MISC
The cast includes Cristo Fernandez, who was Dani on Ted Lasso.
According to Cineuropa, this was the first Swiss sitcom in 20 years.
It was canceled after this first season, due to low ratings.
The Federal Council is Switzerland’s ministerial cabinet, the seven members are the collective chief executive of the country.
Notre petite ambassade (Our Little Embassy) Ep. 1, “L'échec fait partie du succès” (The Success Game), runtime 21:40
Subtitles download link
Béa Laïtenegger (Susanne Kunz) is Switzerland’s ambitious ambassador to an unnamed South American country. She’s just finalized an agreement for building a Swiss train to take coffee beans to a seaport, when the Swiss bureaucracy rains on her parade: the Federal official being sent to sign the accord is her ex-husband.
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| Ambassador Béa (Susanne Kunz, r) and Lupe her assistant/fixer (Darinka Ezeta) |
NOTES
4’12”: Well-done fake photo of Béa and her ex-husband meeting Barack Obama.
Frayer (5’38”) means ‘spend time/hang out.’
Thomas Borer is a former senior Swiss diplomat who was married to an American actress named Shawne Fielding. Her Wikipedia entry paints a much more colorful life with Borer than does his.
‘The prince’ (7’28”) appears to be the actual Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein.
Arturo clearly tells Adrien he doesn’t want ‘anything to happen during dejeuner,’ lunch, when he clearly means ‘anything bad to happen.’ I’m hoping the joke is that they consider lunch to be really important.
I assume by cuisiner (11’47”) Béa means ‘cook’ like a chef prepares a dish, or even ‘grill.’ But I’m putting ‘handle.’
12’39”: Adrien is definitely the Les Nessman of the embassy.
13’47”: If quinoa is a major export, then the embassy is located in Peru, Bolivia, or Ecuador.
15’06”: There’s a real decisionmaking strategy for managing, called 7 Thinking Steps. I don’t know if someone Swiss developed it, but it is often associated with Magdalena Martullo-Blocher, a Swiss businesswoman and right-wing politician. I suppose getting the name wrong is meant to be a comment on Béa’s husband’s intelligence, although ‘7 Sinking Steps/Schteps’ is a common parody.
* * *
Notre petite ambassade (Our Little Embassy) Ep. 2, “Il n’y a pas de «je» dans «equipe»” (There is No ‘I’ in ‘Team’), runtime 21:14
Subtitles download link
Having sidelined her husband, Béa is focused on planning the railway accord ceremony, when Consul Walti disappears in the jungle while undertaking negotiations beyond his job description. Lise lends her the Liechtensteinian Jeep to effect a rescue before word gets back to Bern. Adrien is trying to make the best of his new situation, clinging to his sense of, we’ll call it grim optimism. Marisol has her hands full with an interview on local TV– but at least she doesn’t have her hands full with Swiss ex-pat Mrs Zybach, Adrien has that honor.
NOTES
1’50”: Selina starts to ask to have tequila put sur la note- (on the note-) and is interrupted. I think she was probably going to say sur la note de frais, ‘on the expense report.’ Something Adrien says later confirms this.
Bruno Manser (3’55”) was a Swiss activist who disappeared in Sarawak in 2000 while organizing campaigns for rainforest preservation.
Pas compliquée (7’42”) usually means ‘uncomplicated/simple,’ but I needed a gerund here.
12’25”: Parfaitement dans les temps (perfectly on time) is clear, but stiff for this situation. If this were a radio station I would use ‘Hit the post,’ but I settled for ‘Nailed it.’
Blanc-bec (15’43’), literally ‘white boy,’ means ‘naif’ or inexperienced and/or annoying person.
Bassersdorf (16’09”) is a town outside Zurich.
Subtitles download link
Having sidelined her husband, Béa is focused on planning the railway accord ceremony, when Consul Walti disappears in the jungle while undertaking negotiations beyond his job description. Lise lends her the Liechtensteinian Jeep to effect a rescue before word gets back to Bern. Adrien is trying to make the best of his new situation, clinging to his sense of, we’ll call it grim optimism. Marisol has her hands full with an interview on local TV– but at least she doesn’t have her hands full with Swiss ex-pat Mrs Zybach, Adrien has that honor.
NOTES
1’50”: Selina starts to ask to have tequila put sur la note- (on the note-) and is interrupted. I think she was probably going to say sur la note de frais, ‘on the expense report.’ Something Adrien says later confirms this.
Bruno Manser (3’55”) was a Swiss activist who disappeared in Sarawak in 2000 while organizing campaigns for rainforest preservation.
Pas compliquée (7’42”) usually means ‘uncomplicated/simple,’ but I needed a gerund here.
12’25”: Parfaitement dans les temps (perfectly on time) is clear, but stiff for this situation. If this were a radio station I would use ‘Hit the post,’ but I settled for ‘Nailed it.’
Blanc-bec (15’43’), literally ‘white boy,’ means ‘naif’ or inexperienced and/or annoying person.
Bassersdorf (16’09”) is a town outside Zurich.
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