Des Bishop: Breaking China

This series follows the adventures of Irish-American writer and comedian Des Bishop as he moves to China for a year in order to learn mandarin and eventually attempt to perform a one-man stand up comedy show for a Chinese audience.

There are a couple of problems though – the locals are unaware of the subtleties of western style comedy and are laughing for all the wrong reasons. Is Des’ attempt to explore comedy in a foreign country and a strange culture a task too far? Part reality, part travel, part humour, Des’ Chinese project will follow his move to Beijing, his fumbling first steps in Mandarin, his adventures with the local kids. His Chinese host family will encompass the quirks of an intriguing nation that is changing at a blistering pace.

Over the series Des will go to Chinese university, share everyday life with the family and explore the wider China beyond. He plans to set up his own comedy club in a Beijing city venue and with luck build a loyal following and a successful business. By journey’s end he even hopes to make his name on Chinese television which attracts the largest audiences on the planet.