There’s television, and then there’s Euro TV. It’s brilliant. And I’m grateful for it, and not just because it’s Thanksgiving tomorrow. Here’s why.
There’s a lot to like about Euro TV. So many of the dramas are riveting, and of the few foreign-language Euro TV comedies I’ve watched, side-splitting.
It wasn’t until I started getting in the Thanksgiving spirit and began writing down the things for which I’m grateful that I realized Euro TV and blogging about it have contributed to my life beyond the sheer entertainment of it.
- I’ve met, in person and virtually, some awesome people who happen to be fans of this blog. One in particular that I’d like to acknowledge is Jonas, a Swede who keeps me updated on programs and actors from his homeland and others of the Nordic countries. Tack, Jonas!
- I’ve also met fabulous folks through meet-up groups for French speakers. Granted, I could have done this well before Euro TV became an obsession, but it was watching French TV shows — from Engrenages and Les Revenants, to Le Sang de la Vigne and Maison Close — that inspired me to jump on the meet-up bandwagon and bavarder with natives and non-natives alike in a language I love.
- My confidence in understanding and communicating in French has grown. Combined with attending meet-up functions, watching French TV shows has increased my vocabulary and reminded me of those tricky conjugations for irregular verbs. (Yes, I could take another class, and might in the future, but for now ça marche.)
- I’ve communicated with some very generous individuals in the Nordic countries for this blog. It isn’t every day that a professional photographer or production company will grant use of their images for articles sans a fee. Tack, tak, and takk to each of you.
- I’ve learned a bunch of new words in various languages. I’m not at the point where I can hold my own in a conversation in Swedish, Danish, or Italian yet, but still. Knowing the basics comes in mighty handy when traveling.
- I’ve also learned a bit about how certain other countries work. The French judicial system and Danish political system, to name two. Discovering that prosecutors and judges visit crime scenes (when I thought they were the purview of only the police), and that radically different political parties would ally with each other for a common goal (when all I’ve been exposed to is partisanship) were eye-openers.
- My wanderlust has been amped up. Not just for the European cities and towns I have yet to visit, but also for the ones I have collectively spent years in. Seeing them on screen makes me want to be there… and there… and there…
Euro TV has likely inspired, influenced, and impacted me in other ways, too, but these are the ones that readily came to mind.
So, to you, dear readers of The Euro TV Place, and to everyone involved in the commission, creation, production, distribution, and programming of Euro TV titles that screen in the US and UK — from Canal+, DR, NRK, RAI, SVT, and other companies on and off the Continent, to Acorn TV, BBC Four, Channel 4, Hulu, MHz Choice, Netflix, Sky Arts, and beyond — I say merci, grazie, gracias, danke, bedankt, kiitos, tack, tak, takk, and thanks.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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