Welcome To Sweden - General Discussion

[sadiegirl]

Can there be a comedy without people being assholes?

 

 

 

Yes, Better Off Ted has some minor characters periodically that could be ass holes, but over all, all the major characters were decent people, doing their best.  And it was very funny.

Edited July 20, 2014 by sadiegirl

[possibilities]

I think life has enough absurdity and natural challenges to be funny without resorting to bad character or outright hostility to bring the laughs.

 

Better Off Ted is a perfect example. It's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen!!

 

But even other shows, like Parks And Rec-- there is a sweetness to that show, people are caring about each other, and working as a team, but life is hard, shit happens, and there's always the general craziness of any bureaucracy to cause hysteria.

 

With Welcome to Sweden, I can see there being innocent, not manufactured, awkwardness and drama from the fish out of water scenario, without the family being dickish. That's what I'm hoping for as time goes on. I don't really want to see them pick on him on purpose like a bunch of middle aged bullies..

[dcalley]

They're all so mean to Jerry on Parks and Rec, though. I don't like that part.

 

 

With Welcome to Sweden, I can see there being innocent, not manufactured, awkwardness and drama from the fish out of water scenario, without the family being dickish. That's what I'm hoping for as time goes on. I don't really want to see them pick on him on purpose like a bunch of middle aged bullies.

I'm hoping for the same.

[possibilities]

They're all so mean to Jerry on Parks and Rec, though. I don't like that part.

Yeah, that's a sour note for me with P&R as well.

[Dagny]

I found it hilarious that NBC allowed so many uncensored Swedish curse words. "Knulla," which is the equivalent of "to fuck," made it in twice. OK, I know they just figure 99% of the audience won't know what they're saying, but still. (Swedish TV is pretty lax about cursing & nudity, even in prime time.)

 

And this is why I strive to learn curse words in other languages.  I'm pretty sure that US TV could probably get away with even using worse British or Australian swear words.  Of course sometimes you know when a sports figure is swearing even if they are using a different language. :)

 

Are Swedish summer homes small or are the producers continuing the Swedish people are tall gag, because I swear, it looks like almost everyone is going to bash their head against the ceiling or door frame.

[trow125]

Are Swedish summer homes small or are the producers continuing the Swedish people are tall gag, because I swear, it looks like almost everyone is going to bash their head against the ceiling or door frame.

 

Older homes do indeed have fairly low clearance -- Swedes were a lot shorter around the turn of the 19th century -- but I think they're definitely exaggerating it for comic effect!

[Dagny]

Better Off Ted is a perfect example. It's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen!!

 

I knew someone who couldn't watch it because it was too accurate of the corporate world. "Racial Sensitivity" and Syphalitic Conquistadors.

[henripootel]

Not universally loved? that's an understatement. More like hated.

 

In my experience, plenty of folks dislike what America often does but are perfectly fine with Americans.  My guess is that the Iraqi guy (IRL) would have been mortified to find out he'd been saying bad (if perfectly justified) things about America to an actual American.  He wouldn't have attacked or gotten shirty, he'd have apologized profusely, which kinda made this scene ... not work so much for me.  Beyond telegraphing the 'I'm from ... Canada' joke from 50 miles away, Bruce ended up lying to a perfectly nice guy, and not to save the guy embarrassment, but to save himself.  Kind of a dick move there, Bruce, and it kinda hampered the humor in that scene for me.

 

I'm kinda enjoying the 'glimpse of Sweden' aspect of this show but the writing is a bit obvious and I don't care much for Bruce.  It did occur to me to wonder if this show would have gotten made (and by NBC no less) if the star/writer's last name wasn't 'Poehler;. 

Edited July 25, 2014 by henripootel

[trow125]

It did occur to me to wonder if this show would have gotten made (and by NBC no less) if the star/writer's last name wasn't 'Poehler;.

 

 

Would it have gotten picked up by NBC? Probably not. But I don't think the Poehler connection is terribly relevant in Sweden, and the show has been a huge, huge hit there. I read that they are waiting to begin working on season 2 until they find out whether or not NBC is going to be interested in airing it again next summer. If they are not, they don't have to worry so much about pleasing an American audience. But it's already been renewed by TV4.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Greg Poehler -- still not an actor, they should have hired someone with actual acting experience.

