OK producers, you can stop F5-ing now, it’s finally time to take a look at the pick of the week. And to be honest, it’s rather slim pickings this week. Don’t forget, this is an entirely subjective view of what I’m most interested in watching from the gameshow world this week:
- Only Connect (Monday, BBC4, 8:30pm) series opener got great viewing figures last week despite University Challenge overrunning and nobody really knowing it was on. This week, our cleverly chosen diametrically opposed types as Polymaths vs Strategists.
- The Krypton Factor (Tuesday, ITV1, 7:30pm) which rather upsettingly just about gets away with dropping the intelligence test. Note: please don’t take this as positive reinforcement.
- Schlag den Raab (Saturday, ProSieben, 7:15pm) – a late edit, I’ve just discovered the next one is on Saturday, for €1.5m. Fingers crossed for naughty streaming, everybody.
Rather brilliantly, that appears to be pretty much it. Popstar to Operastar which begins on Friday night on ITV1 (9pm) is on if you like that sort of thing, I’ll probably pass to be honest. But if they called it Popestar to Operastar, featuring people who failed to become Pope then I might be bought. Winningly, after last week’s Awards Show and despite series three being in the can, BBC1 decide to repeat series two of Total Wipeout from next Saturday. And I’ve not mentioned So You Think You Can Dance? on here yet which I watched the first bit of last Saturday and thought was OK but not really my sort of thing. On Wednesday at 11:30pm Channel 4 are showing Kaun Banega Crorepati aka Who Wants to be a Millionaire? India Edition to tie in with their broadcast of not-as-feelgood-as-the-posters-would-have-had-you-believe Slumdog Millionaire.
I have yet to watch Take Me Out, but confidently predict it isn’t as good as Man O Man with Chris Tarrant. I will watch a recording some time this week.
And that’s all the weather!
I’ve finished the Bother’s Bar Deal or No Deal World Tour on the Specials board this evening also.
In future thrills, Relic (the show Codex really probably should have been) with kids solving mysteries in the British Museum to avoid being incarcerated forever, starts on 21st January.
Take me out is also less fun than Girls And Boys, which is appropriate as it is hosted by the Poundland version of Vernon Kay. Poundland is often found alongside Greggs on the high street, coincidence?
Poundland in Cambridge is next to a closed down Zavvi. Our Greggs (or The Bakers Oven to give it it’s ACTUAL NAME) is next to an Argos.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?
In other news, the current poll results are very exciting right now – there’s currently a tie in the Golden Fiver, and there are about ten shows in the other categories that are in with shouts. There has already been a record number of votes, so if you’re reading this and you haven’t done it yet then please do, you’ve got a week and you will make a difference.
Personally, I was really surprised with Take Me Out, and Paddy McGuinness in particular. Light and frothy, certainly, but taken in the spirit of Blind Date it had a lot going for it, and by the second edition, I was starting to enjoy the ongoing banter between host and (recurring) girls – it may not in fact be any more spontaneous than the clearly scripted 80s nonsense from Ms Cilla Black and co, but it FELT more genuine.
So do watch with an open mind…
I approve of this sort of advocation, and I’ve changed my mind on such things before. Thanks!
Ehh, I often condemn stuff the first time I see it and then end up liking it. Inexplicably I wasn’t too hot on Wipeout when it started and now I love it slightly *too* much, if anything.
I’d have thought the winner of the Golden Fiver in particular wasn’t in much doubt this year Brig – you do surprise me. In a year of scandal and mediocrity (or downright rubbishness) there’s really only been one or two great gameshows in 2009.
I’ll confess, I think the new incarnation of K-Fac is much worse than 2009. They’ve gotten rid of intelligence (the new intelligence was one of the few strengths of the comback), too much reliance on general knowledge, an assualt course where all the contestants just want to get to the end and therefore they don’t feel like they’re competing with each other and an even more unfair observation round. And more chat! Who on earth thinks more chat and fewer games is a good idea? If ITV are brining back the Crystal Maze at this rate it will have about 3 games, 40 minutes of chat/sob stories and probably Paul Potts doing a special guest appearance singing something from his new album.
Rant over.
Don’t forget that the Golden Fiver is open to any show that had a new episode broadcast in the UK in 2009, not just new formats (which is what the Hall of Fame is for).
Also, really when voting you ought to judge K-Fac by last year’s merits, but I understand and accept the risk that some judges will not. That is the fun of polls!
It’s not a bad 22 minutes of television at all. The rigour of the challenges remains, as far as they go, and the presenter seems a lot chirpier and confident now. The assault course is an improvement on last year, though it could do with less hill running and more obstacles to make for better viewing. I don’t doubt it’s tiring to run!
Alas, 2010 Krypton is not as good overall as last year’s version: 5 rounds down to 4 with iconic Intelligence shawn; an unfair observation round – different questions for different players – why not standardise the round by having a set number of questions (maybe 7 or 8 ) for the whole group to answer via keypad?
I have to confess, after a straight first series in 2009 which was pleasingly in keeping with the original, I do fear that ITV will gradually get its claws into the remake and begin the dilution process. Already we’re a round less. What next?
I must admit to having a soft spot for Take Me Out as well. If you can get past Paddy’s McGuinness’ gratuitious colloquialisms and the slightly clumsy catchphrases (no likey, no lighty), it’s a fun piece of Saturday evening fluff. Although I’d be interested to know how many of the girls on the show are really there to find love and how many are just using it as an springboard to a media career (I’m looking at you, ditzy twins + girl who willingly chose to date a man 3 times her age).
You’ve got it right. Just fluff. Doesn’t need much analysis.
Yet another quiz appearance for Andy Kelly tonight (one of the early DOND contestants) and serial quiz contestant.
…On only connect?
I knew I recognized him from some other gameshow.
Now it comes flooding back. The original DoND Statman, who’s game prompted the invention of the Balance and Significant Balance metrics for figuring out how strong a board was, right? Or am I thinking of a different early DoND contestant there?
Andy Kelly was the guy who was offered something like 22K, said “make it 25K and it’s a deal” and the banker refused. Wasn’t Aaron “Krypton Factor Champion” Bell the first DoND statman?
That was Trevor: Weaver created the significant balance metric based on his advice.
Speaking of Schlag den Raab , TF1 is having another attempt with Beat the Star …
http://www.wat.tv/video/qui-peut-battre-philippe-lucas-23a07_1knnk_.html
… this saturday. I think I’ll stay with Schlag den Raab.