The Most Unusual TV Gameshows from around the World!

Everyone in our modern world is digesting a good amount of TV every day of the year. Gamblib is also guilty of that quick morning peek at the latest news, watching the latest hit show or a relaxing movie in the evening. After all, it has become the norm to have dozens, if not hundreds of channels available, covering everything from 24-hour movies, talk shows, documentaries to DYI spectacles and sports events, even more amplified by internet streaming networks such as Netflix.

Gone for good are the days of two or three TV channels that would be received via an antenna on the roof. Growing up in a rural area in an Eastern bloc country we had to make do with merely two channels on a black and white TV, and they weren’t even running all day. Watching the Dallas series every Saturday evening was the highlight of the week for us as teenagers. Sunday afternoon was reserved for kids with a couple of cartoons from Disney. Nothing else is worth mentioning about the rudimentary TV program we had to endure in those years.

Thankfully, those times are gone for good. Today we have the power to make our own choices, and this slowly became the main factor when measuring the success of TV shows or movies. It is mostly the first season of a new show that will result in a make-or-break verdict, and an astoundingly large number of them don’t get past that hurdle.

A quasi-personalised program resulting from the technological advances lets us devour virtually any kind of what we deem entertainment, not only on the big screen but anywhere online. (You can find some great examples here at Gamblib.) This has led to some formats becoming hugely successful, something that two decades ago would not have been thinkable. The best examples are reality TV and casting shows for the most memorable talents.

Different Countries – More Unusual TV Shows

The country with the most unusual TV shows has to be Japan, followed by the USA and the United Kingdom. Japanese shows very often seem to focus on hilarious human failures, be it running against each other in inflatable sumo costumes, completing a muddy obstacle track or any other profane contest. The viewer gets the feeling that Japanese people like to make fun of themselves, and this may have something to do with their usually serious and stressful working days. The shows are then a welcome vent. Or maybe they just love a good laugh at the expense of their neighbour. We see this happening on shows in other countries as well, but not to the extent that we see on screens in Japan.

Next on the list of TV giants is the US, which has a vast and powerful TV industry. This revolves mostly around a number of big corporations that control the market and the content that will be next aired on our TV sets. They produced (and still do) some great entertaining shows, reaching into all niches of the market. After all they are responsible for The Price is Right and the Wheel of Fortune, shows that have been running for decades, becoming an integral part of the daily routine for many TV viewers as well as becoming famous here at Gamblib.

The lucky third on the list is the United Kingdom. The early days gave us some real gems such as Strike it Lucky and the Crystal Maze, good old game shows that were produced for family viewing on a weekend. Thanks to the creativity of British producers, today we can watch A list celebrities hanging out for two weeks in a jungle, camp deep in Australia’s bush or sing along with real talents and wannabees in X Factor.

We sure love our dose of hilarious TV once in a while or perhaps even more often than that. This is why the most unusual shows attracted enough viewers to survive for years. Or at least, we find no other explanation as to why a show featuring people wearing bunny costumes and running around blindly would have such a high viewership.

Take a peek at our latest infographic where we listed some of the best examples of strange shows from around the world.