"Matador" (which means Monopoly, i.E, or Monopol as we say in Sweden) is what "Dallas" or "Falcon Crest" are to the US viewers and what "Varuhuset" or "Rederiet" are to the Swedes. This being said, "Matador" is better than all of them!! "Matador" belongs up there among the best TV-series EVER produced in the world, in my opinion. Starting in the 1920s (I believe) we get to follow the people in the small Danish town of Korsbaek, particularly the families Varnaes and Andersen-Skjern (who are constantly at odds with each other) up to the 1950s. This is an important period in the Danish - and Scandinavian - history (with the 2nd Worl War; the occupation of Denmark) and even though I'm not Danish I really enjoy learning more about Denmarks national and local history in this way as well. The gallery of all colorful characters (played by the greatest Danish actors of the time) really is what makes this story and TV-series work. They all have their individual story and a dept; no one is one-dimensional. You really care about these people and want to see what happens with them.<br /><br />I grew up with this series through my teenage years as it was shown at Swedish TV4 daily during the afternoons when I got home from school, and I became totally addicted to it. =) My favorite character in the whole series - and the heroine I root for - is Elisabeth (played by Helle Virkner), although her neurotic/hysteric/weepy sister Maud (Malene Schwarz) is kind of priceless too! ;) (and that's why Elisabeth is my heroine; for putting up with her!! and *spoiler- spoiler - spoiler* why, oh why, didn't she marry Dr. Hansen - he is just so cute! - and SO in love with her.. ;) Ah, well... Kristen is cute too, I suppose... =P) <br /><br />Except for being a great historical mirror of these decades, this series more so shows what gossip, narrow-mindedness, intrigues, too much money, family pride and man-egos =) do to people and what effect it has on friends and family in a brilliant way... especially between the banker Varnaes and the store manager Andersen-Skjern. Because underneath it all you really feel and sense that these two families, especially the central male characters of Mads Skjern and Hans Christian Varnaes, really could be best friends and really would have like each other if things had been a bit different... it's really both ridiculous and sad. But that is whys this is one of the greatest TV-series of times!! <br /><br />I hope it's available on DVDs for people worldwide with English subtitles, cause it definitely deserves it.