http://www.remotecontrol.merseyblogs.co.uk/

Recently in quizzes Category

seen.jpg

At some point over the last six months, somebody started likening As Seen On TV (BBC 1, 8.30pm, Friday) to Telly Addicts, the 1980s quiz show hosted by Noel Edmonds

Everywhere you saw a preview for the show, people referred back to the Edmonds quiz show, as though its return was a good thing. Even BBC Breakfast News, which appears to exist just to promote BBC programmes these day, made that reference, then promptly got the name of team captain Jason Manford wrong, calling him John.

Yet, having watched it last night, any link to Telly Addicts - other than the fact, as pointed out on the programme, that Manford has a similar taste in shirts to Edmonds in his Deal or No Deal reincarnation - does the new programme a massive dis-service.

Telly Addicts - complete with its annoying reference to a remote control as a "hoofer doofer" was a celebration of knowing too much about telly among people who really should have got out more, but instead sought to make up for their lack of social life by competing to become the annual Telly Addicts champion.

As Seen On TV, instead, steers clear of regular TV geeks, instead punting to run it with celebrities. And while it may rely heavily on TV clips from programmes to trigger a line of questioning, it goes much beyond that. And, unless they did it in the first five minutes (which I missed), they didn't make the celebrities sing the themes either.


Two weeks in, and Mock the Week (Thursdays, 9pm), BBC 2 seems to be returning to form after what was, without doubt, one of the worst comeback shows of all time.

Much better guests - Rhod Glibert and Tom Stade than last week, in the sense that they didn't just play sideshow to the regular cast, made it much more laugh out loud funny that last week.

Frankie Boyle
appears to have overcome the setback that befell him over the summer when he became the second most famous Boyle from Scotland (thanks to Susan), and was at his cutting best.

Sometimes you can almost hear the thought process that produced a programme as you watched it.

Why on earth would anyone devise a quiz show in which a reality TV star and a senior MP had to teach other about their lives before watching them answer question about said life?

Yet that's what we saw on Don't Call Me Stupid (ITV 1, 10.35pm), dumped in that post-news slot which used to guarantee you an audience once Sir Trev had delivered his "and finally."

These days, seeing a programme dumped in that slot means it screams "Even ITV is ashamed of us" at you from the electronic programme guide.

First things first. I like Chris Moyles. He's a very funny man who, yes, does overstep the mark. But for every Ofcom ruling which finds against him, he orchestrates thousands of hours of radio which, while sometimes too self-centred, is generally amusing.

Which is what makes Chris's Moyle's Quiz Night (Sundays, Channel 4) so disappointing. Channel 4 is obviously hunting out a new quiz format and is determined to find a celebrity-based one, but here's a hint: This ain't it.

On Radio 1, Chris Moyles's strength is his ability to draw out a guest and get them talking about all sorts, producing highly amusing radio as a result. He is very good with guests regardless of celebrity status. The quizzes he runs on the show aren't so good. His Rob DJ's pub quiz feature is arguably the most tedious feature on radio, and the old Carpark Catchphrase only worked because it was a mickey take on a quiz.

Profile

Remote Control

Remote Control

Keep up to date

Sponsored Links