Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Benidorm

Pam and I have now watched both series 1 and 2 of the BBC comedy series, Benidorm on our version of iPlayer. I understand that the programme is now on series 6 so there is plenty more to come for us.

For those who haven’t seen the programme, it is set in an all inclusive hotel and plots the frantic holidays of several groups including a family where the teenage daughter has a mixed race child, a gay couple, Johnny Vegas with his mother who he describes as his PA and a couple of “swingers” who are constantly looking out for threesomes. Into the mix, there is a Spanish waiter who thinks that all British women go on holiday looking for sex with a local and a rather more reserved couple who look out of place in the setting and yet at the same time seem to enjoy “roughing it”.

You might imagine that the programme paints a picture of the town which the locals may not want to be portrayed but apparently not. Benidorm is grateful to the programme for its contribution to tourism and has now unveiled a commemorative plaque between Morgan’s Tavern and the Sol Pelicannos hotel.

Just goes to show that it takes all sorts to make the world go round!

1 comment:

Bill said...

I have watched Benidorm a few times in the past, but it was not 'my cup of tea' so now give it a miss; however, if it is helping boost tourism revenues in the area then obviously that is good.

There is another Benidorm-based TV programme on at present (Channel 5) called Benidorm ER, a reality programme based in a Benidorm hospital. I think it is really quite good and some of the doctors shown (Spanish obviously, but British, German, Dutch etc too) and the ambulance crews (Spanish and British) come across very well. The patients shown are a mixture of British tourists & residents, plus a few Spanish and other nationalities, with treatments relating from the minor to the very serious.

Series 1 is being repeated at present - tonight at 8pm on Channel 5 (9pm in Spain) is episode 5 of 6.

I expect it has had a beneficial effect on tourist perceptions overall, whilst being a salutary reminder of the idiotic things that people sometimes get up to when they are on holiday - no doubt the more quirky incidents get a higher profile than the statistics would justify, but they are probably just trying to make the programme interesting.