 

The immigration interview -- not even mildly amusing.  The constant interruptions by Emma, and the stupid non-sequitirs that Bruce injected into the conversation (Charles Manson, seriously ?) just wasn't funny.  And because they were fighting in the apartment, the immigration guy just assumes they're a real couple. 

 

In the absurd logic portion of the show, shipping all that stuff across the Atlantic must have cost a small fortune.  Did they pitch it all or give it away - It was unclear, and why would Emma knowingly throw out an extremely expensive chair, and then bitch about it just because of the football.

 

Amy Poehler's Rolodex randomly forced celebrity cameo of the week -- please stop.  I like Aubrey Plaza, but her inclusion in this episode was just stupid. Of course it won't because there's been shots of Gene Simmons in previews, so more are coming.

[renard]

Greg Poehler -- still not an actor, they should have hired someone with actual acting experience.

 

The immigration interview -- not even mildly amusing.  The constant interruptions by Emma, and the stupid non-sequitirs that Bruce injected into the conversation (Charles Manson, seriously ?) just wasn't funny.  And because they were fighting in the apartment, the immigration guy just assumes they're a real couple. 

 

In the absurd logic portion of the show, shipping all that stuff across the Atlantic must have cost a small fortune.  Did they pitch it all or give it away - It was unclear, and why would Emma knowingly throw out an extremely expensive chair, and then bitch about it just because of the football.

 

Amy Poehler's Rolodex randomly forced celebrity cameo of the week -- please stop.  I like Aubrey Plaza, but her inclusion in this episode was just stupid. Of course it won't because there's been shots of Gene Simmons in previews, so more are coming.

 

Yes to all. I think I'm out. It's not that funny and it's killing me to have to read subtitles all night.  Yes, Greg Poehler is horrible and the gf is a complete bitch (Can we talk about her roots?). Lena Olin cannot save this no matter how much I lust for her. OK, the old guy stuck in the elevator was funny.

[dbklmt]

I lasted 10 minutes before I decided I'd had enough.  Deleted it from my DVR and canceled the series recording.  I would never watch anything with Amy's brother in it again! 

[sjohnson]

A wooden bar! A wooden bar! 

 

And if that's not fish out of water enough for you, the brother in the recliner. 

 

This is about as subtle as a rubber chicken, which for me is starting to make the subtitles a welcome distraction. 

 

Sorry, I'm enjoying this.

[possibilities]

I think it would be interesting to see the show as it was made just for Swedes, without the scripts being modified to also appeal to a USA audience.

[Quickbeam]

I need a whole lot more of Lena Olin snark and a whole lot less of Greg Poehler. Plus more Sweden, it is so pretty. I am also really taken with the tall guy who plays the father. He has a great face. 

[Quickbeam]

She is beautiful and very funny. I love hearing actors speak their native language. Plus Sweden. Only reason I am watching. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

A wooden bar! A wooden bar!

 

@sjohnson -- can you explain why that is supposed to be funny, because I didn't get it at all.

[Dowel Jones]

"Fish out of water" jokes work best when they're aimed at the current hosts (think Third Rock From the Sun S1), rather than the former hosts, such as this one.  I'm sure there's some Swedish humor there that I'm just not getting to maximum effect, so I really hope they tone it down and focus on something else.  Keep the travelogue scenes going, though.  That almost makes up for it.

Edited July 25, 2014 by Dowel Jones

[sjohnson]

The wooden bar is funny because it's an inside joke about how there are no coasters in Sweden.

 

Well, okay, I just made that up. I was with Bruce on this one, it was just incomprehensible. Making humor is often a form of aggression and therefore laughing at humor is a form of self-defense. Laughing at the weird specificity of wooden bar copes with the inexplicable, foreign disapproval. Bruce is a fish out of water and we laugh at his plight because we've been there and it's so much more comfortable to deal with the residual feelings for a fictional character, not us.

[dcalley]

I need...more Sweden, it is so pretty. I am also really taken with the tall guy who plays the father. He has a great face. 

Yes, Sweden needs to play a bigger part! And the dad is the source of my favorite line about the horse that makes him happy when he's sad. But I can't explain why I liked that so much.

 

The wooden bar is funny because it's an inside joke about how there are no coasters in Sweden.

Well, okay, I just made that up.

You got out-loud laughing from me for that, which is more than this show has ever done.

