(REUTERS) 09 April 2007:

There’s the sometimes true cliche of mothers-in-law and their son’s wives. Having brought them up it’s always a wrench to see the little boys (which sons always are) creating a home with another woman. But letting go is indeed part of the cycle of the generations, something the Italians seem to have forgotten.

They now have a reality show where the mothers of young men interview potential wives for them. Yes, this does include a section in a “Big Brother” style house, where they can monitor their domestic abilities in detail.

Come to think of it, that’s even more of a cliche than the tensions, isn’t it?