CCTV Spring Festival Gala: Crosstalk and Sketch

Non Reading Club

BattleBots

In a BattleBots event the competitors are remote-controlled armed and armored machines, designed to fight in an arena combat elimination tournament. If both combat robots are still operational at the end of the match the winner is determined by a point system based on damage, aggression, and strategy. The television show BattleBots aired on the American cable network Comedy Central for five seasons, covering five BattleBots tournaments. The first season aired starting in August 2000, and the fifth season aired starting in August 2002. Hosts of BattleBots were Bil Dwyer and Sean Salisbury and correspondents included former Baywatch actresses Donna D'Errico, Carmen Electra, and Traci Bingham, former Playboy Playmate Heidi Mark, and identical twins Randy and Jason Sklar. Bill Nye was the show's "technical expert". After five 'seasons', Comedy Central terminated their contract with BattleBots Inc. in late 2002.

Me Mammy

Me Mammy is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1968 to 1971. Starring Milo O'Shea, it was written by Hugh Leonard.

Maui Fever

Maui Fever is an American reality television series on MTV. The series debuted on Wednesday, January 17, 2007 at 10:30PM on MTV. The series reveals the daily lives of several young haole friends living in the Kaanapali area on the island of Maui. Following the style of MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, The Hills and 8th & Ocean, Maui Fever was shot as a "reality drama". Maui Fever cast members never spoke directly to the camera or gave testimonials, a tactic used in MTV's The Real World and in traditional documentaries. However, a voice-over narrative spoken by Cheyne Magnusson, one of the main characters, was used at the beginning of each episode to set up the scene and tie together storylines. The opening credits of Maui Fever featured the song, "Horndog" by Overseer.

Life with Lucy

Life With Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The show ran on the ABC network in 1986 not on the CBS network as her previous shows had and unlike Ball's previous programs, it was a critical and ratings flop. Only eight out of the thirteen episodes that were filmed aired before ABC cancelled the series. It is the very last sitcom she starred in before her death in 1989.

Aifric

The series follows the life of Aifric whose wacky family have just moved to a new town in the West of Ireland. The 14yr old wants nothing more than to fit in but feels her family will not make it easy for her. Her mother is a new-age hippy who has banned television, while her father is a wannabe rock star, not to mention her annoying little brother.

Johny Aala Re

Johny Aala Re is a Hindi comedy show on Zee TV hosted and produced by famous Indian comedian, Johnny Lever.

Dr. Psycho

Dr. Psycho – Die Bösen, die Bullen, meine Frau und ich is a German language crime comedy television series. It was broadcast from March to May 2007 by the German private channel ProSieben and has been renewed for a second season.

Made

MTV's MADE is a self-improvement reality television series broadcast on MTV. The series follows teens who have a goal and want to be "made" into things like singers, athletes, dancers, skateboarders, etc. The teens are joined by a "Made Coach", an expert in their chosen field, who tries to help them attain their goals over the course of several weeks. Made documents the process the teens undergo as they try to achieve their goal.

The Return of Jezebel James

The Return of Jezebel James is an American situation comedy television series, starring Parker Posey as a successful children's book editor who, unable to have children herself, asks her estranged younger sister to carry her baby. The series was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino of Gilmore Girls fame, who also directed the pilot, and executive produced the show with her husband, Daniel Palladino. The show was produced by Regency Television and Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions. The show premiered on the Fox television network on March 14, 2008 as a mid-season replacement. After airing only three episodes, it was cancelled due to what FOX called unacceptably low ratings. The remaining four unaired episodes were released on Apple iTunes on May 6, 2008.

The Norm Show

Norm Henderson was once a fairly well-known -- but not particularly good -- professional hockey player. Norm's penchant for gambling and not paying taxes resulted in his permanent expulsion from the game. Instead of jail, he was sentenced to community service as a social worker, where his fresh perspective in the field and lack of patience for office red tape don't always jibe well with his co-workers.

Roman's Empire

Leo is the ex-boyfriend of businessman Roman Pretty's middle daughter Nikki, who still works and lives with the family. Nikki's new boyfriend, Seb, has a shady past, which Leo tries to reveal to the Pretty family. His best mate Jase is married to the eldest sister, Jenny, and is constantly attempting to get away from her and their new-born daughter. Meanwhile, Japanese chef Mr. Hokkasawa loses his job at a restaurant after a complaint from Roman, and takes the job of the Pretty family's gardener in a plot to kill him as revenge. However, he falls for Roman's youngest daughter, Kelly.

Goodnight Burbank

Square Pegs

Two awkward freshmen desperate to fit try to adjust to life at Weemawee High School.

