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Banzai (television show)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Banzai | |
|---|---|
| Format | Comedy |
| Created by | Gary Monaghan |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Radar |
| Running time | 30mins (inc. comms) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | E4 |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original run | 2001 – 2004 |
Banzai is a comedy gambling gameshow spoofing the Japanese gameshow and general television style. Each segment of the show was a silly or bizarre contest. The viewing audience is encouraged to bet with each other on the outcome of each segment.
Betting contests on the show include grannies playing chicken with motorized wheelchairs, amputee soccer, egg eating, blindfolded gas pumping, and the length of time it would take an object to hit the ground after being dropped off a roof. The show also sometimes intentionally skirts the bounds of what some people would consider appropriate television content, as in contests to guess which person in a lineup has the longest penis, or the biggest breast implants, or how long it would take a madagascar hissing cockroach to microwave. Some minor celebrities took part in the stunts, and the occasional more major celebrity like Rutger Hauer.
The show's MC Mr Banzai, played by opera singer Masashi Fujimoto, does not speak except for saying and singing the word "Banzai" in different ways. Other regular contributors include Mr. Shake Hands Man (played by Japanese-American actor Tadao Tomomatsu), who maintains a handshake with a celebrity for as long as possible, and Lady One Question played by non-professional Shizuka Hata, who poses as a celebrity reporter, asks a single interview question and then stares silently at the interviewee. In both of these segments, viewers are invited to bet on how long it takes the celebrity to put a stop to the ruse.
Banzai first aired in the UK on the digital channel E4, it was repeated a few months later on E4's parent channel Channel 4. It was later picked up for broadcast in Canada by Citytv, which broadcast the original uncut episodes of Banzai Wednesday nights at 10:30. It was picked up by USA for a short time. In this incarnation it was cut up and wrapped around a movie. Then in 2003, FOX picked up the series in the United States (and Americanized it by editing content and saying that some of the people were from the United States instead of parts of England), airing its first episode on July 13. After six episodes, however, pressure from Asian American groups led FOX to drop the show. In early 2004, the show found a new American home on Comedy Central. Reruns moved once again on March 6, 2006 to G4's late night block, Midnight Spank. The recently-opened Philippine cable channel Jack TV also runs Banzai in a primetime weekend slot. It also airs in Australia on Channel V
Banzai is sometimes mistaken for a Japanese-produced show, such as on Comcast's interactive guide. It is, in reality, a British show.
Contents |
Among the people 'Mr. Shake Hands Man' (sometimes known as Shakey Hands Man or Mr Shakey Hand Man.), has shaken hands with are Kelsey Grammer who lasted 40 seconds, Chris Tarrant with whom he shook hands for 3 minutes 42 seconds, and the longest, Donna Air with whom he shook hands for 4 minutes, 32 seconds[1][2][3].
RDF, the license-holder of "Banzai", has also worked in conjunction with Screenlife, the makers of the popular Scene It? DVD games, to make possible the creation of a DVD board game for the show (Banzai.com). Game creators Gary McGrew and Nick Saad can be seen as animated figures in the "How to Play" section of the DVD. The game DVD is packed with lots of the best clips from the actual show and uses plastic sushi pieces as the main betting and winning device. Players must use chopsticks to transfer four types of wacky sushi characters (King Fu Carl - the world's last starfish assassin, Lois - the Louisiana Squirrel Roll, Chum and Tako's Tentacle) into the main community betting bowl. Whoever transfers the most for that round gets to put down a numbered or lettered betting card in conjunction with the "Banzai" clip in the hopes of getting it right and winning all the sushi in the community bowl. The player with the most sushi wins the game. The "underground" appeal of the show and the game has also contributed to drinking game rules. The show's MC Mr Banzai, also starred in the making of the DVD as the man who jumped out and shouted "DVD!" and done a number of comical things on the DVD.
In 2001, two years before FOX aired its first episode of Banzai, USA Network aired clips of the Channel 4 edition of the show as part of their Banzai Movie Friday. Asian American groups objected to the clips. Meanwhile, the show's website (now removed) maintained:
- THIS SHOW CONTAINS SILLY BEHAVIOR, UNREALISTIC CHARACTERS, AND BAD VOICE OVERS. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO INSULT OR OFFEND. DO NOT TRY ANYTHING AT HOME, TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY, OR IMITATE OUR IMITATIONS. ABOVE ALL, ENJOY THE SHOW.
When FOX picked up the show, the Media Action Network for Asian-Americans protested outside a presentation of the show in Hollywood. Group co-founder Guy Aoki told BBC News, "It's just all the backward images of Asian-American people. This is like an Asian minstrel show. Can you imagine the black version of Banzai?" [1].
In the UK, Banzai is not regarded as even remotely racist, but instead is considered as satire of stereotyped perceptions of East Asian television shows.
The show also caused controversy in 2002 when they attempted to record a sketch during the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The film crew were reportedly trying to measure the speed of the funeral procession with a speed gun to allow viewers to bet on the speed. The police however stopped this before the procession could pass. [2]
- Banzai at UKgameshows.com