I would think that a person from New Jersey would spell the plural of "members of an Italian organized-crime family" as mafiosi.

It's on DVD somewhere.  I have seen seasons 1-5, and I remember getting 1-4 through Netflix.  I had to resort to inter-library loan for Season 5.  Haven't found season 6 yet.

Especially the "Canadian lifestyle" part!

I had no idea it was that old!  If it's from 1972, no wonder it sounds so great, since popular culture was awash with some amazing sounds back then.  Something about that song makes me think of Lou Reed, James Brown, and T. Rex all mixed together.

Does anyone from Chicagoland share my enthusiasm for the various foreign-language shows they would show on channel 23?  I remember Greek, Indian, Korean, Polish, and some other Asian and Slavic stuff on there. It was fascinating, and I spent many a cold or otherwise miserable Saturday morning immersing myself in…

I always hated that the Spanish-language stations didn't have English closed captioning, because I would love to improve my language skills while watching some crazy shit on Azteca America.  Anyway, I think I saw a Brazilian show on there for a time, called Xica.  The subject matter was Brazilian, at any rate.

I think it has to do with the tastes of the audiences.  A lot of  that cash they have is from viewers, who indicate what kind of programming they prefer.  Look at the dreadful shit they play during pledge drives.  I once commented on a friend's Facebook page that I can always tell when it's pledge time on PBS, because…

Corner Gas doesn't even seem foreign to this American, until they start talking about those wacky football teams up there, or until they pull out some of that colorful money, or until you see Davis or Karen's uniform cap or jacket (their shirts look normal, unless you notice that they seem not to have badges).

"Bork! Bork! Bork!" was the closing line of the Swedish Chef's theme song, during his segment on The Muppet Show.

My only exposure to Italian TV (besides what I may have caught nearly subliminally in hotel rooms while traveling) is this (which came up when I searched for "what American English sounds like to non-English speakers):

Watching foreign-language TV always makes me feel like a 3-year-old, since I don't understand what the fuck is going on.  For that state of mind, I find Spanish-language TV to be the best, since it often involves bright colors, outsized gestures and body language, and no attempt at subtle communication.

Okay, you've sold me, because Blanc / White was my favorite of the "Three Colors" films.

@avclub-022199896b1f52952c180b60caa681bd:disqus , that is the funniest perverse-nerd thing I've ever heard — what your friend said, not what you said.  Basically, he or she was saying, "the Blackberry performs fewer tasks than the iPhone, but because it is more challenging to use, it is the superior product."  Shit,…

I used to love Azteca America, which seemed a bit more down-market than Telemundo and Univision, especially judging by the commercials (they seemed to hew more closely to the type of thing you see advertised on English-language channels after midnight, but not quite as dire as the ads during daytime TV).  Anyway,…

No, you have to watch all 24, in the exact order they are listed here!

Only the Germans can get away with that shit.  If any other culture produced the work, the audience wouldn't keep coming back dutifully and obediently.  I've heard that sometimes they'll stage some of Wagner's operas, and they stretch over 3 or 4 nights.  Hell, some of Mahler's symphonies are all-day affairs.

Yes, but it's a period piece, where the half-man is what's left of a guy who survived the Western Front in WWI.

Stealthy.

I knew that "midget" and "dwarf" were supposed to describe different proportions or body types, but I was never aware that "midget" marked a sort of class difference among little people.  Hell, that's reason enough for me not to use it.

Not me.  I thought that exchange with the soldier was brilliant.  Best thing in the episode for me.