"Extreme duudsonit" (2001) TV series 2001-2003

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Jarno Laasala

Seasons:

1 | 3

Release Date:

25 January 2001 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Injury | Stupidity

Cast

Steve-O

...

Himself (2 episodes, 2003)

Also Known As:

"Ed" (Finland) (short title)
"Extreme duudsonit - viimeinen ristiretki" (Finland) (third season title)
"The Dudesons" (Europe: English title)

Runtime:

Finland:15 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (DVD) (2007)

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Oy Rabbit Films Ltd.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Dudesons Movie (2006)

Duudsonit are brilliant!

Extreme Duudsonit are often described as the "Finnish Jackass". This is pretty accurate, but they are not just copycats. The show started in January 2001 and most of it was already shot in the summer of 2000, several months before Jackass aired on MTV for the first time.

There have been three seasons so far in Jackass-style, but the 4th and latest season is a bit different. It's more like a combination of Jackass, Dirty Sanchez and Viva La Bam, with a lot of everyday "reality" stuff along with all the stunts. But it's just as good as the earlier seasons, and shows that they guys are able to re-invent themselves without losing the touch that made them popular in the first place (They are big celebrities here in Finland).

I've been a big fan since the beginning. Despite the fact that these guys are Finnish, they are not in any way worse than their American counterparts. Stunts are big and sometimes very dangerous, and they are not just copying others: Many of the stunts I've seen on "Extreme Duudsonit" are unlike anything else I've seen on TV or in different extreme DVDs. So I gotta give them big props for originality.

I also appreciate the fact that they are doing everything by themselves. This is not a "product", but something that started out as a hobby and then turned into a profession for the guys. It's cool that they are running their own TV company and are successful at it.

The guys are childhood friends and come off as really likable. Especially Jarppi, who is a fat, but very funny guy with endless one-liners. There is a good friendship going on between the guys, and the chit-chat is often really funny.

I also dig the fact that they are shooting mostly on the Finnish countryside. So there are a lot of forests, fields and lakes on the background. Many extreme videos look dark and depressing, but Duudsonit comes off as bright and colorful, with a good emphasis on Finnish nature.

If you're into extreme stunts, I highly recommend the Duudsonit TV shows and DVDs. Unfortunately I don't know if their DVDs are available outside Finland, and there is a language barrier anyway: They speak Finnish in their TV shows.