TV Pirata
Encyclopedia
TV Pirata was a weekly Brazilian comedy show
aired on Rede Globo
between 1988 and 1990, being re-aired monthly in 1992. Some of the writers later went on to form the comedy troupe Casseta & Planeta
. The show was first aired in April 1988 to fill a gap on Rede Globo
's Tuesday night prime time line-up and its comedy was inspired by sketch comedy shows such as Saturday Night Live
and Monty Python's Flying Circus
with a no-nonsense approach to Brazil
ian comedy (something unusual at the time as most of Brazilian humor was consisted of weekly shows featuring the same comedy character
s); however, it mixed a new style of comedy with elements of Brazilian culture such as football, politics, pop culture, telenovelas, economics
and celebrities
. No well-known figure or member of any economical or social class was spared from the show's cutting edge humor.
The premise of the show was a TV studio being invaded by pirates who took over the programming department and put a tape on the air with some "unusual" programming. Another new element to Brazilian audiences was the performers, (well-known soap opera actors like Debora Bloch
, Claudia Raia, Marco Nanini
and Ney Latorraca with a few others) who weren't the usual comedic actor
s, but dramatic actors doing more comedic roles (although some of them went on to perform in more comedies later in their careers).
Despite the slow beginning (and almost cancellation), the idea of a fresh new comedy style began to settle among Brazilian audiences who grew to embrace the program and its writers, who at the time were still writing the comedy magazine
Casseta Popular and the newspaper
-like Planeta Diário (the latter a nod to The Daily Planet). While the sketch comedy style was not new to the audiences, it was done in a manner to be considered ground breaking for the time and place while defying the old comedies styles on Brazilian TV
from the late 1960s to the early 1980s; therefore turning the show into a cultural phenomenon
.
But in 1990, due to weak cast changes and ratings decrease, the series was cancelled. It experienced a short-lived revival in early 1992 but was cancelled later that year. However, the series obtained a cult status in Brazil since it was aired
as there has never been a show like it before or since. The program has been released on DVD, and was aired on Rede Globo
's sister stations to celebrate its 40th anniversary
in 2005. Some of the program's videos are also available through YouTube
.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
aired on Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
between 1988 and 1990, being re-aired monthly in 1992. Some of the writers later went on to form the comedy troupe Casseta & Planeta
Casseta & Planeta
Casseta & Planeta is a Brazilian group of comedians who run a TV show named Casseta & Planeta Urgente, broadcast by Rede Globo. The humour featured on the show is mostly satirical, relating to religious or ethical groups, and minorities .The group founded a company called...
. The show was first aired in April 1988 to fill a gap on Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
's Tuesday night prime time line-up and its comedy was inspired by sketch comedy shows such as Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
and Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
with a no-nonsense approach to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian comedy (something unusual at the time as most of Brazilian humor was consisted of weekly shows featuring the same comedy character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s); however, it mixed a new style of comedy with elements of Brazilian culture such as football, politics, pop culture, telenovelas, economics
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
. No well-known figure or member of any economical or social class was spared from the show's cutting edge humor.
The premise of the show was a TV studio being invaded by pirates who took over the programming department and put a tape on the air with some "unusual" programming. Another new element to Brazilian audiences was the performers, (well-known soap opera actors like Debora Bloch
Débora Bloch
Débora Bloch is a Brazilian actress.She is the daughter of actor Jonas Bloch, and is descendant of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants .-External links:...
, Claudia Raia, Marco Nanini
Marco Nanini
Marco Antônio Barroso Nanini is a Brazilian theater, film and TV actor of Italian descent. Most of his activities have been in comedy. He is in the permanent casting of Rede Globo....
and Ney Latorraca with a few others) who weren't the usual comedic actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s, but dramatic actors doing more comedic roles (although some of them went on to perform in more comedies later in their careers).
Despite the slow beginning (and almost cancellation), the idea of a fresh new comedy style began to settle among Brazilian audiences who grew to embrace the program and its writers, who at the time were still writing the comedy magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Casseta Popular and the newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
-like Planeta Diário (the latter a nod to The Daily Planet). While the sketch comedy style was not new to the audiences, it was done in a manner to be considered ground breaking for the time and place while defying the old comedies styles on Brazilian TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
from the late 1960s to the early 1980s; therefore turning the show into a cultural phenomenon
Phenomenon
A phenomenon , plural phenomena, is any observable occurrence. Phenomena are often, but not always, understood as 'appearances' or 'experiences'...
.
But in 1990, due to weak cast changes and ratings decrease, the series was cancelled. It experienced a short-lived revival in early 1992 but was cancelled later that year. However, the series obtained a cult status in Brazil since it was aired
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
as there has never been a show like it before or since. The program has been released on DVD, and was aired on Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
's sister stations to celebrate its 40th anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
in 2005. Some of the program's videos are also available through YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.