Alarm for Cobra 11: The Motorway Police

A long-running German television series about a two-man team of highway police, originally set in Berlin and later in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Kiss Me Kate

A look into the everyday life of a counsellor, Kate, who must not only manage her clients' problems, but must also help her neighbours and unsuccessful business partner, Douglas.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

Happy-go-lucky Wubbzy bounces his way into wacky, fun-filled adventures in the town of Wuzzleburg with his best friends: inventor Widget, book-smart Walden, and sweet-as-can-be Daizy.

Viva Laughlin

Ripley Holden wrestles personally and professionally to open a casino in the desert city of Laughlin, Nevada. Against all odds, Ripley strives to support his family while pursuing his ultimate goal...the American dream.

The Mavis Bramston Show

The Mavis Bramston Show was an Australian made television satirical sketch comedy series that aired on the Seven Network from 1964 to 1968.

Century of Love

To reunite with his long-dead love, a man uses a mystical secret to lengthen his life until her rebirth — only to learn her reincarnation is a young man.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Jennifer Walters navigates the complicated life of a single, 30-something attorney who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk.

Moon Knight

When Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life, he discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.

In Family We Trust

The story revolves around an extended Thai Chinese family whose members' seemingly happy relationships devolve into conflict following murder of the eldest son and head of the family business.

Breaking Bad

Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, embarks on a crucial mission to confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Beginning in a time of relative peace, we follow an ensemble cast of characters as they confront the re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.

Black Mirror

Twisted tales run wild in this mind-bending anthology series that reveals humanity's worst traits, greatest innovations and more.

Cowboy Bebop

In 2071, roughly fifty years after an accident with a hyperspace gateway made the Earth almost uninhabitable, humanity has colonized most of the rocky planets and moons of the Solar System. Amid a rising crime rate, the Inter Solar System Police (ISSP) set up a legalized contract system, in which registered bounty hunters, also referred to as "Cowboys", chase criminals and bring them in alive in return for a reward.

Band of Brothers

Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men from paratrooper training in Georgia through the end of the war. As an elite rifle company parachuting into Normandy early on D-Day morning, participants in the Battle of the Bulge, and witness to the horrors of war, the men of Easy knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear - and became the stuff of legend. Based on Stephen E. Ambrose's acclaimed book of the same name.

Echo

Pursued by Wilson Fisk's criminal empire, Maya's journey brings her home and she must confront her own family and legacy.

Preacher

A preacher sets out on a mission to make the almighty himself confess his sin of abandoning the world. With his best friend Cassidy, an alcoholic Irish vampire, his love Tulip, a red blooded gun towing Texan, and the power of genesis, an unholy child born from an angel and a devil, Jesse gives up everything to set the world straight with its creator.

Nathan for You

Self-proclaimed business expert, writer, director and comedian Nathan Fielder helps real small businesses turn a profit with marketing tactics that no ordinary consultant would dare to attempt. From driving foot traffic to an off-the-strip souvenir shop by using Hollywood flair and a Johnny Depp impersonator, to creating a rebate that can only be redeemed by climbing a mountain, to founding a coffee shop called "Dumb Starbucks,” Nathan has always gone to the limit to make his ideas come to life. With his unorthodox approach to problem solving, Nathan’s genuine efforts to do good often draw the real people he encounters into an experience far beyond what they signed up for.

This Is England '86

It's 1986 - the year Maradona ends England's World Cup dreams in Mexico; the year Top Gun is the highest grossing film; the year over 3.4 million Brits are unemployed and the year Shaun is leaving school.

Ms. Marvel

A great student, avid gamer, and voracious fan-fic scribe, Kamala Khan has a special affinity for superheroes, particularly Captain Marvel. However, she struggles to fit in at home and at school — that is, until she gets superpowers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life is easier with superpowers, right?

The Power of Nightmares

Examines how politicians have used our fears to increase their power and control over society.

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities

Bizarre nightmares unfold in eight tales of terror in this visually stunning, spine-tingling horror collection curated by Guillermo del Toro.

The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash

Stars are everything, granting abilities to Tamers. So when Ivy was born without one, her village took it as an ill omen! Now banished, she leads a lonely life of salvaging rubbish to survive. That is until she befriends Sora, a weak little slime, in the forest. Together, the delicate duo embarks on a heartwarming journey of survival and discovers there’s more to Ivy than being starless.

The Apothecary Diaries

Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!

Love, Death & Robots

Terrifying creatures, wicked surprises and dark comedy converge in this NSFW anthology of animated stories presented by Tim Miller and David Fincher.