 

Is the bedroom not facing the street a big thing in Sweden? I think most Americans would also prefer that their bedrooms not face a street, but this street didn't seem busy. And you picked the apartment, Emma. I've never lived in NYC, but avoiding your neighbors seems like it might be common there and plenty of other US places. I can certainly relate to preferring I not encounter anyone in my building. I guess these things didn't seem funny to me so much as confusing because they weren't huge culture shock issues. Bruce came to Sweden from NYC, not Mayberry.

 

Once again it seemed almost like Emma and Bruce were not together before Sweden. Does she really have no sense of what furniture he's shipping over? Did she never go to his place in NY? Her stuff should be new to him, but his stuff should not be new to her.

 

I really wanted to like this show, but if it weren't summer I'd already have given up on it (so would NBC, probably), and I might only have one episode left before I quit. I don't mind the subtitles; I actually enjoy hearing the Swedish language (can't understand it, just like it). According to someone on imdb, the guy yelled something like "fuck you" out the window, but it was translated for us as "calm yourself down." I wonder if sanitizing the subtitles is happening a lot and if that affects the humor [of those parts].

[ottoDbusdriver]

The wooden bar is funny because it's an inside joke about how there are no coasters in Sweden.

 

 

 

 

Well, okay, I just made that up.

You got out-loud laughing from me for that, which is more than this show has ever done.

 

Thanks @sjohnson-- that actually made me laugh too.

 

Once again it seemed almost like Emma and Bruce were not together before Sweden. Does she really have no sense of what furniture he's shipping over? Did she never go to his place in NY? Her stuff should be new to him, but his stuff should not be new to her.

 

They met in New York and have been dating for at least a year before moving back to Sweden -- she had to have been to his apartment once in all that time.  So none of the stuff that showed up should have been surprising -- not even the Boomer Esiason football.

Edited July 25, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[dcalley]

Oh god. I was going to give this show one more episode to retain me as a viewer, and it's the Gene Simmons one? I may have to rethink my plan. Ick.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Seriously, this is going to be the 3rd former client pining after him for his magical accounting kung-fu.

 

I hate to say, but he's an accountant -- there's lots of accountants in the world.  Plus it looked like he worked for a firm, so they probably just assigned his accounts to someone else.  Unless he was laundering money for these celebrities in offshore accounts to cover up drug deals (picture Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2), it really shouldn't matter who does their books.  Let alone have them traveling to Sweden to beg him to work for them.  It's pretty stupid premise.

Edited July 25, 2014 by ottoDbusdriver

[Lawgiver]

My goodness, Lena Olin is luminous. She was awesome as Spy Mommy 10 years ago, and she's even more beautiful here! How does she do that? 

[trow125]

I wonder if sanitizing the subtitles is happening a lot and if that affects the humor [of those parts].

 

 

I don't know how much it affects the humor but to those of us who speak Swedish, it is pretty amusing to hear all of the uncensored cursing, and to see NBC's totally innocuous subtitles. The neighbor yelled, as I recall, "Lugna ner dig för fan," which I'd say is more equivalent to "Shut the hell up." ("Lugna ner dig" means "calm down" and "för fan" literally means "for Satan's sake" -- "fan" is a common Swedish curse word.) Not quite as explicit as last week's use of the word "knulla," which means "to fuck." See, it's such an educational show!

 

As for the bedroom not facing the street... I have never heard that before. Every apartment I've ever stayed in in Stockholm has had the bedroom facing the street. That may have more to do with the fact that prices there are stratospheric and you'd have to have major bucks to afford to rent or buy a multi-room apartment.

[trow125]

I read somewhere that KISS happened to be touring Sweden at the time and Gene was roped into doing a cameo. It's a very brief appearance, but I guess using all of the celebrities gives NBC something to promote in their ads aimed at American viewers.

[henripootel]

This show is not without its charm but the more I see of Bruce, the more tiresome I find him.  I don't mind him being hapless or even whiney, but he's sufficiently unpleasant that I don't see why anybody really likes him.  A little charm goes a long way with me, and Bruce seems devoid of it.

 

Am enjoying the apparently endless supply of excellent small-part character actors they keep producing.  And I'm really wanting to visit Sweden, if only to find Bruce and give him a sharp smack.

 

ETA: Okay, I stuck it out till episode 6.  I think I can understand why the Swedes love this show (all the Americans are insufferable boobs) but it's not getting any better.  I'm done. 

