Episodes where they go abroad

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As in serials, soaps, sitcoms.

Just saw Sopranos series two episode four, in which Tony and the boys go to Italy. Unlike most episodes of series where they go abroad, this did add to the overall arc of the Sopranos saga. But it still wasn't as good as a regular Joisey-set episode.

Why?

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The Bradys never went abroad but fuck me, when they went to Hawaii it kicked some serious tiki ass.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Cos these episodes mostly focus on "wow yr fav characters are in a NEW setting, an expensive REAL LIFE ONE, sadly enough it doesn't relate to them the way the regular setting does but isn't it cool looking?" Comedies are a lot worse for this, I think.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Only Fools and Horses once went to Miami. But I don't want to talk about it.

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Ab Fab in Paris or something, I didn't like that show too much anyway tho

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The week in which Frank and Peggy, Pat and Roy and Terry and Irene went to Spain was the best week in Eastenders ever. It also contained the best Eastenders quote ever:

"That's what I'm saying - the role of the wife is the same as it was since the Stone Age, you bear children and carry the logs back to the cave. When they can't do that, you trade them in for a younger model. I mean, look at you Pat - you're probably a bit past childbearing age but you certainly look like you could carry a few logs."

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:41 (twenty-two years ago)

That sounds good, I'm certainly impressed you've carried the quote with you. Words to live by. But there was a terrible 'Enders where they went to France (or, more accurately, Kent).

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, that's a whole other question there

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Dr Who - City Of Death: highest-rated story ever, classic status among critics, BUT the actual 'French' bits are the purest fanny-dangle - five solid minutes of Tom Baker and Lalla Ward running about Paris for no possible other reason than to yell "LOOK! WE'RE IN PARIS!"

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone remember when the Beeb managed to offend most of Ireland with their 'Fowlers hang out with the authentic Oirish long-lost relatives who no one ever mentions anymore' week? That was quite spectacularly crap.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Sitcoms, on the other hand, should never be allowed to go away. All the classic comedies revolve around one or two locations. If you take that away, it's like taking fish out of water.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

As a classic, though, Alan Partridge in Paris (or a Partidge in Paris -- that's *A* Partid... never mind).

Cruiser arriviste...

Jacques Derrida regularly appreciates the irony

etc.

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 3 October 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The one where the Young Ones went to Narnia was alright.

Guess the problem appears because the writers aren't quite sure what to do with their new settings, and the producers want to get more bang for their buck now that they've caved in on the whole "expensive new location" thing.

It's one of the things that are sure to make me annoyed by an episode of a sitcom or whatever.
The other is when they try to do a "hilarious" mix-up episode, you know the ones: "OH I am on TWO dates today, oh no no no, and on vacation and think girl a is in THAT room when that's actually a gay man's room and OH how will this end! Mixups within mixups and the one hilarious shock after the other!!"

Fawlty Towers was probably the only show that really could get away with that kinda thing, but even then it felt tacky and tiring.

― Øystein Holm-Olsen (Øystein H-O), Friday, 3 October 2003 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

FT never quite strayed from the hotel, except the one where Basil hits the car. Otherwise it kept to a Warhol-like formal purity. It's tacky because England is tacky. It's funny cos it's true.

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 3 October 2003 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Ab Fab in Paris

I thought that was a kick-ass episode!

― j.lu (j.lu), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

When I was in Aqaba, Jordan, I watched an Egyptiam soap on a TV in a café. The particular episode was set in London and it was really odd watching black London taxis and mock tudor semis whilst sat in the searing heat with palm trees all around me.

― MarkH (MarkH), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Semi-related: what's with the BBC America soap that Miranda likes in S&TC? Does it exist? Or was it just a set-up for the embarrassing moment she had with that guy last week?

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:47 (twenty-two years ago)

i was in line to buy ball tickets once and this kid behind me was wearing a shirt that read "bart simpson's visit to jerusalem" and had a pic of bart on a camel.

wtf¿ does this episode actually exist anywhere in the world¿ if so - how totally not funny could it get¿ normally simpsons abroad episodes suk. i couldn't imagine the horrors of them in isreal.

