Dunc! offers up this bit on Fox’s latest reality series:
“Banzai” is based on a cult television smash from Britain’s Channel 4, which in turn parodied Japanese extreme game shows. It combines crazy stunts, bizarre characters and a healthy does of at-home interactivity. As absurd as the on-screen antics get, viewers will be able to bet on the results of different wild gambits, like how long Mr. Shake Hands Man will be able to shake hands with Kelsey Grammer before the “Frasier” star can extricate himself.
At FOX’s upfront earlier this month, few of the network’s new offerings produced such wild laughter, but complaints may come as fast as the chortles. In 2001, USA ran snippets from the British series as part of the network’s “Banzai Movie Friday.” Even in those small doses, Asian-American groups objected to the stereotypical accents in the voice-overs, saying that the announcers poked fun at the sounds of Asian languages.
Media activist groups will have a chance to get a more extended view when Banzai premiers in six weeks and viewers will have a chance to discover a new cult favorite before it gets pulled.
