Golden Rose Award Nominations
The nominees for this year's world famous Rose d'Or Golden Rose Awards were outlined during a roadshow held at the Swiss Embassy in London last week (sorry, we were a bit slow publishing this story).
This year British comedy series noticeably dominate both the Comedy and Situation Comedy categories whilst there is hardly any shows representing US TV.
Threatening the credibility of the prestigious awards the jurors have included BBC3 sketch show Tittybangbang in their shortlist - a comedy widely dismissed in this country as sub-standard (the programme was voted the worst sketch show of 2006 by BSG readers in a poll we conducted at the start of the year). And in a bid to add confusion to the proceedings the award committee have also annoyingly put some sitcoms into the general comedy category and mis-attributed shows to the wrong countries (30 Rock is a British show according to the official press briefing!).
Anyway, a full list of nominees are below. The results will be announced during the 47th edition of the Festival Rose d'Or which will take place in the magnificent alpine setting on the shores of Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, from May 5th to May 9th - stay tuned for the results.
Situation Comedy
Alle lieben Jimmy (Germany): Everybody Loves Jimmy. Jimmy just became 18, a real sunny-boy and charmer. His friend Ben admires him, his two younger sisters tease him. Jimmy's father works hard, his mother is a homemaker. A totally normal German family. German? No, they are Turkish - which adds a very special funny note to their family communication problems.Dr. Psycho (Germany): Police psychologist Max Munzl is having a hard time in his new job and especially with his new colleagues. The special unit for organised crime has problems financing new staff and equipment but they get a psychologist instead, not exactly what they asked for. Max is sure that all of his colleagues need a therapy but they are not too pleased about his opinion and want to get rid of him asap. Max wants to proof to them that he is also a good cop. That sometimes ends up in a disaster.
Legit (UK): The Scottish pilot. Though separated from the mother of his children and now living in a caravan, Sammy Fox still wants to be a good father. Unfortunately his son wants something rather special as a birthday gift. A monkey! So, dragging his womanising best friend Danny away from his quest for a threesome, the intrepid twosome embarks on a search for that perfect present. Can some dodgy dealings with predatory painters and zealous zoo keepers furnish them with the primate that proves Fox's parental prowess?
The Lighthouse (Finland): The Lighthouse is a cutting edge show that tackles the challenges of a live talk-show, interesting guests, cooking, reports and most of all the action behind the scenes. The guests of the show include an Italian scenographer artist, an American Holocaust author, a Demon soother, an academic referee and soon-to-be paroled multi-murderer.
Little Mosque on the Prairie (Canada): This sitcom received a lot of publicity when it was broadcast. It takes an unabashedly funny look at the congregation of a rural mosque and their attempt to live in harmony with the often skeptical, even down right suspicious, residents of their little prairie town. The sitcom reveals that, although different, we are all surprisingly similar when it comes to family, love, the generation gap and our attempts to balance our secular and religious lives. We're tipping this one to win in the sitcom category.
My Family (UK): Self-improvement is the order of the day in nominated episode of the UK's currently most-watched situation comedy series. Dentist Ben Harper seeks advancement through a secret society, the Brotherhood of the Cockerel, whilst his long-suffering wife, Susan, falls under the spell of American self-help guru, Dr Buck Bukowsky. More Info
Not Going Out (UK): Not Going Out is a BBC1 sitcom co-written by BAFTA winning
comic Lee Mack and Sony Award winning writer/broadcaster Andrew Collins. It centres on flatmates Lee and Kate, whose friendship is moving into uncharted waters - a situation complicated by the fact Lee's best mate, is Kate's ex. Signalling a return to the traditional comedy format with its high volume of gags, the show was described as most laugh-aloud comedies on screen in aeons and has been quickly recommissioned. More Info
The Royle Family: Queen of Sheba (UK): The Royle family returned for an hour-long programme last year which featured the much loved cast of Ricky Tomlinson, Sue
Johnston, Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash, Ralf Little and Liz Smith. Life goes on in the familiar surroundings of their sitting room, but six years on baby David has grown and what of the rest of the family? Have they given up smoking? Have they joined the local gym and Richard and Judy's book club? More Info
The Thi 쇓 ck Of It (UK): In this one-off special, it was the tail-end of the Christmas recess. Hugh Abbott, the Minister for Social Affairs and Citizenship, is away in Australia. With the coast clear, shadow minister Peter Mannion and his team over at Opposition HQ are free to float a few new policies. Meanwhile, Malcolm and Julius tackle the PM's legacy and Ollie mixes business with pleasure. More Info
Turkisch fur Anfanger (Germany): The Ozturk-Schneiders are a multi-cultural patchwork family. The second season of this German sitcom is packed with bizarre love affairs and is brimming with misunderstandings, breakups, and reconciliations.
