Finally, FINALLY someone has put everyone out of their misery by solving Word Up! I’m quite surprised it took as long as it did. Congratulations to @dermoth who wins £24!

Thanks to everyone who turned up to our very first Bother’s Bar LIVE EVENT, commentating on Schlag den Raab. It was great fun, and actually quite an early finish. We hope to do it again for the next episode on December 15th where there will be €3.5m on the line, so look out for that.

Also look out for a recording review of The Common Denominator which begins recording this week at the BBC. Tickets are still available, it sounds as though it might be quite good fun.

Thanks to Iain Weaver for his nice write up of Fifty 50 and 21 Questions Wrong in his most recent Week. Unfortunately I can’t remember my YahooGroups log-in to reply, so I should point out that Endemol have sold Avanti un Altro to Spain and (of course) Albania at least. They could be pushing it harder, of course.

Last AND MOST DEFINITELY not least, Bother’s Bar’s next poker event will be happening on the 29th November and you’re more than welcome to come and join us. However, what with me and my sense of prediction, that’s also the evening of the next TV Total QuizBoxen event. The good news is is that tends to start quite late, so the poker will possibly be finishing by the time it starts anyway. Denk!

Saturday 7:15pm UK time
Pro Sieben or dodgy internet streaming

Get your Wodka Gorbechow ready, this episode, Bother’s Bar brings you a worldwide first as myself, Only Connect‘s David J Bodycombe, Daniel Peake and Lewis Murphy from Fifty 50 will be attempting to guide you through the evening’s Schlag den Raab – LIVE! Come back here at 7ish for a link to the live stream. We’re hoping to go on through until the close of play which could be any time between 11pm (if it’s a whitewash) and 2am (if it goes to the wire). Even if you can’t join us for the entirety of it, just tune in when you want!

And we want you to get involved! Your best way is either opening up the stream in a new window and making YouTube comments or tweeting with the hashtag #bbsdr. We’ll read out the most worthwhile ones. And some of the not-so-worthwhile ones. And we’ll be doing it LIVE. Stream links will appear here about 7pm.

US – You can open it in a new window by clicking here – we will see your YouTube comments.

The Live stream we will be commentating on.

Stefan Raab has won the last five episodes, so tonight there’s an eye watering €3m on the line for one lucky contestant. The musical guests are Lana Del Ray, Udo Lindenberg and Die Fantastischen Vier. I know! Udo Lindenberg!

If you’re new to Schlag den Raab then welcome! I’ve included a basic FAQ under the cut.

Continue reading →

This Saturday it’s Schlag den Raab, and in a WORLDWIDE FIRST, we’ll be attempting to offer up a live English zoo-style audio commentary. Look out for more details on Saturday.

Also the next Bother’s Bar Poker Club game will be on Thursday 29th, that’s two weeks today.  It will be a $10+$1 deep and steep rebuy. You will need to be a member of my PokerStars club to play. Good luck.

FOTB Paul B has suggested that 1001 Things You Should Know was at 550,000 ish viewers on Wednesday, about 100k down on Monday. Pity.

FINALLY, if nobody wins Word Up! today then I will be revealing two letters on a daily basis every midnight until it is won.

The Superstars revival is being hosted by Gabby Logan, and it looks like it’s been bought forward to Christmas in a very sensible move I think.

BBC Press release

Some really good names on the participant list as well – Mo Farah, the Brownlees, Nicola Adams, Lizzie Armitstead etc, and Rebecca Adlington will be mentoring the swimming event.

Events: 100m, 800m, javelin (that’s a new one, I think), 50m swim, kayak, archery, cycling hill climb, The Infamous Gym Tests. Always felt Superstars should have a second hard skill based event (I quite enjoyed the target golf) but it’s not a bad, if trad, line up.

Still think it’s a shame they don’t do a week’s worth for broadcast between Boxing Day and New Year in the traditional World’s Strongest Man slot, but looking forward to this 90 minute special nonetheless.

Once again, the internet’s TOPPEST gameshow discussion podcast is back! And now it has a semi-regular feature based on the legendary Avanti un Altro final which we’ve called 21 Questions Wrong (because you’ve got to get 21 questions wrong) surely the only game that’s more stressful for the host than it is for the contestant. And what a host in Dan Peake, and what a judge in me. And what a contestant in Caroline from Yorkshire. And what a moderator in Lewis Ogbajoj. If it is something you would like a go at then you should let Dan or Lewis know and they’ll add you to the list.

There’s other discussion as well.

• The show notes are here.
• You can download it directly from here.
• Why haven’t you just subscribed yet? You can do it on iTunes!
• Or if you have to be different, your RSS collator of choice!

Word Up is STILL lacking a winner. Come on everyone!