If this had been an ordinary children's program, and not a Christmas calendar, I would have found it very good. It is both realistic and funny. I think it is also easy for a lot of contemporary children to relate to. Parents who work a lot, the move from a block of flats to a place in the country, the adults' overly optimistic calculations, as to how to make ends meet...
I also liked the Finnish connection very much, because many Swedes are married to a Finlander or have themselves Finnish blood. Many of us travel on the "Finland boats" that Ritva used to work on before, and we recognize the somewhat depressing atmosphere. Rita is overall a wonderful character, and she acts and looks exactly like the stereotype picture of a Finnish woman: big, curvy, blonde, feminine, strong and resourceful. I also liked her colourful, original and very feminine clothes a lot!:-)
What I did not like about this Christmas calender, however, was the fact that there was too little Christmas in it. The best Christmas calendars are full of magic, hope, warmth, Christmas spirit... something otherworldly. This program was too profane, everyday-like and down to earth to be a Christmas calendar. I liked the movie with the same title, which took place in the summer, much better because of this!