Edited July 26, 2014 by henripootel

[Lawgiver]

I think my favorite thing about the show so far (aside from Lena Olin) is learning Swedish words. For example (and sorry for the execrable spelling) tall=long and handsome=snick (sp?). I love snick. I'm totally using it next time I want to compliment Mr. Lawgiver.

[Azaelia]

One thing I didn't get about this episode was how apparently, in America, strangers talk on the street all the time. While I think this is very true to New York, I'd say my own town, for instance, is far more like "Sweden" according to this episode. People just don't talk to you beyond polite hellos unless they have a reason.

 

I thought the episode had moments of humor, but my biggest issue overall is that I honestly think every one of the past several episodes could've had some parts taken out, and others condensed to make one. Then it might also be more entertaining. Instead we're getting a day-by-day glimpse, and that just doesn't work for plot.

 

 

[missmarple]

Greg Poehler -- still not an actor, they should have hired someone with actual acting experience.

 

The immigration interview -- not even mildly amusing.  The constant interruptions by Emma, and the stupid non-sequitirs that Bruce injected into the conversation (Charles Manson, seriously ?) just wasn't funny.  And because they were fighting in the apartment, the immigration guy just assumes they're a real couple.

 

In the absurd logic portion of the show, shipping all that stuff across the Atlantic must have cost a small fortune.  Did they pitch it all or give it away - It was unclear, and why would Emma knowingly throw out an extremely expensive chair, and then bitch about it just because of the football.

 

Amy Poehler's Rolodex randomly forced celebrity cameo of the week -- please stop.  I like Aubrey Plaza, but her inclusion in this episode was just stupid. Of course it won't because there's been shots of Gene Simmons in previews, so more are coming.

 

   When there is no one to say no- we get Charles Manson jokes and they weren't funny 40 years ago. Nor was the don't talk to the neighbors schtick-Greg Poehler is playing a well-educated-highly paid New Yorker-at no time during this ep. was his aww shucks Mayberry routine believable.   At no time did I think this couple were in jeopardy over immigration. Part of the storyline is that he snagged his Swedish babe is his high level career.  I was taken out of the story by trying to figure out why a couple of well off professionals- in a large multi-million dollar apartment- are afraid of immigration.  As much as I love this show- the series weaknesses   were really in forefront. I think that nepotism is doing a great deal of harm to a show that could be funny and charming.   Lena Olin and the actor who plays her husband( don't know his name) were doing some heavy lifting in the first two ep's and their absence (except a brief appearance) was felt.

[Kenz]

I really wanted to like this show because of the refreshing premise, but Greg Poehler is just bringing the whole thing down with his clueless, bland character.  And as other posters have mentioned, this episode was full of non funny, except for the guy stuck in the elevator, and my husband and I actually laughed at that. The Greg Poehler character was supposed to be a very successful celebrity accountant, and yet he can't answer a simple question from an immigration official, like when he met his girlfriend? And giving all their furniture away to start fresh? What are they, multi-millionaires? No, that was just a set up for the immigration guy to visit and see that no one appeared to be living there. I perk up when the mom and dad appear, because they make it interesting and sometimes amusing, but unfortunately, I don't think they can save the show for me.

[ottoDbusdriver]

One thing I still can't figure out -- is "moving porridge" a thing in Sweden ?

 

Because the dad brought a big pot of something to the apartment, told Bruce what it was, and it was never mentioned again.

[trow125]

"Moving porridge," or "flyttgröt," is indeed a thing in Sweden. It's traditional to bring a gift of food when you visit somebody in their new home for the first time. However, it doesn't literally have to be porridge. It can be a loaf of bread or a cake or something like that.

[ottoDbusdriver]

"Moving porridge," or "flyttgröt," is indeed a thing in Sweden

 

Thanks @trow125 -- tried Googling and came up with nothing.  In this case, I believe it was actually porridge.

[Dagny]

to those of us who speak Swedish, it is pretty amusing to hear all of the uncensored cursing, and to see NBC's totally innocuous subtitles. The neighbor yelled, as I recall, "Lugna ner dig för fan," which I'd say is more equivalent to "Shut the hell up." ("Lugna ner dig" means "calm down" and "för fan" literally means "for Satan's sake" -- "fan" is a common Swedish curse word.) Not quite as explicit as last week's use of the word "knulla," which means "to fuck." See, it's such an educational show!

