Betty White gets new reality show where elderly people pull pranks

Betty White
I know it’s April Fool’s Day and for that reason this story is suspect. I heard a blurb about it on the teevee news first, which gave it a little more credence, although they probably got it from the same source where I found it. According to Deadline News, NBC has ordered a new reality show with Betty White where older people pull pranks on young whippersnappers (without being schooled at the end and bitching that they would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those meddling kids.) It’s based on a show from Belgium called Benidorm Bastards, and I checked and it exists and everything so this could be true – or at least they did their homework before making it up.

NBC has picked up Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, a new hidden-camera comedy show hosted and executive produced by Betty White. The series of 12 half-hour episodes will be produced by Chris Coelen’s Kinetic Content.

‪Known throughout Europe as Benidorm Bastards, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers follows a band of seven senior citizens who make it their mission to play pranks on unsuspecting younger people. “Betty White is a comedic genius who escalates hilarity in any situation,” said Paul Telegdy, NBC’s EVP Alternative Programming. “Viewers will thoroughly enjoy watching her pull one over on the unsuspecting youth of America.”

‪Said White, “People have been telling me that I’m ‘Off My Rocker’ for years — now I can prove it.”

‪The deal reunites White with NBC, where The Golden Girls ran successfully for seven seasons. More recently, White’s hosting gig on NBC’s Saturday Night Live earned her an Emmy. White remains one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. Having just turned 89, she continues to star on TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland, which has been picked up for a third season. In addition, her new book If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) will be released May 3. The original series by Shelter in Belgium, Benidorm, swept the 2010 Rose d’Or Awards, winning the Best Comedy Award as well as the Golden Rose for Best Program of the entire competition. In addition, the show won Best Comedy Format at the 2010 FRAPA Format Awards. The NBC version, packed by APA, will be executive produced by White, Coelen, Kinetic’s Matilda Zoltowski and Shelter’s Tim Van Aelst.

[From Deadline]

Many people say that Betty White is overexposed at 89. (I still have to look up her age every time I report on her because I assume she’s only 82 or 83 even though I should know by now!) To me she’s still so awesome and funny and I look forward to seeing her on television for years to come. She’s quick witted and entertaining and that’s why she continues to get so many opportunities.

This show sounds kind of dumb, though, and like a rip off of other shows in the US that have come before it. I hope they put a fresh spin on it and make it funny and inventive.

Here’s a clip reel from Benidorm Bastards. Most of the pranks were dumb, but a few cracked me up. It has some f bombs, particularly an old dude reciting Rage Against the Machine that made me laugh. (:40) I also loved the old people looking like they just finished a threesome in the park (4:40) and the three grandpas in the subway jamming out to rap music (5:50). Some struck me as potentially offensive, like a guy calling another guy the anti-gay f-word and framing a young couple for it (2:50) and a guy who dumps a lady in a wheelchair on a trash pile because she was berating him. (3:30) The American version will surely tread more lightly.

Betty White is shown at the Genesis Awards below on 3/19/11. Credit: WENN.com. She’s shown on 3/30/11 in the header. Credit: PRPhotos

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17 Responses to “Betty White gets new reality show where elderly people pull pranks”

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  1. Leticia says:

    I’m burned out on her. The whole mischievous, dirty old woman thing has gotten old for me. Soon she’ll come out with a gansta rap song and video. A duet with Lil’ Wayne, maybe.

  2. Quest says:

    I really love Betty, but …no …just no. Please, please …NO

    Are we being Punked right now?

  3. CandyKay says:

    Betty is a very entertaining actress, and an inspiration to young and old. I would not call her a comic genius, however.

  4. Waldemar says:

    Benidorm Bastards can be very good. Numerous countries in Europe have their own version. It is basicly elderly people who pull stunts, like talking over the telephone about the great sex they had last night or about their pregnancy scare. The reactions of the people who hear/see that can be funny.

    I can see Betty doing this, but isn’t she far too famous? She will be recognized witin two seconds. Maybe she will present it.

  5. sasa says:

    Oh come on. Punked is lame but when old people do it it adds a whole different dimension. I find it quite amusing.
    “What is a buttcrusher?
    Oh, I happen to have one with me”

    lol And it’s the brightest pink you ever saw.

  6. Relli says:

    Aw I love betty all the golden girls really. They were my bff’s every satrday night as a child I still watch re-runs to this day. I haven’t really been into this new BW hype but I have a friend that fantacizes about the crazy things she wants to do when she gets old: mismatched clothes, shoplifting, yelling on street corners. So this show sounds like that, old people gone wild… can’t be any worse than what is already on tv.

  7. wunderkindt says:

    It’d be great if Seniors made a punked show. Let the cameras roll!

  8. Javagirl1 says:

    Love her!

  9. Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

    Put me in the ‘have loved her since before I was born, but this recent hype wave has been overkill’ camp. I do have to thank Golden Girls for being awesome and being the only think that could calm down my one-year-old nephew when he got fussy. Of course she’s deserving of all the positive attention, but I guess this is just another case of the Hollywood myopia that elevates one talent to the detriment of all others. I don’t take it seriously enough to harbour any strong feelings, but I’m kind of burnt out on wacky grandma shenanigans in general.

    Kinda wish that Badass of the Century Bea Arthur could’ve been lavished like this, she was so damned awesome.

  10. nikki says:

    Most of those pranks were pretty funny, old people can get away with so much more.

  11. Jennifer Leigh says:

    I love old people. Most of them are so funny and when they’re funny it’s even funnier because they’re so old. Like little old ladies dropping f-bombs or something. I work with a lot of confused elderly folks, and you know what their favorite insult seems to be?

    “YOU’RE THE DEVIL!!!” Oh it’s hilarious.

    I think this show will be hilarious, I hope to watch it.

  12. Blaze says:

    Overexposed at 89?

    I don’t think over-exposure has any age limits or restrictions, so this phrasing struck me as a little odd…

  13. Chickadees4me says:

    LOL too funny, Betty would be a awesome host and it would be a blast to watch! One of the benefits of getting older is you can do & say what you want and no one can do anything about it, I keep telling my Mom to take advantage of this lol. 😀

  14. Sarah Talks says:

    This story was everywhere, yesterday. I’ve already commented on a few other sites yesterday when it hit the web but I’ll say this, ‘Yay, I love Betty White.’

  15. JQ says:

    I looooove Betty White! She’s absolutely awesome.

  16. Bill Hicks is God says:

    She’s on the verge of becoming a caricature of herself…careful there Betty.

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