Bård Ylvisåker
Take a walk with me down Fascination Street as I get to know Bård Ylvisåker. Bård is one half of the Norwegian comedy & music duo "Ylvis". In this episode, we chat about how growing up in Africa and abroad helped him and his brother (Vegard) develop their own sense of comedy. He shares stories of the brothers getting started and finding the way to their own unique sound and comedic voice. I also ask him about some of the variety television shows that him & Vegard participated in and developed. They hosted a radio show for several years on Norway; as well as several comedy television series in the region. Obviously, we talk about his experience on 'Taskmaster' (Kongen Befaler) as well as the show "I Kveld med Ylvis". Then, in 2013, Ylvis rocketed to worldwide stardom with the smash comedy-pop hit song "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)". This song became a global phenomenon, with over 1.2 BILLION views on YouTube. Bård explains what the song is about, and what the success of it did for him and his brother. He describes what it was like to tour the world, while having a brand-new baby, and how that kept him grounded. We also discuss a 7-episode comedy series made for Norwegian television called 'Stories From Norway'. This series was based on true events where a group of Norwegian scientists launched a rocket carrying scientific equipment to study the Aurora Borealis. Due to an error in communication within Russia; officials there mistook it for a nuclear warhead headed toward Russia, launched by an American submarine off the coast of Norway. The story is absolutely insane, but true, The Ylvis television series made light of the event, while also spreading the knowledge that it was the closest we have come to an actual nuclear war on Earth. Hard to believe, but the songs from this project are hilarious! You can find those songs on Spotify and elsewhere; but the TV show itself, is nearly impossible to locate. So, if anyone has, or can find it.... SEND IT TO ME! Naturally, Bård lets me play 'The Fox', and another song by Ylvis that is also one of my favorites. Check them out at Ylvis.com and see what they are up to.