Yes, it is pretty amazing. I've never seen the show, but I'm very familiar with what you're talking about. I first heard about a lot of the Euro methods about twenty years ago. I got so interested in it, I actually went to the 1997 world championships in Hungary. I got to see all the tackle and the top anglers from all over Europe.
They're just called "poles", and they're made of graphite. I know because I own two of them.