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Re: Italian TV. And then there are the ads. Two right now are particularly intriguing. One has a guy growing these long nipples (think Pinocchio) after he chews a particular brand of gum. He proceeds to twirl a frisbee, mix his drink and play records with them.
The second is for FastWeb (DHL and satellite TV). Two couples have obviously just finished "the act." A very large sperm makes its way out of bed, out the door and onto the street. He sniffs around, looking up the legs of various good-looking women (are there any other kind in Italy), until he decides on one and crawls up a very long leg in very high heels. She lets out a yip. What this has to do with a DSL connection escapes me. Passa Parola (Password) has the same host as Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Gerry Scotti. But it's not the same staid, sober Password of my childhood. Instead, you have these bimbos dancing around, lip-syncing and rubbing up against Scotti. |
The British version of Coupling is raunchy and hilarious.
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Czech Republic is famous for late night weather forecasts presented by naked women. Also, I saw a dating show that actually aired two people (who had just met on the show) having sex ON TV in the studio!!!
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I am obliged to praise once more the magnificent John Cleese.
<b><i>Basil!!!</i></b> Otherwise, numerous ads in Germany or France featuring smiling idiots peddling candy or toothpaste. And then there was the early "It's a Knockout" ("Jeux sans Frontiers") - some of the cleverest stupid games ever invented. I did enjoy watching back-to-back dubbed episodes of "My Mother the Car" on French TV. Clearly the Jerry Lewis phenomenon at work. |
Our PBS station airs british comedies three nights a week. If memory serves they were the first US station to air Monty Python 20-25 years ago. My all time favorites are Keeping up Apperances, Waiting for God, Last of the Summerwine and Vicar of Dibley. I also enjoy Chef, Fawlty Towers and Allo Allo.
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While living in So. France last fall, we watched a show call "Big Dil." It had something to do with a computer animated creature with floppy ears/horns (we couldn't tell), who responded in real time, contestants from the audience doing "Price is Right" type games with a wackily-dressed host, or they'd call someone at their home to play. It was crazy and after watching for 3 months, we still couldn't figure it out, but it was very funny to watch!
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I just think its weird that in Germany, after 10:00 tons of stations turn into porn. Talk about "uptight" Germans!
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My husband and I love "The Office". As the American commercial for it says "it's sad and funny at the same time". Of course, Fawlty Towers is a classic.
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I believe that there's going to be an American version of "The office" no doubt with a cast of glamorous types with perfect grooming, with all the jokes removed and a laughter tape inserted.
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I love all the BBC America shows...lately I've been addicted to the hokey "Cash in the Attic". And I can watch "Changing Rooms" all day, every day.
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Although a good two-thirds of replies so far mention programmes originally created by the BBC, no-one's mentioned The News Quiz, Goodness Gracious Me, or The Kumars at Number 42.
Is this because: - they've not been shown outside the UK, or - their sense of humour doesn't travel |
SantaChiara-We saw that commercial when we were in Italy last month and sat there absolutely stunned-I didn't know whether to laugh or how to react. The guy gets huge nipples from chewing refreshing gum. Crazy!
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Yes, Minister. *Very* funny.
Allo Allo. Classic. Fawlty Towers. Great. Ab Fab. The best! |
Flanneruk : Those shows aren't available yet to us over the pond, unfortunately. But I can't wait. Read so much about them, especially "The Kumars..." I really enjoy the British version of 'Coupling' but the recent US version was a sad sack and folded after just 4 epis. No one does British humour like the British. |
In Italy we watched an unbelievable quiz show. 2 male contestants, blindfolded, had to identify various brands of toilet paper! I missed the first part of the show, but I believe they first were allowed to exam various toilet paper rolls that were displayed in glass cases on stage. There must have been 30 different brands.
The men were then seated and blindfolded. The blindfolds were unbelievable too: plastic ?glasses? with small rolls of toilet paper over each eye. One or the other of the 2 contestants was handed a couple of sheets of toilet paper to examine by feel. After crumbling, tearing, etc., he would say what brand he thought it was. The hostess, wildly enthusiastic, would then dramatically unroll a ribbon wrapped paper, hold it up with the correct product name showing, which she read aloud with great fanfare and the audience would applaud the contestant's corret response. The contestants were correct on all but one roll. The show ended with their being presented with a trophy. Talk about high drama! |
I'm surprised nobody mentioned So Graham Norton. His phones are so funny.
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I love the classics like Monty Python. Ab Fab is another fave, sweetie darling. But for the current crop, The Office, and Coupling (British version ONLY!). It's a shame that the US version of Coupling will probably turn people away from watching the British version, which I think is as funny as anything on tv since Seinfeld went off the air.
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While in Europe my favorites are the old US shows dubbed in local language. Fonzie from Happy Days speaking in French -- Laverne and Shirley arguing in German -- Friends in Italian. How can it get any funnier than this, even if I don't understand a word?
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It is simply not possible that ThinGorjus wouldn't know every ab fab epsiode by heart. Check out the ab fab page on the bbc website. Pats and Ed know how to shop!!! Pass the Bolly!
Another favorite is Waiting for God. |
@ Suzy: I think what you were watching was probably "Scommettiamo Che...?" - it's a show where contestants have to do a particular task which they can do well (such as guessing 30 brands of T.P., or 20 brands of stockings, or cutting in half 50 zucchine with a ninja sword within 45 seconds, without touching the eggs right underneath each zucchina or so), and the invited guests will bet on them. Never inspired me much... ;)
@ swalter518: I've personally never seen that newscast here! :) What time of the day was that? Perhaps you saw a rassegna stampa? That's when a newspresenter has the day's papers and reads out the main titles...it's very early in the morning though, and I don't remember seeing a newspresenter that fits your description :D Then again, maybe it was some dodgy regional TV channel - some are just so cheesy! :-D The main channels in Italy (Rai Uno, Rai Due, Rai Tre, Rete 4, Canale 5 and Italia 1) are usually less dodgy, but they rarely have good shows ;) I personally think "Chi vuol essere milionario?" (Who wants to be a millionaire?) is quite good and don't remember any pouty models in it - there is one (more than one actually) in "Quiz Show", which is far worse in my opinion (I don't like the host, Amadeus, either). I think Gerry Scotti is one of the better hosts in Italian TV right now. Don't get me started on the rest of Italian TV though :D Federico |
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