Sendung ohne Namen - Creative Boldness On Steroids. A Very Unique Austrian TV Series, Ahead Of Its Time!
It's very hard to adequately describe the concept of "Sendung ohne Namen" (130+ episodes in total, aired late at night on Austrian TV over the course of a decade).
Imagine a narrator covering a wide variety of associated topics (each episode covered one broad topic, revealed in the title of the episode) at the speed of a steel ball bumping around in a pinball machine. A waterhose-like flood of information, coupled with fast image cuts and a string of loosely connected or sometimes even disconnected clips and thoughts.
Sort of "a mindmap or a Wikipedia reader on speed"; a wild experimental mix of parody, satire, and absurdist comedy.
SoN remains a cult classic for its satirical humor and the barrage of random facts presented in a staccato-like manner - there almost are no breaks from start to finish.
Each episode mixed in social commentary from Austrian society, politics, and pop culture on the topic covered (music bands or intellectuals touring Austria were also interviewed, for a wider angle and a more international set of answers and opinions).
The progressive lack of a consistent structure gave SoN a sense of spontaneity that appealed to a late-night audience.
The series kept pushing TV boundaries in terms of both content and presentation style. Its legacy lives on as a testament to the creativity of late-night TV in Austria at the time.
(Other good and outlandish examples from Austrian TV broadcasts from the era include the earlier 1990s' series "Montevideo", the 2000s' sketch/candid camera series "Echt Fett", or the comedic interview format "Wir sind Kaiser" in a royal/courtly setting.)
You can still find many SoN episodes online (in German). They remain a must watch if you feel intrigued by the show's concept (which, again, is very hard to put in words).
Imagine a narrator covering a wide variety of associated topics (each episode covered one broad topic, revealed in the title of the episode) at the speed of a steel ball bumping around in a pinball machine. A waterhose-like flood of information, coupled with fast image cuts and a string of loosely connected or sometimes even disconnected clips and thoughts.
Sort of "a mindmap or a Wikipedia reader on speed"; a wild experimental mix of parody, satire, and absurdist comedy.
SoN remains a cult classic for its satirical humor and the barrage of random facts presented in a staccato-like manner - there almost are no breaks from start to finish.
Each episode mixed in social commentary from Austrian society, politics, and pop culture on the topic covered (music bands or intellectuals touring Austria were also interviewed, for a wider angle and a more international set of answers and opinions).
The progressive lack of a consistent structure gave SoN a sense of spontaneity that appealed to a late-night audience.
The series kept pushing TV boundaries in terms of both content and presentation style. Its legacy lives on as a testament to the creativity of late-night TV in Austria at the time.
(Other good and outlandish examples from Austrian TV broadcasts from the era include the earlier 1990s' series "Montevideo", the 2000s' sketch/candid camera series "Echt Fett", or the comedic interview format "Wir sind Kaiser" in a royal/courtly setting.)
You can still find many SoN episodes online (in German). They remain a must watch if you feel intrigued by the show's concept (which, again, is very hard to put in words).
- helloamazon
- 5 dic 2024