Banzai (TV series)
Banzai | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Created by | Gary Monaghan |
Starring |
|
Voices of | |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 3 |
No. of episodes | 24 (inc. 1 special) |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes (inc. adverts) |
Production company | Radar |
Original release | |
Network | E4 |
Release | 18 January 2001 15 May 2003 | –
Banzai is a
Format
The show plays off like a betting show. In each segment, a bizarre challenge is presented with a choice of outcomes. Viewers are given a short amount of time to 'place their bets' before the challenge starts.
Betting contests on the show included grannies playing
The voiceovers (especially those by Burt Kwouk) are English deliberately spoken with a heavily exaggerated Asian accent ("prace your bets – no bet, no get"!). Many minor celebrities take part in the stunts, and the occasional more major celebrities like Rutger Hauer. Usually the celebrity would be ridiculed in the segment. Actor Peter Davison, for example, who formerly played The Doctor on Doctor Who, was asked which other Doctor Who actor (from Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee and Sylvester McCoy) he would most like to have sex with.
Virtually every segment features background music, taken from the 1980s United Kingdom charts, with some from the 1970s.
Characters
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. Mr Banzai acts as referee for many of the contests, directing participants to begin by solemnly clapping his hands and emitting a kiai.
Other regular contributors include Mr Shake-Hands Man played by Ryozo Kohira who tries to maintain a
There is also 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. Often appearing between segments is Mr Cheekie Chappie (Jit Loi Chong), wiggling his spectacles and grinning. Voiceovers are provided by Burt Kwouk and Eiji Kusuhara.
Broadcast history
Banzai first aired in the United Kingdom on the digital channel
It was broadcast in the United States for a short time only, and in a different format where the segments were cut up and interspersed with 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 the United Kingdom), airing its first episode on 13 July.
It also aired in Brazil in 2005 on the cable channel Multishow. It was broadcast with subtitles with no editing whatsoever.
After six episodes, however, pressure from
In early 2002, it was also broadcast in Italy on
Mr Shake-Hands Man
Among the people Mr Shake-Hands Man (sometimes known as Shakey-Hands Man or Mr Shakey-Hand Man) has shaken hands with are:
He also shook the hand of Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen. One of the last handshakes was with Jackie Collins and it did not last very long as she forced his hand off hers with her other hand.
Mr Shake-Hands Man 2 had a slightly different tactic to the original Mr Shake-Hands Man. Mr Shake-Hands Man 2 would pose as a Japanese reporter and often translate dialogue into Japanese to make conversations (and handshakes) last a little longer.
Controversy
In August 2001, two years before Fox aired its first episode of Banzai,
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] When sponsors were alerted to the content of the show, many dropped their sponsorship, and as a result, Fox canceled Banzai.
In April 2002, the show caused further controversy. This was when they attempted to record a sketch, during the funeral of
Transmissions
Series
Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 18 January 2001 | 8 March 2001 | 8 |
2 | 13 November 2001 | 2 January 2002 | 8 |
3 | 27 March 2003 | 15 May 2003 | 8 |
Specials
Date | Entitle |
---|---|
24 December 2001 | Christmas Special |
Merchandise
Book
Book | Year published | Publisher | Cover photo | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Banzai Book of Betting |
11 October 2002 |
Channel 4 Books | Mr Banzai (Masashi Fujimoto) in a fighting stance, with Banzai logo. |
Paperback | [3] |
VHS
Release name | Release date | Classifaction | Publisher | Format | Language | Subtitles | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Super Banzai Video Show | 4 November 2002 | 15 | Universal Pictures | PAL | English | None | Released in the United Kingdom. | [4] |
DVD
Title | Episodes | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Super Banzai Video Show | best bits from first and second series and also unseen bets. | - | 4 November 2002[5] | - | One Disc |
DVD betting game
RDF, the licence-holder of "Banzai", has also worked in conjunction with Screenlife, the makers of the popular
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 did a number of comical things on the DVD.
There was another DVD called Super Banzai Video Show, which was similar but players just played with the DVD player and the remote. Mr Banzai shocks viewers by jumping in front of the copyright warning at the beginning of the disc. Players are then asked to guess which letter is the Super-Banzai DVD button, A, B or C. If viewers select C, they see about 30 seconds of Tony Hart standing staring at them without saying anything. The correct button is B. Banzai – DVD Betting Game was released 16 September 2011[6]
Soundtrack
The Banzai soundtrack was released by 4Music 18 June 2001 on CD.[7]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Theme from a-Ha" | |
6. | "Adding N to X – Add N to (X)" | |
7. | "Kites – Simon Dupree and the Big Sound" | |
8. | "When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman – Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show" | |
9. | "Egyptian Reggae – Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers" | |
10. | "Holiday Rap – MC Miker G & DJ Sven" | |
11. | "Sleepy Shores – Cyril Stapleton & his Orchestra" | |
12. | "Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks" | |
13. | "Spanish Stroll – Mink DeVille" | |
14. | "Chanson D’Amour – The Manhattan Transfer" | |
15. | "The Look of Love – Dusty Springfield" | |
16. | "Music – John Miles" | |
17. | "Dancing Lonely Night – The Jaguars" |
References
- ^ "'Banzai' sparks protests in US – US TV News". Digital Spy. 18 July 2003. Archived from the original on 4 September 2008. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
- ^ "TV stunt show films royal funeral". BBC. 10 April 2002. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ Banzai: Amazon.co.uk: Channel 4: Books. 11 October 2002. ASIN 0752262092.
- ^ "Super Banzai Video Show [VHS]". amazon.co.uk. 11 November 2002. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ "Super Banzai Video Show [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. 11 November 2002. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ "Banzai – DVD Betting Game". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
External links
- Banzai at IMDb
- Banzai at BFI
- Banzai at UKGameshows.com