Mediating Satire. Italian Adaptation and Dubbing of US Sitcoms

In recent years, American satirical routines have spread into different markets, thanks to the international distribution of US television sitcoms. However, global circulation is only one side of a more complex process: entering another nation, each product changes to be easily understood by a different audience. Several production and distribution routines, as dubbing and scheduling, influence the satirical program and its receptions, and lead to a number of modifications that often limits the ambiguity of comedy. Puns, parodies and other forms of irony need to be reconstructed, or at least explained. The chapter focuses on the adaptations and transformations of satirical jokes and references to politics, sex and religion in the Italian dubbed version of some US TV sitcoms.