Italy Revisited — TV Game Shows

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I am currently beginning to pack to return to California. Besides having to find creative ways to get as much back with me as possible without triggering the dreaded third suitcase cost of $240, I have been watching a little local tv.
I have never written about Italian tv because it really is something you need to see for yourself. It is a little hard to explain in any language. I have just been watching Stasera Tutto è Possibile (tonight everything is possible). Now I am the first to admit my Italian leaves much to be desired, especially with long conversations or talk shows, where it is normal for at least three people to be talking at the same time. And over the years I have watched many of these competition type shows, usually with a confused look on my face and my Italian dictionary in hand. There is one where if you lose you are dropped through the floor if you lose (caduta libera – free fall ; one where they spend hours imitating famous singers and are made to look as much like them as possible.

I am not kidding about hours, that program is three hours long. I have seen Elvis, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie and numerous famous Italian singers I am totally unfamiliar with. And listened to the panel critique the contestants ability to mimic not just sound, but looks, style and mannerisms of more famous folk.

Introductions to these varied people

On Stasera Tutto è Possibile, I have no idea what the point is, but they take this motley group and have them sing along with familiar music, like Abba or The Village People. Then they take the away the recorded music and you hear what they actually sound like, which is pretty awful since they don’t know the words or have much in the way of voices. Then by twos they pair off for segui le labiale (sort of read my lips) where one has headphones and tries to figure out what the other is saying. Following this they have sketch games with angled stages and weird(er) costumes. Did I mention you really have to experience it yourself. It is unlike anything on American tv. Although Stasera is 2 hours long I admit by the time they got to the sack races I gave up. It is not the first time either. It is fascinating but I have my limits.

Then there is l’Eredità. I did watch this every evening while living in Italy. It isn’t Jeopardy, but I looked at it as educational to sort of help my Italian. It’s got several round where the seven players are eliminated until there is only one left. The categories range from music to trying to answer questions to determine the theme to categories. They are building winnings along the way. The final round is called “La Ghigliottina” (The Guillotine). This is random choices between two words and the guillotine either cuts your winnings in half if you guess wrong or passes if you guess right. You usually lose much of your “winnings”After there are 5 words the contestant tries to ascertain the thematic connection to theother five words. If the word is correct, he wins the game. For years now, even if I know all the words I have never been able to figure out the theme word.
Oh, and lest I forget to mention it, almost all the shows have at least two or more young women in sexy clothing moving around usually with not much to do.

I highly recommend on your next trip to Italy forget whether you completely understand the language and tune in to the uniquely Italian spectacle of game shows.

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2 thoughts on “Italy Revisited — TV Game Shows”

    CAS said:
    November 14, 2018 at 9:27 pm

    Rereading this! Love it. Really true and funny. Bravaaa Kathie.

    Debra Kolkka said:
    November 14, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    Italian TV is truly awful. I don’t understand how a country with such beauty and style can produce and watch such drivel.

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