In theory, the visual media that a nation produces is reflective of the culture and society. In practice, a given country's media tends to be more like a distortion or a caricature of what the given country's actual people are like. But if what was on our TVs precisely mirrored reality, what would our homelands be like?...
I know GOG has a fairly broad multinational community, so I invite anyone to post whatever they think of their own TV programming, or how they percieve other country's programs.
America - According to TV, Americans are stupid, aggressive, paranoid, and extremely promiscuous. The stupidity varies from mere ignorance to actual suicidal idiocy; intelligent people in our society tend to be repressed by less intelligent folk who somehow have more socio-political power. Guns are extremely common and most people know how to use them; all citizens are prepared to turn into vigilantes at a moment's notice if given the opportunity. Free love is universally accepted. America is also populated almost exclusively by beautiful white people.
Japan - If anime is anything to go by, all of the East Asian people who once populated the islands of Japan have been overrun by people from western cultures or, more likely, been mutated into strangely beautiful humanoid monsters with oversized eyes, unusual sweat glands, sporadic circulatory systems, and bizarre hair and eye colors. These mutants invariably have an assortment of superpowers, ranging from being able to move and attack at improbably speeds to being able to spontaneously withdraw items from nowhere. They may also regenerate from injuries incredibly fast or be able to enlarge their heads when they are enraged. They, too, tend to be promiscuous, probably moreso than the Americans.
United Kingdom - The British are a bipolar bunch. One moment, they're so placid and civilized that you have to wonder if they are really a human species (as opposed to a collection of androids). The next moment, their behavior is unpredictable to the point of being impossible to understand. In either mode, however, they're unfathomable to outsiders.

It's beer, you know :-P
Italy - The only country in the world ruled via television by a media tycoon that shaped society at his pleasure and on his own vices before fucking it up all the way.

I dunno, Australia in the 80s was a bit that way
Now its shitty soapies, house renovation shows and flat uninspired attempts at comedy

Actually, if Japan were its TV, it would be full of undeserving annoying, talentless, "TV talents" and would then be one pointless gameshow -- decked out in such a fashion that it would be one very brightly coloured vomit inducing set -- with the sole aim of "winning" said "talents" money so that they have even more pointless drivel to bore us with. They'd also all be holding placards which would then be used to subtitle their pointless drivel so that when we do finally snap, we can shove said placards up that tiny little hole in the rear where the sun don't shine.
Me, a fan of Japanese TV? Nope. It's like torture, delivered to my room for free.

Just swap the unisnpired attempts at comedy for moronic reality shows and it's a pretty acurrate portrait of Portuguese TV these days.
Still, nothing quite as gruesome as this.

Gotta give him credit for trying to put on an exciting show at least...
Hehe but what part of that scenario is unique to japanese TV? Sounds fairly standard to me.

Australia: One large reality TV show with the Bogans, Wowsers, Pollies, Minority Religious Fanatics, the 'This is *OUR* beach' crowd, Drunks, Lazy Council Workers, Nationalistic Patriots, Crime-lords, Radio show hosts who think they are a gift from god almighty himself, centerlink patrons, Bikie gangs, undisciplined teens, parents who don't give two possible expletives about their undisciplined teens, talent-less hacks, a few million people who think they can sing but cant, a few million people who would not be able to pass a driving test even if they were guaranteed it, oppressive police forces, lifeguards, emos, buskers, everyone from Rundle mall, farmers, the token 'sane person' and MORE!!!
All battling it out to renovate their neighbours house in a 12 week elimination dramatic dressed as butchers loud whisper spoken sing and dance off stationed on some small island we claim as our own while giving glory to our wonderful leader.

Hehe but what part of that scenario is unique to japanese TV? Sounds fairly standard to me.
The "talents".
We don't have actors here. We have people who think they should be on TV. Then, because they're on TV they get the jobs that actors should get, they take the spots on quiz shows that members of the public should be offered. They get the air time, that a wall of wet paint would fill better -- providing more entertainment to boot.

So, American television hasn't changed much in the last ten years.

And thats just MONDAY nights!
Basically invasion of people who are only famous because they're famous and not for any real ability? Kind of reality tv contestant hosting the oscars?

If Finland was like it's tv, we wouldn't have nationwide alcohol problem and we would fight less. Also ramdom friend killings while drunk wouldn't happen so often.
Finnish people would also be pretty witty but backwards people.
Also polarbears.

Funny, that's exactly the opposite of the impression I got after watching Finnish TV-movies in the god-awful eighties (we only had one channel back then).
If my country was like its TV, it'd be filled with drunken idiots. Oh, wait...

Hmm, if you put a quote in as an edit to a post the person you quote doesn't get notified...
Basically invasion of people who are only famous because they're famous and not for any real ability? Kind of reality tv contestant hosting the oscars?
Something like that, but I bet the reality TV contestants have more talent. I guess that's one thing going to for Japanese TV. No reality TV shows in the Western sense.