Good Non-American & Non-British TV

[iguana_tonante]

It was the last night or so of our holiday on Garda. They had cordoned off a walkway and so we couldn't pass the security guards. My husband got really annoyed because we couldn't get by, and would probably never be there again. He was about to get more annoyed when we saw that they had tv cameras pointed at us. I was worried that we'd look like two irate British tourists on Italian tv! Luckily we managed to keep our tempers and go and visit somewhere else.

Well, I certainly can understand you. Historical buildings and scenic landscapes are often used by tv and movies: when it happens, the common man have no choice but to deal with it. I hope the rest of your holiday was pleasant, tho.

The only Italian things I watched when I was in Italy were gameshows (not counting soccer matches). Millionaire was pretty good, but you're dead right with the near-naked women thing with Wheel of Fortune (which seemed to have a camera designed to point up their "Vanna White"'s skirt).

You are absolutely right. I'm the last person to complain about a gorgeous woman on tv, but recently it got ridiculous: I know that tits and ass kept the viewer's attention, but come on. Every year they made the skirts a little shorter and the cleavage a little more visible, until them were going around with little more than bikini. Actually, the went back a bit in last years, because if they went further, they would have no choice but going to soft porn.

There was also some comedy (at least, it had to be a comedy) where every scene seemed to take place in the exact same set, usually involving a guy with hair that was way too gelled. I have no idea what it was or what it was about, though.

I suppose that was Camera Cafe, a sit-com where every scene it taken from the point of view of the coffee machine in the common room of an office, following the mishaps and antics of the staff (kind of like The Office, I suppose, but with the coffee machine gimmick). If you know about the woes of Italian white-collar workers (nepotism, corruption, mobbing, terrible organization, etc), it was quite funny, in a caustic sort of way.

Oops, almost forgot! Japan's excellent and hilarious Takeshi's Castle.

Always loved it.

 

[empty]

I can also emphatically recommend Tatort, at least if you are somewhat into crime series. In the best episodes, it's a spot-on cross-section of German society highlighting the Zeitgeist and a huge range of current problems in both cities and the countryside, and in their worst episodes it's still suspenseful crime with generally likeable, flawed characters.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

There was also some comedy (at least, it had to be a comedy) where every scene seemed to take place in the exact same set, usually involving a guy with hair that was way too gelled. I have no idea what it was or what it was about, though.

I suppose that was Camera Cafe, a sit-com where every scene it taken from the point of view of the coffee machine in the common room of an office, following the mishaps and antics of the staff (kind of like The Office, I suppose, but with the coffee machine gimmick). If you know about the woes of Italian white-collar workers (nepotism, corruption, mobbing, terrible organization, etc), it was quite funny, in a caustic sort of way.

That sounds like it's the right show. I could see it being funny, I just didn't understand enough Italian to get the jokes

Which brings up the original question about Chinese or Russian shows. Foreign language shows are only good if you understand what's going on.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Which brings up the original question about Chinese or Russian shows. Foreign language shows are only good if you understand what's going on.

Here we are lucky enough to have a strong tradition of dubbing, so almost every show, series and movies get translated, adapted and dubbed by a industry of very good voice actors. Adaptation is not always perfect (and sometimes downright sloppy), but I understand that it's a very difficult job to do, with linguistic, social and cultural gaps to bridge, not to mention the need to keep it lip-synchronous with the real actors.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Oops, almost forgot! Japan's excellent and hilarious Takeshi's Castle.

It's so popular that it was snatched up and overdubbed into new versions on both sides of the Atlantic: the UK dub which has the same name, and the American dub known as MXC.

(The difference seems to be that the UK version just has new narration - by Craig Charles, i.e. Dave Lister from Red Dwarf - and omits the comedy sketches that are still present in the US one)

Pretty much any Japanese game show is hilarious and sadistic. Their practical joke shows as well. There's a lot on you tube worth seeing.

 

[Davros]

Trailer Park Boys is a great show out of Canada. It's kind of like COPS but from the criminal's point of view.

 

[Canadave]

Anyway, Flashpoint is a pretty good Canadian police drama about a special response unit in Toronto. I haven't seen it all, but I have liked what I've seen of it..

I might have htis wrong, but isnt that a co production with CBS?

CBS funds it partly, I believe, in exchange for the US broadcast rights, but it's very much a CTV production, otherwise. The cast, crew and setting is all very much Canadian. And it's also pretty obviously set in Toronto—not Toronto dressed up as New York or Chicago like it often is.

 

[wamdue]

and US viewers dont mind that its not set in a US city? dont networks worry about that kind of thing?

 

[Roger Wilco]

I can also emphatically recommend Tatort, at least if you are somewhat into crime series. In the best episodes, it's a spot-on cross-section of German society highlighting the Zeitgeist and a huge range of current problems in both cities and the countryside, and in their worst episodes it's still suspenseful crime with generally likeable, flawed characters.

True. Tatort is a great series, I still watch that occasionally too, although the intro was old-fashioned already when I was a kid.
It's also fairly high profile - produced, written and acted by mostly renowned people. Strange, that this show was never exported to other countries - instead of trash like Derrick and Kommissar Rex...

