Bingo has seen quite the resurgence in recent times with the more traditional version of the game reappearing in land-based venues as well as in various online environments at sites like www.bingosites.uk.
Not only that but it has even begun to sneak further into the public psyche due to it featuring in some of the world most popular TV shows and even into a few films.
Take a look at some of the pastime most memorable appearances below.
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Larry David stars in this truly cringeworthy series where the former ‘Seinfeld’ co-creator plays a semi-fictional version of himself and ends up in the middle of some of the most socially awkward scenarios imaginable. In the season 5 episode ‘Kamikaze Bingo’ Larry once more manages to upset and offend those around him whilst taking part in a friendly bingo game at his father’s retirement home in this hilarious scene.
BAD GRANDPA
‘Jackass’ star Johnny Knoxville plasters on the make-up and takes his Bad Grandpa character out on the road for his very own feature length adventure. Knoxville stars as Irving Zisman in this stunt-based semi-scripted hidden camera comedy. There are plenty of memorable scenes including one in a bingo hall where the always inappropriate Zisman does his best to flirt with the other players whilst drinking down the bingo marker fluid to everyone’s amazement.
BETTER CALL SAUL
It’s a shame that most TV and movie scenes that relate to bingo do seem to revolve around the older generation and retirement homes, however that’s once more the setting for this excellent sequence from ‘Breaking Bad’ spin-off ‘Better Call Saul’. During a partial melt down lawyer Jimmy, played by Bob Odenkirk, gets monumentally anecdotal and opinionated during his stint as bingo caller to the residents at the local retirement home, much to their bemusement.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
The only animated scene on our list comes courtesy of family comedy ‘Hotel Transylvania’. It may be brief but is still a humorous bingo-related scene whereby the traditional game takes on a rather disturbing twist. The classic balls being spun in this macabre version of the games are replaced with miniature skulls which even manage to voice their numbers by themselves. One lucky player manages to call bingo only to have her winning card gobbled up by the heartless creature she’s unfortunate enough to sit next to.
