Watch Gigi: Almost American

Gigi: Almost American is a robust comical series that first began airing on BBC in 2011. The show offers an amusing outlook on culture shock, immigration, and assimilation; themes that are cleverly infused in the script to present a multinational perspective on American society. Due to its strikingly practical portrayal of cultural confusion and a unique story plot, the show made a place for itself on international television.

The central character of the show is Gigi, hilariously portrayed by renowned New Zealand performer Josh Gad, who is perhaps best known for lending his voice to the animated character Olaf in Disney's Frozen. The show catapults viewers into the life of Gigi, a naive foreigner, who, armed with a lottery visa and unstoppable optimism, relocates to America with visions of fulfilling his American Dream.

Gigi, however, soon finds out that the dream of a perfect life in America is more glamorous in theory than in practice. He is a fish out of water, a character who, despite his best intentions, finds himself navigating cultural norms that are drastically different from what he's used to. This ultimately leads to a variety of comedic situations and mix-ups, resulting in a humorous exploration of American life through the eyes of an outsider.

Despite being bewildered by the acquisitions of American life, Gigi remains enthusiastic and is insistent on fitting in. His encounters within his new American world consist of misinterpreted idioms, confusion between social norms and customs, misconceptions about American history, and struggles of English language semantics. The humor in the show arises from this juxtaposition of a character with seemingly infinite doses of optimism amidst a realistically dissimilar and often confusing environment.

Every episode features Gigi battling numerous hurdles as he tries to decode American customs and lifestyle without shedding his own idiosyncrasies. His ambitious yet endearing attempt to adopt a new culture while maintaining his own provides a heart-warming backdrop for the comedy in the show. The comedic essence of this series indeed resides in Gigi's accent, misunderstanding of simple terminologies, his innocent view of the world, and hardships faced in day-to-day dealings.

Another fascinating aspect of this show is its utilization of an international ensemble, which further amplifies the