Do you know Kottan?

 

[lennier1]

If with "American" you mean US shows you might have missed some Canadian shows like ReGenesis, Starhunter or The Border.

Personally one of my favorite non-Asian favorites of the last couple of years is the Australian drama Sea Patrol.

As for Italian TV, my Italian skills are rather lousy (especially for one with 50% heritage from there) but I´ve heard lots of good things about Don Matteo although the fascination with Terence Hill (and Bud Spencer) seems to be more or less a European thing.

Having grown up with German TV I can honestly say there´s not a single good show that comes to mind apart from Raumpatroullie, a short-lived but entertaining science fiction show which was first aired only about a week after the first TOS episode went on air for the first time. The show had developed a cult following over the years for serveral reasons.
Apart from that there´s mostly mindless Entertainment (e.g. "Alarm für Cobra 11", talk shows, reality TV crap, ...), half-assed copies of shows from English-speaking countries (lots of crime shows and in the 90´s there even was a lame clone of the X Files). Some entertaining shows won´t make much sense to people outside the German-speaking countries (e.g. Balko, Irgendwie und Sowieso, Großstadtrevier) and there´s the occasional international co-production (e.g. Lexx, although only the initial movies are noteworthy).

 

[anais]

Riget (The Kingdom) by Lars von Trier. It's a 90's tv miniseries (some regard it as one looong movie) set in a hospital (don't expect any sort of usual hospital drama) in Copenhagen.

Filled with doctors and their secrets and odd occurences, it's quirky, slightly creepy, wonderfully black and very Danish. Trier is possibly not everyone's cup of tea, but I can't praise it enough.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

One of the best dramas to come out of Australia in the last few years, is last year's Underbelly. Be warned it is quite violent, as it's based on real events that happened in Melbourne from 1995 to 2004.

Currently on at the moment, there is prequel to the show about what happened earlier also.

 

[MajorReed]

A great anime that is airing now (dub on Sci-Fi channel and in Japan) is Gundam 00 - I don't recommend the dub, but getting the subs aren't too hard. It's amazingly good and its a great commentary on politics now.

Another one is Code Geass - set in an alternate universe where the British Empire (called Britannia) exists and takes over Japan. This is on Adult Swim.

 

[TS-1838-SWATH]

It didn't last long, but Charlie Jade was one of my favorites (it's from South Africa).

Co-Production with Canada aired on SPACE in Canada
SPACE [Our Equivalent (sp?) to the SCI-FI Channel]

 

[TS-1838-SWATH]

Anyway, Flashpoint is a pretty good Canadian police drama about a special response unit in Toronto. I haven't seen it all, but I have liked what I've seen of it..

I might have htis wrong, but isnt that a co production with CBS?

CTV approached CBS due to the Writer's STRIKE and asked them if they would like to air Flashpoint since they had gaps in their programing lineup.
CBS provides MONEY for the show, MOST of the ACTORS in the show are from CANADA.
CTV & CBS last worked together on DUE SOUTH so that helped as well.

 

[TS-1838-SWATH]

and US viewers dont mind that its not set in a US city? dont networks worry about that kind of thing?

The US NETs used to,
I was stuned that did not ask the show to SEEM that it was a US city

 

[Canadave]

and US viewers dont mind that its not set in a US city? dont networks worry about that kind of thing?

It seems to be doing pretty well in the ratings, so I don't think so. They're also reasonably subtle with the setting... they don't disguise it, but it's not in-your-face, either. There are recognizable landmarks, like the CN Tower + the skyline and maple leaves here and there, but they're not exactly making Strange Brew by any stretch.

Plus, Toronto is just a great city to set that kind of show in. It's one of North America's largest cities, it's exciting, and it's one of the most diverse places in the world... I think audiences are just able to get behind that.

 

[wamdue]

and US viewers dont mind that its not set in a US city? dont networks worry about that kind of thing?

The US NETs used to,
I was stuned that did not ask the show to SEEM that it was a US city

I suppose they could have gone with a generic western city that doesn't really exist.

that said if you yanks are keen on shows not set in US city's anymore, you could have the UK version of Law & Order.

 

[Canadave]

^ Canadians have accents that Americans can understand, though. I think that's the difference there...

 

[iguana_tonante]

As for Italian TV, my Italian skills are rather lousy (especially for one with 50% heritage from there) but I´ve heard lots of good things about Don Matteo although the fascination with Terence Hill (and Bud Spencer) seems to be more or less a European thing.

Never really saw it, so I can't comment on the quality of the show. My personal opinion is that 9 out of 10 Italian tv series are terrible, so there is still a possibility of it being actually good (even if the premise "clever, volatile but humble catholic priest solves crimes in stereotypical Italian countryside" doesn't bode well for it... it looks like they wanted to have a detective Don Camillo without the Peppone).
Besides, I just can't get away from the choice of Terence Hill as the eponymous priest: to me, he will always be Trinità, the left hand of the Devil, (just as Bud Spencer will be Bambino, the right hand of the Devil, no matter what).