No matter where you go in the world, people love their TV! From Japan's wacky game shows to India's Bollywood comedies; Brazil's Miss Bum Bum competition to Colombia's beauty pageants; and Israel's political satire to Russia's competition of the psychics - television provides a fascinating window into each culture.
In Travel Channel's all-new series "Planet Primetime," premiering with back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, January 19 at 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, self-described pop culture and entertainment addict Karla Cavalli spans the globe, immersing herself in different cultures through their weirdest, wildest, funniest and most popular television programs. The series is comprised of 14 half-hour episodes.
"In 'Planet Primetime,' Karla Cavalli throws herself into hilarious and incredible situations, as she takes on the world - one TV show at a time," says Ross Babbit, senior vice president, programming and development, Travel Channel. "Sharing her passion for entertainment with those she meets, Cavalli takes viewers behind the scenes. Along the way, she has a blast learning about all the crazy TV shows out there while experiencing the local cultures."
In every episode, Cavalli is thrown into a wide variety of situations in each country she visits including stand-up comedy in Colombia, an ice skating competition in Russia and a supporting role in a South African sitcom. Throughout the season, Cavalli must learn several languages on the fly, as she plays parts in many countries' native tongue. She appears as a guest on hit talk shows and finds her competitive spirit on a number of crazy game shows. To gain a true understanding of each stop along the way, Cavalli enlists help from some of the countries' biggest stars who explain their homeland's trends in pop culture entertainment and prep Cavalli for her guest TV appearances.
Cavalli travels to Japan in the series premiere (8:00 p.m. ET/PT), where she explores the paradox between Japan's structured society and its fascination with over-the-top physical comedy on TV. Cavalli is invited to the set of "World Rankings," to compete in some crazy challenges against the famous emcee, Imoto, for the title of "World's Best TV Host." Then, she gets a lesson in Japanese humor at the N.S.C School of Comedy, where some of Japan's best comedians are born and bred. All of this prepares Cavalli for the ultimate appearance on "Gaki No Tsukai," an extreme sketch comedy show in which the stars perform disgusting and painful challenges for a laugh. Cavalli is in for quite the
CONTEST as she plays "rock, paper, scissors" with a major twist.
In the second episode (8:30 p.m. ET/PT), Cavalli heads south of the border to examine the spicy television shows of Mexico. She visits the set of hit telenovela series, "El Senor De Los Cielos," for an up-close look at Mexican soap operas, and interviews its star, Rafael Amaya. Next, she stops at "Mikorte Informativo," a news satire show where the hosts dress as monkeys from another planet and mock the goings-on of those on Earth. They never break character, making it all the more fun for Cavalli when she dresses up as a monkey weather anchor herself. She also checks out "El Incorrecto," the Mexican version of the "The Daily Show" and a Lucha Libre match, the professional masked wrestling popular in Mexico and beyond.
"Planet Primetime" is produced by Zodiak USA. For Zodiak, the executive producers are Esther Reyes, Terrence Michael, Tony Yates, Glenn Stickley, Dave Shikiar, Joel Karsberg and Cem Yeter. For Travel Channel, the executive producer is Doug Bailey.
VISIT TRAVELCHANNEL.COM FOR MORE ON "PLANET PRIMETIME"
Go to the "Planet Primetime" show page on TravelChannel.com for additional show-related content, including video, on-location slide show, photos and more. Check out
Travel Channel on Facebook and follow @TravelChannel and #PlanetPrimetime on Twitter for more exclusive content and updates. Follow host Karla Cavalli on Twitter: @KarlitaCavalli.
TRAVEL CHANNEL is a multiplatform travel lifestyle brand with the core mission of providing inspiring and compelling programming that takes viewers beyond their everyday destinations, making the unfamiliar familiar, whether it's around the world or around the block. A dual feed network that is also available in HD,
Travel Channel is the world's leading travel media brand, and is available in over 94 million U.S. cable homes. Owned and operated by Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI),
Travel Channel has offices in Chevy Chase, Md., and New York, N.Y. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) also owns and operates HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network,
Cooking Channel and Great American Country.
