Sorry for all the Fast CGI errors, hopefully it will resolve itself soon.

Right, I’ve got a jolly exciting idea coming this week, in the meantime here’s what immediately springs to mind Board of Excitement wise – if you think there should be something else on here, put it in the comments:

• Only Connect (8:30pm, Monday BBC4): It’s the new one, and apparently there’s a surprise in store. What could it be? Lets hope it isn’t massively disappointing. Epicurans vs Courtiers – it’s good to see they’ve raised the highbrow bar in the teamnames right there. The BBC blurb suggests that one team is three university chums with a love of food, and the other a trio of Ulstermen but I couldn’t tell you just by looking which one was which.
• Ultimate Big Brother (From 7:30pm, Friday, Channel 4): The final to end all finals, until it probably moves to Channel 5 next year.
• Ipod Therefore I Am: Basically I’m buying an iPad this week and will start reviewing apps that the Bother’s Bar puntership may or may not find intriguing. I hope you will find this exciting and fun.

Good times, as Justin Lee Collins would suggest.

Yes it’s like being in 1998 all over again and INTERACTIVITY is all the rage.

Basically, it’s a Bank Holiday and I’m going to a barbeque so I’m taking the day off. But if YOU were writing the Board of Excitement for this week, what exciting things would you put in it?

Stick suggestions in the comments and I’ll update this later.

Edit: Right, so what in the opinions of the punters are the interesting things on telly this week? Sorry for the typos if any, I’ve just got back from being drunk.

• Run For Money (the Saturday just gone, Fuji TV): Oops. Still, what better way to celebrate a Bank Holiday (in the UK) by someone hopefully putting it up on YouTube, or other video sharing site?
• Pointless (Monday-Friday, 4:30pm, BBC2): Thanks to Perfection not being able to record things properly, the third series of popular Alexander Armstrong quiz has been bought forward. Now apparently includes a modified second round where you need to show some knowledge of the thing you intend to pick.
• Fangarna pa Fortet (TV4 and online, Sweden, Monday- Wednesday): There may well be some squiggly things above some of those letters, but it’s late and I’m tired. The Prisoners on the Fort‘s return to Swedish screens seems to by all accounts be a big success, and has probably made a better job at a competitive version than even the French. Or at least has retained some of the old personality. You can watch them here. Two more heats and the grand final on Wednesday.
• America’s Got Talent (America, Tuesday, Wednesday 8:00 EDT/0000 GMT): We’re four shows into this week’s Board of Excitement, and only one of them is British. Or perhaps two if you count America’s Got Talent which is as good as.
• A party (Friday): Alex is off to a party. I don’t think we’re invited
• Two weeks to it being the next Schlag den Raab (Saturday night): Self explanatory.
• University Challenge (8pm, Monday, BBC2) – Newcastle vs Sheffield. This should probably have gone nearer the top.

So there we are. British competitive entertainment is in rude health! Still, Only Connect is back next week.

3-2-1 nears its EXCITING DENOUEMENT, this week Tom Scott finds out exactly what he has won. In the meantime you can still help him with the three final objects bought out to the table.

Otherwise this week is a bit dull, save for finding out exactly how new US Millionaire is going to work, and Fort Boyard‘s grand final next Saturday on France 2. Oh, and The X Factor‘s back next Saturday.

This is the week of internet games, amongst other things:

• The Weakest Link (5:15pm all week, BBC1) – ten years old this week, and a number of special repeats to mark the occasion. Thankfully, the one from ten years ago where I was a contestant is not one of them, instead we have the very first edition on Monday followed by celebrity lookalikes, hairdressers, alternative world cups and (always good for a laugh) drag queens on Friday.
• Pinpoint (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, iTunes/GSN) – the second podcast gameshow from Alex Davis off of Buzzerblog’s 5Hole Productions, this is a survey based quiz hosted by Buzzerblog contributor Bob “Cafe” Hagh and, correct me if I’m wrong Alex, music by Little Timmy Halbert, Young Musician of the Year 2001? Double Cross had issues, but it was certainly a good try and well produced. The top prize for this is 25,000 Game Show Network Oodles, which by the way they make it sound sounds like a very exciting prize until you realise what 25k Oodles actually buys you. Still, it’s nice to see talent being given a chance so I wish it and them best of luck. Here is the iTunes link.
• 321 Ways To Win a Gameshow (nightly, Bother’s Bar) – we have a winner and it’s The Internet’s Tom Scott, star of Only Connect and Treasure Hunt. That will be good practice for the difficult and highbrow riddles awaiting him on Bother’s Prize Table where he could win something nice, naff, or a ceramic bin. And you get to help him by chipping in with your ideas of what the prizes may be!
• Mantracker (weekdaily at 10am, 1pm 6pm, omnibus Saturday from 2pm) – it’s the Interceptor your Dad would like.

The Board of Excitement is stuff I’m looking forward to this week. I forgot to do it yesterday.

• Big Brother US (Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday CBS) – well that shocking twist lasted long, didn’t it? The saboteur twist might have been fun, but it was also a bit too stage managed for my liking – wouldn’t it have been more fun just to let the housema…sorry, house guests discover the food cupboard had been padlocked, rther than have it spelled out for thick people by an electronically enhanced voiced mystery silhouette on the big screen?
• Fort Boyard 2010 ep 3 (Saturday, France 2, Monday, The internet) – not seen episode 2 yet.

