Somewhere Street

John C. Dvorak: So, I just want to recommend a TV show. If you get over-the-air broadcasts—which everyone should do—get a cheap antenna.

Adam Curry: Yeah, they’re like 11 bucks or something.

John C. Dvorak: Exactly, 11 bucks. Just stick it on your TV, point it toward whatever mountains or towers are nearby, and boom—you can get around 100 channels. NHK is usually part of the package.

Adam Curry: Oh, really?

John C. Dvorak: Yes, and NHK has a show I can’t recommend enough. It’s called Somewhere Street. If you haven’t seen this show, people, it’s the travelogue you want to watch. Forget Rick Steves and all those other hosts. Somewhere Street is fantastic because it’s how most people actually travel. It’s just some random guy walking through a town, talking to people, asking casual questions.

It’s produced later on, and you can tell there’s a voiceover with this cute girl’s voice saying things like, “Hi, how are you? What are you doing? Can I come into your house?” They go into people’s homes, grocery stores, and other local places. It’s just a fabulous travelogue show. If you can find it, watch it—it’s a killer.