Aslak Maurstad, 34, is taking a seat on the panel of the TV 2 programme «Spillet», Dagbladet reports. He steps in for Truls Svendsen, who had appeared on the panel for four seasons before his departure.
News of the casting emerged in October, according to Dagbladet, which published its report on the change on 30 October 2026.
Why it matters
Panel shows live or die on the chemistry between the people sitting around the table, and «Spillet» has built its recent run around a familiar lineup. Replacing a panellist after four seasons is a visible reset for the format, and it hands a prominent slot to a broadcaster-familiar name in Maurstad.
The change also says something about how TV 2 is positioning the show. Bringing in someone who has watched every season and studied it closely suggests continuity rather than reinvention — a new voice that already knows the programme's rhythms.
A fan who has studied the show from the outside
Maurstad's own account of the offer, given in a press release from TV 2 and quoted by Dagbladet, makes clear he is not arriving cold. He said he was very enthusiastic when «Spillet» asked him to join the panel, describing it as a programme he has not only watched in every season but also made analysis videos about in his spare time for fun.
That detail is unusual for a casting announcement. Panellists typically arrive as personalities rather than as students of the format, and Maurstad's stated habit of breaking down episodes on his own time gives him a different starting point from most newcomers.
Dagbladet's report does not say why Svendsen left the panel, and no reason is given in the material available. What is clear is the timing: his four-season run ended, and Maurstad was announced as his replacement in October.
What the switch means for the panel
«Spillet» depends on panellists who can react, argue and carry a conversation across a season, and a four-season tenure is a long stretch in that kind of role. Svendsen's exit removes a settled presence; Maurstad's arrival introduces someone whose familiarity with the show comes from watching rather than from sitting on it.
For TV 2, the press release framing puts Maurstad's enthusiasm front and centre. For viewers, the practical question is how a panelist who has spent years analysing the programme from the sofa adapts to being part of it.
Dagbladet's coverage treats the change as celebrity news, and the report is built around the October announcement and Maurstad's statement rather than around any explanation from Svendsen or the broadcaster about the panel reshuffle itself.
What happens next will be visible on screen: Maurstad's first season on the panel, and how the show settles around a lineup with one long-serving member gone.
