Our brand new concept will premiere on Viaplay in the spring of 2026. The series is developed and produced by us at Stories.

Hell Week is a raw, emotional, and uncompromising reality series where 13 of Norway's most high-profile athletes throw themselves into an extreme military simulation - inspired by the special forces entrance exams and the Norwegian Armed Forces' most demanding course.

The participants are pushed to the breaking point – physically and mentally – and must choose for themselves whether they want to continue, or ring the Armed Forces' iconic bell.

The series takes viewers up close – dark nights, cold, close combat, gas chambers, intense interrogations, and endless physical exercises. Participants are subjected to sleep deprivation, pain, and constant stress.

Over the course of ten days, the participants develop from a disorganized group into a more close-knit group, where emotions take over more and more. For better or worse.

Hell Week starts as an extreme sport and quickly develops into an existential project: Who are you when everything is taken away from you? And how do you cope with stressful and emotionally charged situations when you feel at rock bottom both physically and mentally, and on only a maximum of 750 calories a day?

Among the participants are profiles such as Olaf Tufte, Frank Løke, John Arne Riise, Emilie Nereng, Anders Aukland, Charlotta Hedlund, Grunde Myhrer, Kai Robin Havnaa, Emil Meek, Solveig Gulbrandsen, Lene Alexandra Øien, Gunn Narten and Omer Bhatti.

During Hell Week, they are challenged both physically and mentally, and show sides of themselves that they have never shown before - on television.

Behind the exercises – The authentic foundation of Hell Week

Behind all the exercises and together with the participants in the field is a highly competent command team. The squad leader in the series is Mathias Ekornås, and the squad sergeant is Freddy Bolle. Mathias is a former career officer and has extensive experience with some of the Armed Forces' toughest exercises. Freddy has many years of experience both here at home in Norway and in foreign service for the Armed Forces in many fields. In addition, the command team consists of: Juni Maria Bergene, Lars Nymoen, Espen Ruth, Jørgen Bjørum, Andreas Lødøen and Mads Bleken.

Location: Filming took place mainly at Helgelandsmoen in Hønefoss. It is a disused military camp that now functions as a business park. Filming was also done in the surrounding area around Hønefoss.

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CREW:

Producer: Peter Bryng

Director: Christian Schüssler

Project manager: Kari Marie Sandbukt

LET director: Jon Jolly Kramer

Participant responsible: Espen Hilton and Julie Wiggen Hallberg

Photo: Espen Olsen, Øyvind Saugerud, Tor Even Mathisen, Uffe Mulvad, Oliver Stene Johansen, and Adrian Axel

Sound: Håkon Solsvik and Kai Johansen

Technically responsible: Thomas Bjørnstad and Joakim Østrem

Production assistants: Ólafur Jónsson, Kristina Lander, Martine Steen-Hansen. Kim Engvoldsen and Eline Hodne

Uniform and equipment supervisor: Stage Combat Norway: Huw Reynolds and Evelina Peterson