My Czech Republic Blog

Blog written by two Prague residents about life in the Czech Republic.

Back from the U.S.: My Observations (IV)

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OMG, Those Commercials!

All of a sudden, I found American network TV almost impossible to watch due to the irritatingly frequent commercial breaks. I somehow got used to the commercials when I lived in the U.S. a few years ago, but it seems to me that they came on even more often this time.

For example, I watched an episode of Desperate Housewives and I swear the program was interrupted every 10 minutes. That’s five commercial breaks in a one-hour show. Needless to say, I didn’t try watching another episode. If I’m not mistaken, Prima TV that airs the Desperate Housewives in the Czech Republic interrupts each episode only once, approximately in the middle, for about seven minutes. TV Nova shows commercials every 20 – 25 minutes for about three minutes per break, so a one-hour show is interrupted twice. I can pretty much live with that. Now if only they would stop bothering me with laundry detergent, yogurt and free calling minutes over and over again! A bit more variety wouldn’t hurt, guys!

I Want My Czech IPTV

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Telefónica, the Spanish company that owns Telefónica O2 Czech Republic (the renamed Český Telecom), launched an IPTV pilot program in the Czech Republic last month. The “digital television over the internet” offering will initially include 30 channels and around 250 movies for download. Telefónica is planning to expand its offering beyond its employees in the next couple of months.

Cable television is not available in our apartment in Prague. We have a satellite dish, but have not signed up for any packages to increase our selection of English language channels. So the selection remains limited to two news stations – BBC World and EuroNews, which we have named our “disaster channels”. Through our antenna, we get the four Czech stations – ČT1, ČT2, Nova, and Prima. But between the reality TV programming, low budget 1998 German made-for-TV movies and Czech variety-type shows, there is not much to get excited about.

I hope Czech IPTV is available to us soon. It’s about time we had a better selection of entertainment and an added bonus will be playing with the new technology.

Telefonica 02 Czech Republic Launches Pilot Operation of IPTV – 7/19/06

Telecom preps IPTV – 2/20/06

Don’t touch that browser! ČT to launch Internet TV – 8/29/05

CSI: From Vegas to Miami

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The most watched U.S. television series worldwide is currently CSI: Miami. The show premiers on TV Nova tonight at 9:10 p.m. under its Czech title Kriminálka Miami. It’s going to be dubbed of course, probably very well, considering the overall high quality of Czech dubbing.

I love the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (in Czech Kriminálka Las Vegas). I used to watch it in the U.S. and now I occasionally enjoy reruns on TV Nova where the show is in its second season. It must be popular here as well because it was moved to an earlier time a while back and has been aired twice a week. It looks like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation may start taking turns with CSI: Miami from now on. Maybe it’s time I gave the latter a chance.

And what ever happened to CSI: NY with Lieutenant Dan – sorry, Gary Sinise in it? It started around the time Jeff and I left the U.S., so we never saw a single episode. I wonder if it’s any good.

Postřižiny or Cutting It Short

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TV Nova showed Bohumil Hrabal’s Postřižiny last night and I couldn’t help but watch it, for the umpteenth time. It’s a wonderful Czech classic that can be seen over and over. In my opinion, the film is best understood if you are a native Czech, appreciate Czech humor and like Hrabal’s “tender barbarian” style of writing.

This gentle comedy is a lovely view of Hrabal’s parents, the brewery his father ran in Nymburk, Hrabal’s unique uncle Pepin, and the times of “cutting it short” at the beginning of last century. It is one of those pleasant films that bring a smile to your face and just make you feel good. Something else the film can do is give you an irresistible craving for jitrnice and beer. Both of which I had for lunch today. 🙂