MANILA, Philippines ? Whenever we travel overseas, we take advantage of the opportunity to watch new TV-film productions that have yet to be shown here. Earlier this month, our trip to Europe rewarded us with some preview peeks, which we?re detailing in today?s piece:

For months now, we?ve been hearing about an unusual TV sitcom, ?Flight of the Conchords,? that has been tickling viewers? funny bones in a particularly antic way. Well, on our recent flight to Rome, we finally saw what the edgy laughter was all about.

It turns out that the new show is about two jobless musicians from overseas, who find themselves in a strange land and have to survive through sheer wit and gumption.

That?s supposed to be funny? Well, it is. What?s endearing about this new sitcom is its bright, blithe ability to make up its own rules as it goes along. In breaking many of the hoary, old conventions of the sitcom format, it finds its own unique style and shticks?and they?re such brash and breezy fun to behold.

Zany spirit

For one thing, the sitcom is also an unexpected musical production, with its lead and supporting characters breaking out into song whenever the zany spirit moves them. Singing to new lyrics, they go to town with spoofs or updates of tunes from musicals like ?West Side Story,? which turn out to be quirkily apt for the show?s down-and-out characters as they try?bravely and stupidly?to survive in this crazy world.

In addition, the program surrounds its two leads with a veritable human zoo of really strange types, who make our protagonists? lives even more confounding than they already are.

In one telecast, the big to-do is over the ?importance? of friends?which the show then proceeds to turn on its ear by making the leads? ?friends? the dullest and most banal people you ever did see. Yes, this is comedy of the moan-and-groan variety, but it still turns out to be funny, because the characters? fatuousness is so extreme.

In another episode, one of the leads is so desperate to make some money so he can stop starving to death that he transforms himself into?a male prostitute. What?s so funny about that? Well, for one thing, he looks really weird and mangy, so he turns his potential customer off instead of on!

Conclusion

So, why does he persist in thinking that he can stop starving by selling his body?which nobody wants? Because he?s so doggedly one-track-minded that, once he?s latched onto an idea, he?ll see it through to its unnatural conclusion?even if it kills him.

Since that would take care of his starvation problem, it all makes some loopy, goofy sort of sense?and that helps explain why the new sitcom is hitting us viewers where we live, breathe and laugh. Let?s hope the show finally gets to play here?soonest.