• Wipeout (Thursday, ABC) – back to one a week now, although apparently repeats on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• Shooting Stars (9:30pm, Tuesday, BBC2) – the celebrity TV quiz of variable quality IS BACK! With Angelos Epithemiou now keeping the scores now Matt Lucas has other commitments. Jack Dee and Ulrika-ka-ka Jonsson are still team captains, and this week they are joined by rapper Example, Hairy Biker Si King, dancer Camilla Dallerup and Eastenders’ Linda Henry.
• Big Brother US (Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday) – enjoyed the series opener, quite clever opening challenge, the saboteur twist looks fun, contestants that seem intelligent and good looking… will continue to watch for a while yet. I’m still sort of follwing the UK one, but not watching it every night.
• Big Brother’s Tenth Birthday Proper (Wednesday, Channel 4) – although expect them to ignore it as they celebrated it last year, and they don’t want to be spoiling the narrative now.
• Fort Boyard (8:35 CET+1, France 2, France) – although it looks like they aren’t going online until Monday upsettingly. I’ve heard that they’ve really gone all out on the competition aspect, to the point where they’ve dropped any form of whimsy that used to make the show extra entertaining. This is a big shame, although I haven’t yet seen episode one to make an informed comment.
• Odd One In (7:15pm, Saturday, ITV1) – Bradley Walsh hosts a new show where celebs try and guess who out of a line-up of people has an unusal talent or thing. Sounds rather old-skool.
• Magic Numbers (8pm, Saturday, ITV1) – Old-skool as well, but for very different reasons. Premium phone-number at the ready! Holly Willoughby and JLS guest.

Before we start what is actually a fairly exciting week (by recent standards), just a reminder if you haven’t noticed that last week’s Run For Money is now up – watch it before it’s inevitably taken down. It’s got a great ending, and the next one isn’t until October, I think.

Anyway:

• University Challenge (8pm, Monday, BBC2) – Go on then.
• Wipeout (Tuesday and Thursday, ABC) – the last time for a while it’s on twice a week, I think. I believe this Tuesdays one is a couples edition.
• Big Brother US (Thursday, CBS) – Probably won’t bill this after this week, but it will be mildly interesting to see how the saboteur twist plays out. I was never a massive fan of America’s Player in honesty so I wonder what will be different here.
• Magic Numbers (Friday, The London Studios) – just noticed this, it looks like a run through of upcoming Stephen Mulhern premium rate phone-in-a-thon that is a bit like Talking Telephone Numbers. Tickets through Applause Store, do shout if you go – I’d have gone myself but I’m busy that night unfortunately.
• 101 Ways To Leave a Gameshow (6:30pm, Saturday, BBC1) – After a Total Wipeout repeat which may prove a bit of overkill, it’s been a long time comiong but finally we’ll see if Steve Jones and Nemone can entertain for more than five minutes. I hope they do have 101 ways for people to leave, and don’t think people on the internet won’t be counting.
• Fort Boyard (Saturday, France 2) – Well it’s make or break year for the fort, and the French have taken on the two-team version of the show that’s proven mildly popular in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. They’ve tweaked it, will it work? Let’s hope so. This should be avaliable on the Fort Boyard site after the episode has gone out, although the fact they haven’t updated it yet is a bit of a worry.

July!

• The Bother Series of Poker Grand Final (Tonight, 8pm, Full Tilt) – don’t forget, if you’re intending to play but also intend on turning up late then make sure you register beforehand. The discussion page for the final is here.
• Run For Money (Tonight, Fuji TV) – HUNT-AH! Fingers crossed for a dodgy Youtube stream.
• Wipeout (Tuesday and Thursday, ABC) – twice a week again this week.
• Downfall (Tuesday, ABC) – probably won’t bill this for a third time, but enjoyed the first one enough  to think it’s worth checking out if you didn’t see the first one.

So there we are. Otherwise, if you like sport you are plenty catered for this week.

Edit: Today’s (i.e. Sunday’s) Deal or No Deal is well worth a watch, I’m told.

Let us tentatively peer into the week ahead, with some bonus commentary from Rob Bighter:

• The Bother Series of Poker 2010: (8pm UK, Sunday, Full Tilt) It’s Game 11! The last chance to jostle for position ahead of the big Grand Final next weekend. But you can still play even if you can’t win the title, details on the BotherSOP page, and the discussion page for Game 11 is here.
• Wipeout (Tuesday AND Thursday night, ABC): “This week there are two in a row/you’ll be bored of sweeper arms by Thursday’s show.”
• Downfall (Tuesday, ABC): “It’s not the board game, that would be too elegant/it’s people and things on a conveyor belt with a quiz element.”

Otherwise Wimbledon and the World Cup is on, so don’t expect an awful lot.

Well this is a first, I can’t think of anything on this week I’m very excited about.

Anyone?

Some Fort Boyard 2010 news (courtesy of Fortboyard.net) – as I suspected, it’s teams taking part in a knockout tournament (the translation suggests the winners come back the following week and face two new teams but I’m not convinced that’s correct – although I could very well be wrong), each team consists of two men and two women, €40,000 going to the tournament winners alongside anything else they’ve won up to that point, Pere Fouras will still be doing riddles (good), they’re increasing the role of Monseiur Laboule (even better), the prisons will be central to strategy this year. This might be quite good after all that.