 

If "fan" is a common curse word, Someone self describing a an actor's "number one fan". Must be highly amusing.  I like that a good chunk is spoken in Swedish, How else would I know that "Come in" is pretty much the same in Danish and Swedish.

 

I watched an episode of the Closer in un-subtitled Danish once.  It was fun because I knew the episode.

[Dagny]

he's even more beautiful here! How does she do that?

 

If she told you, she'd have to kill you.

[Janimo]

I just stumbled on the pilot On Demand and really enjoyed it. It was nice watching a show without a laugh track. Yes, Greg Poehler does look like Greg Kinnear, but he also resembles his sister Amy.

I'll probably play catch up On Demand as well as catching the new eps. It was a nice change of pace, at least for me.

[ottoDbusdriver]

This show is not without its charm but the more I see of Bruce, the more tiresome I find him.  I don't mind him being hapless or even whiney, but he's sufficiently unpleasant that I don't see why anybody really likes him.  A little charm goes a long way with me, and Bruce seems devoid of it.

 

 

Bruce was such an asshole at the coffee shop !!  Dude, have cash as a backup -- he basically stole that pastry and was extremely rude to the clerk.  And it was so much fun, he did it again at the end of the show.

 

And then more assholishness with driver's license lady.  Geez.

And it didn't get much better with the tour boat captain and tourists.

 

The Gene Simmons cameo was pretty badly written, and contributed next to nothing.  Was telling people to call him 'Gene Simmons' supposed to be funny, because it wasn't ?

 

Seriously, Bruce doesn't know what a red light means.  You have to stop BEFORE you turn right on a red even in the US. 

And he got his friend fired from his job because of it.  Good going assclown.  Bruce is so unlikeable.

[trow125]

Bruce was such an asshole at the coffee shop !!  Dude, have cash as a backup -- he basically stole that pastry and was extremely rude to the clerk.  And it was so much fun, he did it again at the end of the show.

 

Yeah, this was my least favorite Bruce moment of all the episodes I've seen so far. Plus, there's the added irritation that the show is supposed to be taking place in the summer, and semlor are only sold during Lent -- well, due to the pastries' popularity, bakeries will often start selling them a bit before the beginning of Lent, but nobody would be selling them in the summer.

[possibilities]

Everyone in the entire family is an asshole, not just Bruce. But he's the worst of them bunch.

 

I worked as a cashier and guess what, asshole? The cashier gets to pay for your pastry if you don't. And she probably sees hundreds of people a day, so forgive her if she doesn't memorize your stupid face.

 

Surely they discussed what he'd do all day once he moved to Sweden? Did neither of them think about whether he'd be able to work and what he'd want to do? They didn't discuss furniture OR employment before making this kind of move? And did the in-laws have to mock him for being unemployed for what-- an entire week or two in the new country, maybe a month? They've barely moved in and he's already a laughingstock for not being the breadwinner? Especially with their son at home doing nothing, it just seemed gratuitously mean.

 

I love fish out of water stories and I love hearing the Swedish, but I don't think i can hang in much longer. I don't mind if Bruce is an asshole, if the other characters are amusing and we can imagine why they put up with him. But so far they're not making that case.

 

And no, I don't find it inherently funny to see the roles reversed, so the wife asks him to make dinner and do her ironing, and then rushes off to see a friend and leaves him alone with the dinner he made uneaten. It's not funny just because a woman does it, any more than it's funny when the man does it. Why are we supposed to like this couple?

 

He was a total asshole about the driving, and then when he said he felt terrible, it was the same tone as when he said every other line in the episode.

[henripootel]

Yeah, this was my least favorite Bruce moment of all the episodes I've seen so far.

Agreed, this was a real low point.  In comedies, if you're gonna have your protagonist be rude to nice people you have to make it clear that his insufferable assholishness is cause to not like the character.  Somehow I think we are supposed to like him, or at least sympathize with his well-intended haplessness.  Not so much.  And I'm annoyed that I'm supposed to.

[TV-junkie]

Basically, it's a show starring a would-be actor (doing it badly), doing strings of clichéd bad jokes with guest stars who should pull the US demographic in.

 

It's a train wreck, week after week after week. Granted, Patrick Duffy's performance isn't bad (compared to other guests) - yes, I saw the originally aired showed via the internet. Aubrey Plaza, however, annoyed the heck out of me. Looks like annoying is all she can do.