Comedy
30 Rock (USA): Emmy winner Tina Fey writes, executive produces and stars in a workplace comedy set behind-the-scenes of a television variety show.Geile Zeit (Germany): Every human being is a grown-up some day. But getting there can be tough. Eight young comedians show how difficult these years really are in this German sketch show.
Green Wing (UK): Part surreal soap part comedy drama, Green Wing proves that medical issues needn't have any relevance ina hospital setting. The ensemble cast in place for more brilliantly observed mayhem including Tamsin Greig (idiosyncratic Dr Caroline Todd), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Hearthrob Dr MacCartney), Stephen Mangan (Love God Dr Guy Secretan), Mark Heap (stammering neurotic Statham), Pippa Heywood (Tyrannical Joanna Clore) and Michelle Gomez (unpredictable staff officer Sue White). More Info
Man Stroke Woman (UK): Man Stroke Woman is a BBC3 sketch show about your girlfriend, your boyfriend, and how annoying it is to be getting older. Its about that time in all our lives when it's time to take stock, time to grow up.
Melonas (Denmark): Apparently this show is 'A humorous goodybag with a slice of history on top of it'.
Perfect Day - The Millennium (UK): This Channel 5 TV film passed without anyone really noticing. The Millennium is about a group who gather in a remote cottage for a party to celebrate the momentous arrival of the millennium when we thought life might change radically forever.
Shouf Shouf! The Series (Holland): Contemporary comedy series dealing with a group of Moroccan youth trying to make themselves at home in Holland. Shouf Shouf! pictures the coming of age in a modern, big city in Holland in a way that is hilarious, confronting and touching at the same time.
That Mitchell and Webb Look (UK): In That Mitchell and Webb Look, award winning stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb bring their hilarious, hugely successful radio show to television. There's character-driven material, ideas-driven sketches, like the Nazis beginning to wonder if they are the baddies and satirical sketches, like the stately pageantry surrounding Her Majesty the Queen's glorious execution. Intelligent, socially acute, always funny!
This Hour Has 22 Minutes (Canada): An award-winning Canadian comedy series which recently returned for a 14th Season with audience favorites Cathy Jones, Shaun Majumder, Gavin Crawford and Mark Critch. This Hour Has 22 Minutes skewers media manipulation, political wind-baggery, and the public relations balderdash that Canadians have come to know and endure in their daily lives. Armed with satire, ambush, sketch comedy and parody, 22 Minutes happily wades into the fray of world events and is enjoyed by more than a million viewers each week.
Tittybangbang (UK): The official blurb describes this sketch show as 'disturbingly funny' and 'very funny, very horrid'. It isn't funny but, yes, it is horrid. This BBC3 sketch show contains a bizarre, manic and outrageous collection of characters - including an exhibitionist cleaning lady; Maxine Bendix the plastic slapper; a team of quivering darters; balding, frustrated bachelor Don Peacock; and naked needlepointers.
The Vicar of Dibley (UK): The Vicar of Dibley (sort of) finally came to a close with two special-length episodes. The first aired on Christmas day on BBC1. The village is up in arms at the arrival of a newcomer in their midst a 'weekender' from London who clearly won't want to get involved in the community. Geraldine decides to pay him a visit and give him a piece of her mind, but instead comes away completely smitten. As he and Geraldine try to conduct their courtship in private, the villagers have other ideas. More Info
Worst Christmas of my Life (UK): After Howard is electrocuted at his office christmas party, and turns up at his parent in laws country pile drunk and dressed solely in a nappy made out of a blck bin bag, it is clear that the worst christmas of his life is about to unfold. More Info