# Best of international television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2007, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013 "2007-12-23T10:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/21 "2008-01-08T02:03:17Z")
Aussies ARE good at TV comedy, if I may say so. Check out: - Chris Lilley’s work - **We Can Be Heroes** and **Summer Heights High** are both worth watching. - I concur with **Kath and Kim** and **The Games** , although the jokes may be a bit parochial to mean much without an interpreter. - Working Dog’s show **Frontline** was a behind the scenes mockumentary of a current affairs TV show - VERY funny, and scarily believeable. - **The Chaser’s War on Everything** is a kind of hybrid sketch and political comedy/commentary, although, again, possibly a bit irrelevant if you don’t know or care who the Prime Minister of Australia is. (It’s Kevin Rudd 🙂 There’s a few that I personally wouldn’t recommend, like the recent \*\*The Librarians \*\* (boring!) and **The Wedge** (unfunny!) - but tastes vary, etc. All of these are out on Region 4 DVD. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/22 "2008-01-08T03:15:04Z")
[QUOTE=araminty] All of these are out on Region 4 DVD. [/QUOTE] If you can find me a copy of series 2 of _The Games_, I would be tremendously grateful. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/23 "2008-01-08T04:19:43Z")
[Monkey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_%28TV_series%29) (okay, it’s a bit older than 10 years, but still a lot of fun) ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/24 "2008-03-02T15:27:12Z")
**Summer Heights High** and **The Games** are both good. I’ve sampled **Underbelly** as well, and see how that turns out. So, that’s a taste of Oceania. How about some South American or Asian programming? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/25 "2008-03-02T15:58:35Z")
[QUOTE=Spoons] I’ve gotta put in a plug for [_Corner Gas_](http://www.cornergas.com/), which is set in small-town Saskatchewan. I’m not sure when it’s on where you are, but I understand it’s being shown outside of Canada, so check your local listings. [/QUOTE] There are several very funny Canadian comedy TV shows besides Corner Gas. Little Mosque on the Prairie, The Red Green Show leap to mind. Personally I love Royal Canadian Air Farce, but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/26 "2008-03-02T20:40:35Z")
I’ve been watching season one of _The Games_, and it’s hilariously well done. I hope season two becomes available somehow. It doesn’t matter that it’s about the 2000 Olympics. The humor isn’t dated. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/27 "2008-03-02T21:07:03Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] There are several very funny Canadian comedy TV shows besides Corner Gas. Little Mosque on the Prairie, The Red Green Show leap to mind. Personally I love Royal Canadian Air Farce, but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. [/QUOTE] I didn’t much like the one episode of _Little Mosque_ that I saw, but I’ll agree with _Red Green_. As for _Air Farce_, it’s a little too timely and involves too many Canadian current events–I don’t think it would translate well to other nations. Heck, unless they give an original broadcast date when it’s rerun, I can’t remember the news that gives rise to the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/28 "2008-03-02T23:32:43Z")
Last year the BBC showed the excellent French police series _Spiral(Engrenages)_. Once I had gotten my head round the complexities of the French legal system I found it was one of the best programmes I have seen for a long time . Some details here :- [Spiral](http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/spiral.shtml) and here :- [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477507/) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/29 "2008-03-03T03:30:19Z")
[QUOTE=II Gyan II] [So, that’s a taste of Oceania. How about some South American or Asian programming? [/QUOTE] As mentioned before, Thai programming is putrid. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013/30 "2008-03-04T01:54:46Z")
On channel 56 (WNVT), I try to catch _Scene of the Crime_. It’s a German crime show with practically no budget to work with and it must be 20 years old at least. Bearing in mind I’ve had no exposure to any german language instruction, I like picking out certain words I understand, (strasse, herr, etc.) Besides, the leading man is pretty good looking. Okay, I’m easily entertained. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-international-television/431013.md?page=1)