British Comedy Panel Shows – Trash or Treasure?
QI, Nevermind the Buzzcocks, Mock the Week, Would I Lie To You
Sep 20, 2008
The British panel show is something that never seems to die and is constantly being reinvented to suit a new audience. So in these modern times, here's a look at the main contenders.
QI – Quite Interesting
The daddy of panel shows - it’s pleasant, interesting, funny and reassuringly British. In an age where critics and doom-mongers are constantly complaining about the “dumbing down” of TV, QI stands boldly to silence the voices.
It’s a programme about absolutely anything and everything and has steadily become one of the most popular BBC programmes, tipped for a move to prime time BBC1. It’s a rare thing amongst modern panel shows; it’s amusing, chatty and doesn’t resort to nastiness and public humiliation.
Stephen Fry is also the perfect host. He also commands a huge amount of authority, you get the impression that he actually knows what he’s talking about and is not merely reading out loud. Instead of patronising his guests he actively encourages the panel to take part and everyone gets a chance to speak.
The sixth series, focusing on all things ‘F’, looks set to be another triumph and will feature the likes of Emma Thompson, John Sergeant and Marcus Brigstocke amongst regulars such as Alan Davies, Rich Hall and Jo Brand.
Nevermind The Buzzcocks
Or ‘the one with the music’. Routinely mixes musical trivia with heaps of childish messing about, including a round where a celebrity guest tries to guess what song is being performed a capalla by their team mates.
Simon Amstell is a passable host but compared to his acid tongued processor (the ever sardonic Mark Lamarr) he is nothing more than a naughty school who takes amusement in swearing. With team captain Bill Bailey set to leave before the new series, this aging rocker has long passed its use by date.
Have I Got News For You
Once top of the pile but since the end of the Angus Deayton-era has increasingly resembled a freakshow for random name-out-of-a-hat celebrity hosts which either work (Boris Jonson, Martin Clunes) or don’t (Gordon Ramsey, Carol Vorderman).
It’s not a bad show but more than any other demonstrates the need to have good guests as most politicians who appear are afraid to say anything that might upset others and the newsreaders are too dry. Paul Merton and Ian Hislop are good but even their quick quips are hit-and-miss these days.
Would I Lie To You?
A simple set up where one team tries to work out whether a “fact” revealed by the other team is true or false. But the fun comes as the captains – Lee Mack and David Mitchell – are always on hand to drag each round into surrealist madness.
It’s host Angus Deaton who’s the key to Would I Lie To You? as he shows exactly what HIGNFY are missing by still being unashamedly smarmy and smug. The problems come in the form of guests from the daytime TV crowd (Michael Aspel, Eamonn Holmes etc) who play everything too straight. They seem to forget that the focus is on being entertaining, not winning.
Mock The Week
The natural successor to Whose Line Is It Anyway? (the brilliant Clive Anderson fronted UK version, not the insipid Drew Carey vanity project) that combines stand-up comedy with a playful summing up of current affairs.
Although it started life as a fey HIGNFY clone, it has since over taken that show with its genuinely funny observations and has pretty much solidified its position as the place for topical satire on British TV. Dara O’ Briain and co. have gone from strength to strength each year so Mock The Week still has plenty to offer.
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