1957: The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.

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In fact, it was San Giorgio, not Barilla.

"Nobody grows spaghetti like San Giorgio."
Posted by Andy Messier  on  Mon Oct 10, 2005  at  12:34 PM

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Andy and Honey Bunny seem to be talking about something else that was broadcast many years later, as a commercial. Probably in colour, too.

Did you both see it in the UK?
Posted by Michael Strubell  in  Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain  on  Tue Oct 25, 2005  at  10:45 PM

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this sight is splended i found out everything i needed to know about the harvest of this great pasta. and i too saw this family when i was very young. infact one of them was mi mums best friend.
Posted by you will never no  in  ?????  on  Mon Feb 27, 2006  at  06:24 AM

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Dear Emily+Allison,

I think it's past your bedtime. Let the grown-ups continue their discussion in peace, since it's obvious you aren't mature enough to contribute.

Thanks
Posted by honey bunny  in  MN  on  Wed Mar 22, 2006  at  10:26 AM

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Spaghetti trees??? Does anyone else see a slight problem to that theory? What is trhis world coming to that people would actually believe something like that?
Posted by Kinberley  in  Indonesia  on  Thu Mar 23, 2006  at  10:30 PM

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Dear Kimberley,

What is this world coming to, you ask. Well, you got the tense wrong: the BBC Panorama programme was broadcast in 1957, that's almost 50 years ago! At that time, obviously, spaghetti was rather mysterious in the UK.
Posted by Michael Strubell  in  Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain  on  Fri Mar 24, 2006  at  01:04 AM

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I like the 3 page Google "job description" I've just posted .
Posted by Caroline Andrews  in  UK  on  Wed Apr 05, 2006  at  11:39 AM

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Well, I THOUGHT I'd posted the Google job description :(. Here it is: http://www.google.com/jobs/lunar_job.html
Posted by Caroline Andrews  in  UK  on  Wed Apr 05, 2006  at  11:41 AM

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I think the April Fools joke about Spaghetti Trees was the funniest thing I've read for years - with someone like Richard Dimbleby presenting it I'd have believed every word because kids knew that adults always told the truth. English people have the best sense of humout by a country mile.

Maggie
Posted by M Kerr  in  Queensland, Australia  on  Sat Apr 08, 2006  at  03:05 AM

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I recall seeing the Spaghetti Harvest on Jack Paar as a child... my memory of this clip was fairly accurate, and it is as funny as I remember. Thanks!
Posted by Tobias Haller  on  Sun Apr 09, 2006  at  02:18 PM

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Spahgetti on trees!
Discover the truth and watch
BBC channel!
Posted by J  on  Mon Nov 20, 2006  at  12:17 PM

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i agree with emily. that is so stupid.
Posted by Shakera Reese  in  winterville,ga  on  Fri Feb 02, 2007  at  06:11 AM

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We all know now that all pastas do NOT grow on trees, but in our scheduled movie for 2007, a report on the Swiss Spaghetti Harvest- just a spoof- is shown in what appears to be rural Swiss country. Cute!
Posted by Rodney Brisbane  in  Bodoni, San Seriffe  on  Sat Feb 24, 2007  at  01:53 PM

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The "spaghetti harvest" hoax was written by comedy writer Tony Hawes (later the son-in-law of Stan Laurel, of Laurel & Hardy).
Posted by Scott  in  Massachusetts  on  Thu Mar 29, 2007  at  12:47 PM

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This is too funny. I love this site. Using it to teach my Chinese Ph.d. students all about April Fools day.
Posted by Sharon Riegel  in  Teaching in China  on  Thu Mar 29, 2007  at  06:46 PM

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In fact, scientists developed a new way of producing spaghetti automatic several months ago. They will announce their invention this weekend!
Posted by anonymous  on  Thu Mar 29, 2007  at  11:43 PM

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That is hilarious! I can't believe anyone would believe The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest and that spaghetti grows on trees. For the people that did believe that: Did you know the word "gullible" is not in the dictionary? ... lol.

P.S.: HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY 2007!!!



Posted by Signe'  in  Florida  on  Sun Apr 01, 2007  at  10:12 AM

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ahah! i have a plant that grows spaghetti though, its on sale on e-bay hurry
Posted by Eamonspaghetti  in  Dundee, Scotland  on  Sun Apr 01, 2007  at  05:28 PM

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That's hilarious!
I'm surprised people fell for that!
Posted by Annonymous  on  Sun Apr 15, 2007  at  10:41 AM

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I still remember watching this documentary as a kid. I thought it was made from flour I didn't know it grew on trees? My mother got a good laugh when I asked her that question.
Thanks for the memories
Posted by Connie Weier  on  Sun Jan 13, 2008  at  08:54 PM

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