― dyson (dyson), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

er, israel

― dyson (dyson), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Jules and Mimi, Enrique. I only remember this because I watched that episode of Sex and The City with friends and we were all rather drunk and getting into the spirit of things (we were drinking cosmopolitans, so I think that tells you) and there was some comment made on the show about one living in Hampstead and one living in Brixton and Miranda said: "I don't know what that means, but it's supposed to mean something." And we all laughed in a drunk way at this sop to their British audience.

Anyway, I think it's fictional.

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Married With Children, when they went to London for two eps to resolve a family feud/curse thing.

also, the Simpsons have been plenty of places, too:
-Brazil ("Hey look! It's the stripper from the kids show!")
-Japan
-Hawaii?
-Australia
-France
-the UK
-India
-"The Island"
-Mexico
-Kamp Krusty
-PennsylVANIA!

― Kingfish (Kingfish), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Absolute Dud,

The worst has to be the Neighbours trip to Africa with the Mrs Robinson overtones.

― davel, Friday, 3 October 2003 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

you left out the toronto simpsons episode. complete dud.

― dyson (dyson), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:35 (twenty-two years ago)

'Neighbours trip to Africa with the Mrs Robinson overtones.'

Sounds *intense*.

But I don't remember it.

Anyhoo, the absolute nadir is 'Hollyoaks: The Boys do Barca' (writing that *hurt*).

Law of the stag.

― Enrique (Enrique), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I Love Lucy had a number of episodes set on Ricky, Lucy, Fred, and Ethel's trip to Europe, some quite classic. Including stamping grapes.

The best bit was on the airplane coming home. Lucy and Ethel tried to smuggle a giant cheese back into the U.S. disguised as a baby, wrapped up in blankets, etc. When they lost their nerve, Lucy and Ethel went into the toilet and ate 5-10 kilos of cheese. When the other people noticed the baby was gone, they started screaming--"Her baby's gone! She's lost her baby!"

― Skottie, Friday, 3 October 2003 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

What about the Facts of Life Go Down Under? Where Blair finds a gigantic opal in the bush and then get chased around by scary australian redneck/criminals! I loved it.

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Miami Twice, the aforementioned Only Fools and Horses episode, is obviously it's finest hour. However, Del Boy and Rodney go to Paris in the recent Christmas episode is dudder than dud.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Bizarrely, I mentioned the ploy of all the central characters going on holiday together on Freaky Trigger last night! It is nearly always a bad thing.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 3 October 2003 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't remember that one at all Phil--sounds like you made it up.
Didn't they have a two or three parter in Paris? Or am I thinking about a Family Ties mini-movie? No, I think the Keatons went to England and Alex got the dookiesnot kicked out of him while playing rugby.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 3 October 2003 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

The AbFab in Egypt (or was it Morocco?) one was good too. Saffy gets her groove on!

And ER has been doing some shooting in the Congo. After all these years the show still kicks ass.

― nickn (nickn), Saturday, 4 October 2003 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I enjoyed One Foot In The Algarve.

I don't know if this counts but the "South Africa pan-continental housemate exhange" gimmick on the last Big Brother really stank.

The New Avengers in Canada episodes were all crap.

― Ben Mott (Ben Mott), Saturday, 4 October 2003 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked Rab C. Nesbitt meeting his Spanish counterpart. Also Crocodile Dundee in New York, but that's a film.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Saturday, 4 October 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

There was that Everybody Loves Raymond ep where they went to Italy but that show is pants anyway so yeah, dud.

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 4 October 2003 13:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Phil certainly did not make up the Fact Of LIfe Down Under.

― Chris P (Chris P), Saturday, 4 October 2003 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The Illustrated Facts Of Life Down Under.

― Chris P (Chris P), Saturday, 4 October 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, eat it oops.

http://www.geocities.com/tvfactsoflife/under/foldu19.jpg
tootie: "is that a didgeridoo in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 4 October 2003 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

How has Holiday On The Buses not been mentioned here yet?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 5 October 2003 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

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Episodes where they go abroad - C/D