There are some shows that inspire conflicting reactions in me – a wary enjoyment tempered by a feeling of ‘what the hell am I watching here and what’s keeping me from switching to something better?’.
Call it the train-wreck version of the small screen, if you will. You know you really should stop watching but you can’t seem to tear your eyes away.
When I was younger, the films featuring Fantozzi’s misadventures fell squarely within this category.
Everyone I know was nuts about them. We all know that basic plot that permeated all Fantozzi’s films, who was brought to life by a suitable miserable-looking Paolo Villagio.
The character was married to the ugliest woman in the world (not very PC of me, I know, but I can’t change the premise of the film just to be nice); had fathered the ugliest child in the world (again, see my previous disclaimer); had an impossible crush on his glamorous, if bitchy, co-worker; and generally had a miserable time of it both at work and at home. In short, everything Fantozzi touched turned to dust.
If memory serves me well, there were about 10 Fantozzi films made. I didn’t see all of them – Italian television stations had a habit of always regurgitating the same one, usually the first three or four.
My own reaction to the films was diametrically opposed to that of the rest of my friends. Whereas they used to howl with laughter at every single calamity that befell the poor bastard (as we were intended to, after all), the films actually used to depress me.
And yet, I would always continue watching – which is precisely why they became such a cult hit, presumably. Still, whereas most of my contemporaries will invariably list one of the Fantozzi productions as an all-time favourite, I’ll be happy not to chance upon any of them again.
Given that I’ve been lucky enough for the latter to actually be the case, what brought on this reminiscing, you might ask?
My eternal favourite remains the Grammar Nazi one
The answer to that is my recent return to the BBC’s That Mitchell and Webb Look, which was how I found out, years ago, that there are actually some David Mitchell and Robert Webb productions that I enjoy.
What does this have to do with the price of eggs, I hear you ask. Well, Mitchell and Webb – as they are known – are a British comedy duo I first encountered when I started following Peep Show.
The television series can, perhaps, be described as the UK’s 21st-century answer to Fantozzi, if you happen to be particularly imaginative.
Put simply, the show follows the lives of two men, both single and one of them unemployed, and it’s so utterly depressing as to be absolutely hilarious.
I hated it and yet, much like with the Fantozzi train-wreck scenario, I pretty much watched five seasons in continuation, before deciding that maybe there are better ways of spending my time than shouting “you loser” at my monitor.
And so, I ditched Peep Show. However, and this is where Mitchell and Webb differ from Fantozzi; I did find out that I actually love most of the other stuff that this duo comes up with, which can be enjoyed via You Tube, on That Mitchell and Webb Look.
The latter is a sketch show featuring the two comedians in a variety of situations; it started out in 2006 and was aired on BBC 2 for four seasons.
My eternal favourite remains the ‘Grammar Nazi’ one, perhaps because it touches upon a topic that touches anyone who works in the media directly.
Look it up. Unlike Fantozzi, I promise no bitter aftertaste.
ramona.depares@timesofmalta.com