Most of the pre-talk before the two-part documentary "Oldsberg – a boundless giant", which premieres on SVT on September 1, has been about the trip from the other side.
About how the host put together a "På spåret"-inspired round trip in Europe for his best friends Lasse Kronér and Lennart "Hoa Hoa" Dahlgren, as well as his son Staffan Oldsberg, to be carried out after his death, something that TV viewers will get to follow.
But between the travel segments, a darker story is told, about how the popular host always prioritized work and partying over family life and children.
Rejected
Staffan Oldsberg has a major role in the documentary and tells about his relationship with his father.
I have a hard time giving so much negative criticism about how he was, because I didn't really know, he states briefly.
Staffan Oldsberg tells in the documentary that he experienced a strong feeling of being rejected.
I think the worst was that he was famous and that everyone knew who he was, but that he was never present at school graduations. Then everyone knew that it was my dad and he was on TV, but he wasn't here, says Staffan Oldsberg to TT.
The relationship between father and son did not improve when Staffan Oldsberg himself became a host and led large productions, among other things, on TV3 in the 1990s.
I didn't hear anything then.
Staffan Oldsberg doesn't understand why his dad never contacted him about his TV career. They never talked about it either.
Since he never said anything, I was either pretty good, because he had a hard time praising. Or it was so damn terrible that he didn't want to say it.
Demolish national monument
The documentary "Oldsberg – a boundless giant" is made by filmmaker Bo Sjökvist. Oldsberg's life story is reminiscent of the story of Lennart Hyland, another national monument that was also torn down when the story of his alcoholism and behavior towards others came to light.
But do we have to find out that our beloved TV icons were such terrible people?
Very good question. I say yes, because I'm curious, says Bo Sjökvist.
He also thinks it's important that the film is seen in its context.
What happens when you become the biggest celebrity in all of Sweden? What happens to you? And what happens to your family? I think that's important and interesting, says Bo Sjökvist.
(1945–2022).
Sports reporter on TV, covered, among other things, the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and the 1978 World Championship in football in Argentina. He was also the host of "Tipsextra" for many years.
Made his debut in 1980 as a host on SVT with "Klick-Klick", a quiz show for press photographers. Then came the humor programs "Oss skojare emellan" and "Bell & Bom" with Fredrik Belfrage and the talk show "Oldsberg – for the time being".
Oldsberg also led the long-lived audience success "På spåret" between 1987 and 2009. His last assignment for SVT was to take over "Här är ditt liv" for a few seasons. Towards the end of his career, Oldsberg led "Bingolotto" on TV4 from 2014 to 2017.
Oldsberg was the Christmas host on SVT in 2005, became the Gothenburger of the Year in 2006, and received the honorary award at the TV gala Kristallen in 2012.
