The World According to Kiepskich (Świat według Kiepskich) is a Polish sitcom that’s been airing since 1999. It’s one of the more popular and long-running shows in the world of Polish television. There have already been 28 seasons and more than 500 episodes. Apparently it is the second-longest-running sitcom in the world, after The Simpsons.
The show follows the Kiepski family in their daily lives. The family—parents, grandmother, two adult children, and one daughter-in-law—live together in an apartment in Wrocław. The father, Ferdynand, has been unemployed since the Communist era; his favorite hobby is drinking beer and watching TV. Halina, the mother, was a janitor in early seasons and is now a nurse. Waldemar, the son, is also unemployed; he left the show for a while but returned in the 13th season with a wife, Jolanta. The family’s teenage daughter, Mariola, is a typical teenager. There’s also a cast of supporting characters, mostly the Kiepski family’s neighbors.
Most of the episodes feature Ferdynand and/or Waldemar embarking on some sort of scheme to get money. They always fail, and Halina is left to clean up their messes. The show satirizes traditional/stereotypical Polish families and their supposed faults. But the show in later years evolved into more than a sitcom—there are often surrealistic/fantastical episodes (including the one in which a miracle takes place, turning Halina into a nurse).
The show has pretty good audience ratings, and has the distinction of having continued to be nominated for awards throughout the course of its long history. It was nominated for best series at the Telekamera awards in 2015 and 2017, and nominated for best comedy five other times. It won twice, in 2001 and 2002.
Creators: Janusz Sadza, Aleksander Sobiszewski, Piotr Kalwas
Stars: Andrzej Grabowski, Marzena Kipiel-Sztuka, Barbara Mularczyk, Ryszard Kotys, Renata Pałys, Dariusz Gnatowski, Bartosz Żukowski
Production company: ATM
TV channel: Polsat
The show’s official website.
A trailer for the show, from 2016:
