Weirdo bonanza (Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends)

Member Name: buttonman

Product:	Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends
Date:	27/10/00 (277 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of nutters with nasty opinions

Disadvantages: Funny and insightful

This is a really enjoyable documentry series shown on BBC2.In each episode our eponimous hero investigates groups or activities that are rightly branded wierd.

Louis Theroux is an excellent reporter who dos'nt hog the limelight and lets each week's subjects become the stars of that show.The show lasts about fifty minutes and this allows various practitioners of that week's black art to be profiled.

The subjects vary widley and often real and disturbing trends or opinions are revealed.The Boers in South Africa were recently investigated and had a Luftwafe pilot giving their moderate views.The leader of the biggest band of racists was also seen at home failing to see the irony of a record collection made up mostly at black artistes.

On a lighter theme another show dealt with Las Vegas hypnotists eagarly fleecing suckers by the dozen with a "Be a millionaire" seminar at $5000 that had yet to produce any millionaires,if you discount the hypnotist.On a smaller scale was the man selling success with the ladies and amazingly this worked.The naturally reserved Louis was soon getting phone numbers by telling women that they had "a great energy".Once again the practioner saw no wrong in this manipulation.

On the most recent show Thai mail order brides were the subject and this show was the best of the lot.Firstly we saw this short,cap wearing Englishman with the biggest nose ever who ran an agency and had married three clients himself.Despite being 50+ he was getting through them at a frightening rate-lucky sod!.Star of the show was Lake, a blazer wearing stressed out madman who only wanted to be loved.After scaring off a single mum with an instant marriage proposal,Louis was surprised to find him married to someone else two days later.He was such a caricature I thought it was Steve Coogan dressed up."Do you know he takes tablets?" Louis whispered to the new bride.

The show has now finished
it's current run although UK Horizons is still showing this and previous series.Epoisodes to look out for include the Californian swingers and the wrestlers who slash each other with blades to make it seem real.The one off special featuring Jimmy Saville is also compulsive viewing.

A funny,interesting and innovative show that's well worth a look.

UPDATE:A special episode 'When Louis met Paul and Debbie' is on BBC2 on Tuesday 20th February.In this Louis meets Paul Daniels (and his lovely assistant Debbie McGee) and sees him off screen and behind the scenes of 'Ready Steady Cook' where outragously,the guests are given the bags that they've supposedly brought in!.Should be worth a look.

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