Italian telly
Over the summer, an unavoidable part of my keeping up with my friends and getting the UK news via the Internet was the amount of stories about Big Brother. So even though I 've seen nothing from the last 2 series I've ended up reading about both of them, mostly through my friends.
Now I have Twitter, I get to read even more of this stuff. I have heard all about the Alesha Dixon/Arlene Phillips saga on Strictly Come Dancing, I know that this year's Big Brother was won by someone called Sophie who had no dress sense, and I know that Keisha has been dramatically booted out of the Sugababes. Whist I admit I am a sucker for Heat magazine (I can't take it seriously, but I find it very entertaining), I think the UK media adds lot of drama in situations where there shouldn't be any drama whatsoever.
So, what am I watching on Italian telly instead?
The only thing I can think of that I watch on a regular basis (other than football and Paperissima Sprint) is Striscia La Notizia. When I can understand Striscia (which is about 90% of the time) it's really enjoyable. Lots of Italians write in and tell the presenters about something that's wrong in their community, and a variety of roving reporters turn up and try to sort it out for them. The roving reporters include a Sicilian woman who wears bright yellow wellies and takes a daschund with her everywhere she goes, Capitan Ventosa (a man who swooshes everywhere with a sink plunger on his head), and one or two men who have the job, at least once a week, of chasing someone down the street who's been getting away with something decidedly dodgy. My favourite bit of this programme is Striscia lo striscione, the man who points out the funny banners in the crowds at football matches and picks the best dives of the week.
Now I have Twitter, I get to read even more of this stuff. I have heard all about the Alesha Dixon/Arlene Phillips saga on Strictly Come Dancing, I know that this year's Big Brother was won by someone called Sophie who had no dress sense, and I know that Keisha has been dramatically booted out of the Sugababes. Whist I admit I am a sucker for Heat magazine (I can't take it seriously, but I find it very entertaining), I think the UK media adds lot of drama in situations where there shouldn't be any drama whatsoever.
So, what am I watching on Italian telly instead?
The only thing I can think of that I watch on a regular basis (other than football and Paperissima Sprint) is Striscia La Notizia. When I can understand Striscia (which is about 90% of the time) it's really enjoyable. Lots of Italians write in and tell the presenters about something that's wrong in their community, and a variety of roving reporters turn up and try to sort it out for them. The roving reporters include a Sicilian woman who wears bright yellow wellies and takes a daschund with her everywhere she goes, Capitan Ventosa (a man who swooshes everywhere with a sink plunger on his head), and one or two men who have the job, at least once a week, of chasing someone down the street who's been getting away with something decidedly dodgy. My favourite bit of this programme is Striscia lo striscione, the man who points out the funny banners in the crowds at football matches and picks the best dives of the week.