If you loved
Lilyhammer
Anne Bjørnstad · Series · 2012
What hooked you in Lilyhammer was the jarring culture clash of a hardened criminal trying to navigate a quiet new life.
Books on the same thread
See how They Run
David McRobbie · Book · 1996
Shares a thread with Lilyhammer: Witness Protection.
Like the protagonist of Lilyhammer, this family finds that fleeing into a witness protection scheme does not erase the dangerous past or the difficulty of starting over in exile.
What Happened to the Bennetts
Lisa Scottoline · Book
Explores: suburban danger, family survival, identity concealment.
Much like the transition Frank Tagliano faces in Lilyhammer, this story explores the high-stakes tension and identity concealment required when a suburban family is suddenly uprooted by witness protection.
Lifeguard
James Patterson, Andrew Gross · Book · 2005
Explores: Class disparity, Wrong place wrong time, Criminal underworld.
If you enjoyed the criminal underworld antics in Lilyhammer, you will appreciate how this heist thriller places a regular person in deep trouble after a job goes horribly wrong.
What Happened to the Bennetts
Lisa Scottoline · Book
Explores: family survival, organized crime, hidden identity.
This witness protection drama mirrors the survival instincts seen in Lilyhammer, focusing on the moral dilemmas and family pressure that arise when you must hide your true identity to live.
Films on the same thread
The Family
Film · 2013
Shares 2 threads with Lilyhammer: Witness Protection, Culture Clash.
This film is the closest thematic cousin to Lilyhammer, featuring a mobster who struggles to maintain his cover while dealing with the culture clash of a sleepy foreign town.
The Whole Nine Yards
Jonathan Lynn · Film · 2000
Shares 2 threads with Lilyhammer: Witness Protection, Crime Comedy.
The fish-out-of-water comedy that defines Lilyhammer is front and center here, as a mobster attempts to navigate the suburban anonymity of life after testifying for the authorities.
Podcasts on the same thread
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
If you were drawn to the small town setting and dark humor of Lilyhammer, these investigative comedians provide a similar perspective on the strange realities of provincial life.
Crime in Sports
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: athlete misconduct, legal absurdity, scandalous behavior.
Those who appreciated the comedic spin on crime in Lilyhammer will find a similar blend of dark humor and legal absurdity in these deep dives into the world of sports.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the premise of Lilyhammer?
Lilyhammer follows Frank The Fixer Tagliano, a New York mobster who enters the Witness Protection Program. He chooses to relocate to the small town of Lillehammer in Norway to start a new life after testifying against his former Mafia boss.
Is Lilyhammer based on a true story?
Lilyhammer is a television series created by Anne Bjørnstad in 2012. The plot centers on a fictional mobster named Frank The Fixer Tagliano who moves to Norway for witness protection, rather than being based on a specific true story or historical events.
How did the show get the title Lilyhammer?
The title Lilyhammer is a play on the name of the Norwegian town Lillehammer. In the series, the protagonist Frank The Fixer Tagliano deliberately refers to the town as Lilyhammer after he settles there to begin his new life in the Witness Protection Program.
Who created Lilyhammer?
The television series Lilyhammer was created by Anne Bjørnstad. It premiered in 2012 and follows the story of a New York Mafia member who relocates to a small Norwegian town as part of the Witness Protection Program after testifying against his boss.