 

If you want an original show without tired tropes done by overrated SNL/PaR guests, stay away from that mess. Oh yeah, there's going to be an Abba-ish episode as well. Is it funny? You be the judge if you plan to tag along ...

Edited August 1, 2014 by TV-junkie

[alexa]

I only saw the first 2 episodes, and then watched a tiny bit of this one.  I was very turned off by what I saw--one part was where he was eating his food he bought while paying, and then the credit card would not go through.  He was acting like a jerk about it, as if he still lived in America and should assume his card will work everywhere/all of the time.  Plus you don't eat your food while you are in line.  Not even in America.

 

Then he wanted a driver's license and thought you just presented your US one, and that was all you need to do.  I haven't looked into it, but if I moved to Europe my assumption would be that I would have to do something more than that.  I just see this guy as expecting the world to cater to him, and he is just simply rude at the same time.  I turned off the show.  It would be much better if he was more realistic and simply ran into weird situations/not situations that are an issue because he is a jerk.  

[Quickbeam]

At this point the show is a bad car accident with pretty scenery. There is so much to dislike...a supposedly competent accountant who has no idea he has no money in his account? He moves to another country and has done zero research into their culture and laws? Even I know about the driving laws in Sweden and the zero death objective. There was a huge article on it in the NY Times. I don't even like the key relationship. There is zero chemistry between these 2 actors. Not sure if I can go on with this show, hoping for more Lena Olin and Claes Mansson. (Sorry, I have no umlauts or knowledge of how to make them appear.) 

[sjohnson]

Comedy is about conflict, hence the appearance of idiots and jerks. 

[kayma]

Am I supposed to find it funny that the main character laughs at peoples' names to their faces? Or that a sign containing the word fart is hysterical? Am I supposed to think it's funny to steal from a bakery or to get a friend (that is continually lied to) fired? Is that what we do in America, and I've just been missing out? Why can't he just tell his former clients that he is no longer a practicing accountant instead of hiding behind ornamental foliage? Is it supposed to be funny that other countries have different driving rules than we do?

 

It's one thing to be able to laugh along with the show at the stereotypes of my own culture, This show feels like it's laughing at me as an American, which clearly means I am a pretentious, self-righteous jerk with no regard for other people or reality. 

 

The only redeeming quality in this mess is seeing how pretty Sweden is.

 

Comedy is about conflict, hence the appearance of idiots and jerks.

Why can't they write good-natured conflict? There's plenty to write about in adapting to the differences between here and Europe without making the main character an unlikeable fool.

Edited August 1, 2014 by kayma

[Bretley]

This show feels like it's laughing at me as an American, which clearly means I am a pretentious, self-righteous jerk with no regard for other people or reality.

 

This fucking show. I keep watching hoping that it's somehow going to turn into what I thought it was going to be, but instead it's becoming so much worse. Bruce is SUCH AN ASSHOLE I can't understand how he's supposed to be the protagonist. Watching someone be an entitled jag-off to every person he meets is not funny. 

[Dagny]

How is "Ausfahrt" never funny? You'd only see in on a freeway, but still. That and "rathaus".

[dcalley]

Yeah, this was my least favorite Bruce moment of all the episodes I've seen so far. Plus, there's the added irritation that the show is supposed to be taking place in the summer, and semlor are only sold during Lent -- well, due to the pastries' popularity, bakeries will often start selling them a bit before the beginning of Lent, but nobody would be selling them in the summer.

I haven't watched this one yet and don't think I will, but I remembered that a Swedish blogger I follow has said they're available year-round. They sound good; maybe I'll try making them.

[trow125]

I haven't watched this one yet and don't think I will, but I remembered that a Swedish blogger I follow has said they're available year-round. They sound good; maybe I'll try making them.

 

There are probably places where you can get them year-round, but I have visited Sweden during the summer several times during the past few years and I have yet to see one. The last time I was there in early spring, on the other hand, they were ubiquitous.

 

Looks like ratings are down (though I would rather watch 100 episodes of "WtS" than one ep of "Big Brother") -- I haven't heard whether or not NBC has decided whether to pick the show up or not (as previously mentioned, it's already been renewed in Sweden). Apparently they will be adding some new (better?) writers, in any case, according to a report in the Swedish media.