In times of tragedy, it is often said that having a community around you – be it family members, loved ones, friends or neighbours – is one of the most important things. Having a hub of people around you who care enough to go the extra mile (or even just help with the day to day) can help the darkest of days feel just a little brighter. 

For Nina (Lena Philipsson), that has certainly been the case. Four years after the death of her universally popular husband, Erik, she still finds herself at the heart of her neighbourhood. Repairs are made; meals are shared; pets are cared for. Nothing is too much trouble as she navigates both widowhood and being a single mother to two teenagers. However, she has recently embarked on a new relationship with local handyman Richard (Ilkka Villi). She feels ready to move on … but are her neighbours ready? 

The Street Where I Live (På gatan där jag bor) spans six episodes in a small Swedish town. Series creator, Mikael Newihl, fills these episodes with overhead shots of “barn style” homes in an array of pastel colours; soft Autumn sunlight; close ups of abundant fruit trees; and a general sense of tranquility. It’s cosy Sunday night viewing that isn’t too taxing. 

But, whilst it may leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, at the heart of it all is something of a meditation on what it means to grieve. Nina has photos of Erik all around her house; her neighbours persistently bring him up in conversation in order to praise what a good man he was. A new relationship, therefore, becomes laced with feelings of guilt and shame. Indeed, Nina has kept three months’ of dating Richard a complete secret, only for it to spill out at a drunken neighbourhood get together. It’s not just our main character who has to adjust to a new man; we see her community struggle to get behind the idea, too. There’s a notion that whoever she should date next has to have collective sign off and must live up to the standards that Erik has set. Lena Philipsson gives a performance that balances vulnerability, desire, hesitation and strength perfectly. You really get the sense that moving on with her life is both a need and a challenge. 

As you might expect from a small town drama, there’s a rather colourful cast of characters. Besides Nina, we meet her loquacious best friend Moa (Claudia Galli), who is both thrilled and repulsed by the messages she receives on dating apps. Having been through a messy divorce, this, too, is her first foray back into the dating pool. She is another female character who is both outwardly strong and inwardly fragile. Rune (Leif Andrée) is the neighbourhood Mr Fix It, treating Nina with tenderness as if she were his own daughter. We also meet Theo (Tom Ljungman) and his heavily pregnant wife, Jossan (Tina Pour Davoy). Their dynamic is equally fascinating to watch as he is repeatedly made to feel “less than” because of his lack of DIY skills and the threat of her overbearing father. 

And whilst all of these stories and the characters who inhabit them are interesting, you can’t help but wish they were a little more fleshed out. Each episode is only half an hour so you only get little snippets of each storyline per episode. This is particularly frustrating when it comes to the exploration of the romance between Nina and Richard – you really will want to see more. Perhaps, if the series had taken a similar approach to Johanna Runevad’s All and Eva, we would get a deeper understanding of who these characters are and what they are like behind closed doors. That being said, perhaps we are being reeled in for a second season full of even more plot twists and neighbourly nosiness. 

The Street Where I Live (På gatan där jag bor) is another ideal binge watch from Viaplay. With strong performances and interesting character dynamics, you will be made to feel like part of the neighbourhood in no time.

The Street Where I Live will be streaming on Viaplay USA from the 4th April and Viaplay UK from the 7th April.