

The CEO and producer of Lucky View believes the similarities between the series are striking and will therefore go so far as to call TV 2 cowards.

– We think it’s very cowardly that TV 2 chose to copy from a small independent channel and didn’t contact us beforehand, Wæraas Pettersen tells Dagbladet.

TV 2 program editor Haldorsen will disagree that the channel drew inspiration for the series idea ‘Abu and Mayoo’s Norway’ from the production of Lucky View.

– Today I was informed about the YouTube series “Safari on safari”. The content they have published is very good, and I have to allow myself to brag about it, says the editor of the program on TV 2.

Lost something

After the success Lucky View had with its documentary series in the first two seasons, the series was further developed and one season became three.

Mikkel Graham Guttormsen, producer of ‘Safari på safari’ says the production company has received numerous comments from viewers that the series should have been shown on TV 2 or NRK, as it has generated so much interest.

The success of ‘Safari on safari’ has received a lot of media attention. Shabani was, among other things, interviewed by ‘Senkveld med Helene og Stian’ and ‘Good morning Norway’ about the series. He also participated in “71 degrees north-team”.

Unexpected refusal of the interview

In connection with the release of the first and second seasons of “Safari på safari”, Lucky View was invited to talk about the series on “Good morning Norway” on TV 2.

However, after Lucky View released this year’s concept season, the editors of “Good morning Norway” told them that they were not invited to take part in the program.

In an email to the production company, the editors explain that the Lucky View series shares too many similarities with a TV series 2 that “Good morning Norway” recently had on its schedule.

TV 2’s program editor, Kathrine Haldorsen, says TV 2’s program department has no connection or influence over the editorial decisions of ‘Good morning Norway’.

Dagbladet then contacts the editor-in-chief of “Good morning Norway”, Sissel Randsborg. She says:

– Safari Shabani has been a guest with us many times and we feel we have a good relationship with both him and the production company. At the same time, there is no automatism as you can be a guest whenever you want.

Furthermore, Randsborg emphasizes that the publisher’s job is to ensure a variety of guests, as well as provide viewers with a daily mix of relevant and entertaining content.