What's new

Banzai! on Fox - Thoughts? (1 Viewer)

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
11,266
It's only a Japanese game show type program in superifical only. There is nothing of what makes them so infinately more watchable than our home grown variety(for example severe punishment for ignorance). It's nonsensical without knowing WHY that could be desireable.

Quite a bit of the footage was on USA like a year ago. If you notice the Simon footage was from AI 1, and I personally saw the Frasier footage around Halloween 2001.

I predict a life measured in weeks, the novelty for the few that find it amusing will wear off by then
 

Jason Seaver

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
9,303
If I remember correctly, this was originally a British program - heck, they don't even pretend otherwise (Dot had a Union Jack on her chair, would an American program use soccer, etc.) - but I don't know whether Fox is airing the UK pilot and new episodes, or just reuse of the UK show.

That's right - if there are new episodes, it'll be an American version of a British version of a Japanese game show. It strikes me you could cut out a step here.

Anyway - I enjoyed a couple of segments, especially "Lady One Question". I think the show kind of needs to be toned down, though, because the voiceovers aren't going to make most of these more funny. But, then, no-one would know it's a take-off on Japanese shows, right?

There's an entertaining show hiding in here, if you lose the parody angle, which makes no sense because it's a genre that most of the audience isn't familiar with. Wouldn't it make more sense to find a Japanese insane show that's popular, then hire the producers to make an American version?
 

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
11,266
if you lose the parody angle, which makes no sense because it's a genre that most of the audience isn't familiar with. Wouldn't it make more sense to find a Japanese insane show that's popular, then hire the producers to make an American version?
Jason, it's one of those 3 times a year we agree :) TBS has been trying to sell the rip-roarus Takeshi's Castle to the US for years. It's "reality" enough to fit in, with a truely sadistic edge you only find in Japanese programming ;)

I'd like to also see a US version of Tokyo Big Site 2, which is like "Celebrity Double Dare". They do things like put boy bands on treadmills and speed them up every time they get hard trivia questions wrong, and come up with other inventive ways, to quote the Simpsons, to "punish ignorance" :)
 

Dan Rudolph

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
4,042
I found it hilarious, but I'm betting the novelty will wear off. Also, their server seemed to be overloaded, so I couldn't play at home.
 

Brian Kidd

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2000
Messages
2,555
Takeshi's Castle has been resurrected on TNT as MOST XTREME ELIMINATION CHALLENGE. I must admit, it's a hoot. The weirdness of the original show with (sometimes downright filthy) English dubbing. Really funny stuff.
 

Al Shing

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 9, 2003
Messages
108
I've always thought TV Champion could be made into a US reality show. Each week, ordinary people compete in contests built around their hobby or profession. The twist is the contests are incredibly complex and difficult. The winner does not luck into his win - he/she will usually have earned it.
 

Al Shing

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 9, 2003
Messages
108
There's an entertaining show hiding in here, if you lose the parody angle, which makes no sense because it's a genre that most of the audience isn't familiar with. Wouldn't it make more sense to find a Japanese insane show that's popular, then hire the producers to make an American version?
They tried this with "Iron Chef USA", which failed miserably. Something just gets lost in the translation.

The original "Iron Chef" is still going strong on Food Network.
 

Joey

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 29, 2000
Messages
55
I've followed Banzai on Channel Four in the UK and I thought it was some of the funniest things I've seen on TV. Most of the skits last night, though, were from the old series from the Brit show. There were a lot of very explicit skits that they couldn't show here and I even though the panties skit was a bit risque to air here. However, otherwise the show was almost identical. That Mr. Shake Hands Man is actually Mr. Shake Hands Man II because celebrities over there started recognizing the original Mr. Shake Hands Man. Lady One Question is fairly new, I think - she just appeared on last year's series for the first time. Also, as with most programming there - there was only one commercial break in the UK version. :) Those interested can find the Region 2 DVD of Super Banzai Video Show to include some of the best bets from the show - and just how explicit it does get.
 

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
11,266
They tried this with "Iron Chef USA", which failed miserably. Something just gets lost in the translation.
That's because they ran it through the McMahon-o-meter and tried to turn it into WWF. In Japan people tend to be revered for their skill and not as much for their showmanship. This is why Hulk Hogan is still a huge draw 20 years later even though he's been doing the same 3 moves since 1983, but someone like Chris Benoit is stuck forever at the high midcard because he doesn't have the showmanship.

Signs, screaming and catchphrases are wonderful in wrestling. They do not belong in Iron Chef, and by failing to realize it they killed any chance the show had.
 

KevinRB

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
201
Takeshi's Castle has been resurrected on TNT as MOST XTREME ELIMINATION CHALLENGE
It's not on TNT. It's on The Nashvill Network, I mean The New TNN, wait... Spike TV. Actually, I mean America's First Network For Men.

I found Banzai to be mix of Jackass, Most Xtreme Elimination Challenge, and Jaime Kennedy Xperiment. All those shows are far better.
 

DeathStar1

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
3,267
Real Name
Neil
There is nothing of what makes them so infinately more watchable than our home grown variety(for example severe punishment for ignorance).>>>

Surley someoen here must have seen this on as well on one of the Korean channels. I beleive it was a Japanese Gameshow where they played musical chairs wit LIVE Fireworks... IIRC, Clown heads with shooting sparks sprouting from them...

Why can't we have stuff like that? :)
 

Graeme Clark

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2000
Messages
2,180
Banzai has been showing here (uncencored) for a while now... it's fun but I did tire of it after 3 weeks or so.

Maybe if I got together with friends and actually placed bets...
 

Jesse Blacklow

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2002
Messages
2,048
I've been seeing Fox hyping this show for a while now, and it looked pretty repellent. Well, I was pretty bored last night and didn't turn change the channel after the Simpsons. I just have to say either this show should either be offending my liberal sensitivities, or make me laugh my ass off, and I can't decide which. The show at first glance looks like one of those things that reproduces Asian stereotypes so horribly that everyone is too shocked to say anything. But after watching it, I'd have to say it just might be one of the funnier parodies of reality TV out there. Sure, baby-racing seems harsh, but the overall tone of the show seemed more scripted than off-the-cuff. Anyone think I'm looking too deep or is it really slipping under the radar of the network that gives us "Tempation Island"?

Two side notes on last night's show:
1) It was in Fox WS! Interesting, it would be the only "reality" show that's not in SD.
2) The "silent woman" interview with "Mr. Sulu" Takei was playing the music from Jeff Wayne's "War of the Worlds" albums, which was pretty sweet. I'd suggest them to anyone who's a fan of the book.
 

JustinCleveland

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2002
Messages
2,078
Location
Sydney, Australia
Real Name
Justin Cleveland
Jeff,

You hit it on the head... it's a terrible show, whose novelty wears thin in minutes. Yet Family Guy gets shifted and cancelled. Where's the justice?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,818
Messages
5,123,897
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top