Comedian Marcus Berggren and podcaster Karin Londré are behind a new Sveriges Radio podcast devoted to tall tales, odd sightings and unsolved mysteries from Göteborg. Titled Hisingens detektivbyrån, the show premieres on Thursday, according to Radionytt.se, and will release a new case each week.
The pair, who are a couple off the microphone as well, take on one local puzzle per episode. Among the subjects Radionytt.se lists is the story of a penguin that someone is said to have brought home from Slottsskogen. A press release cited by the outlet also raises questions such as whether anything went on inside the Malm whale, whether Högsbo actually exists, and whether Västtrafik trains its plainclothes ticket inspectors in method acting.
Why it matters
The premise is local, but the timing is deliberate. Both hosts frame the show as a response to the sudden national attention on Göteborg. Londré describes the podcast as an examination of the subjects that hold a kind of cultural grip on the city's residents — the material, she says, that has shaped a shared local identity. She adds that listeners are welcome regardless of background, including anyone who never set foot in Chez Amis, the restaurant associated with the late broadcaster Oldsberg.
Berggren puts the argument more bluntly in the press release: with the rest of the country suddenly talking about Göteborg, he and Londré decided the professionals should handle the conversation. He calls the city's popular culture the most interesting subject in the world and says he could not imagine a better job than discussing it with the person he most enjoys talking to.
Two experienced radio voices, one microphone
The show draws on substantial broadcast experience on both sides. Londré has worked as head of development at Filt and at P3, made the podcast Mord mot mord with Anna Sandell, and written for the entertainment outlets Djungeltrumman and Nöjesguiden. Berggren spent ten years as a P3 presenter, where he also hosted the P3 Guld awards ceremony, made Tombola podcast for the same period, and is currently touring the humour show Hittar hem this autumn. The two have previously collaborated on Partillepodden.
Hisingens detektivbyrån is recorded at Kanalhuset on Hisingen in Göteborg, with Viktor Papini producing. Mark Malmström Fast, who commissioned the podcast, argues its appeal extends beyond the city limits. He draws a distinction between two kinds of listening: those who want to know what is happening in Göteborg should turn to P4, while those who want to know what it feels like to be a Göteborgare should turn to this podcast.
The first episode arrives on Thursday, with new instalments to follow weekly.
