Saturday, 7:30pm
BBC1
When something is described as “big in Spain”, we’re usually a little sceptical when it makes it to these shores. When something is described as being “big in The Netherlands” however, we pay a little more attention.
And so we come to I Love My Country, a comedy quiz celebrating national characteristics hosted by Gabby Logan, team captains Frank Skinner and Mickey Flannigan, and music supplied by – who else? – Jamelia. Logan might seem like an odd choice, especially considering David Walliams did the pilot, but the Dutch show is fronted by Bother’s Bar favourite the fabulous Linda de Mol, so you know.
I expect it’s the sort of thing everyone on Twitter will go “oh this is rubbish” but is light and entertaining enough to become default “this’ll do” Saturday night viewing for many. Let us know what you think of it in the comments.
”Twitter will go “oh this is rubbish” but is light and entertaining enough to become default “this’ll do” Saturday night viewing for many.”
I think you nailed it there. It’s throw away fun but should air around 5.30pm really.
I’m really looking forward to this. It was great fun in Danmark and in Germany it was also quiet good (though (as usual in Germany) they tried to make it a two hour long show, which took some of the fun).
Well, that was interesting. Compared to the dutch one, it lacked everything and especially where was a clear structure?
It felt over and over and over edited, which caused that all the laughter in the panel did not make sense. Didnt get why they chose to open the show with the geograph game, fun inbetween, not a string opening. If this was a first episode of a brand new format, I would not think this could be a success in any country. It lacked everything and as a viewer you never felt some sort of connection or interaction with the show.
Look and feel was 100% similar to the dutch one, however the execution did not come near any professional standard.
Having just watched the Dutch version on Youtube, I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments VierkanteO.
I thought the concept was pretty good from the outset, but it would depend on execution. Sadly, it turns out I was right. It felt very stilted, and there didn’t seem to be any sort of ‘humorous flow’ throughout.
Gabby Logan really isn’t a light entertainment presenter and it showed, a bit like Claire Balding earlier on in the year on Britain’s Brightest. The games were ok, but they could’ve been better. No where near as good as the original. Why can’t the BBC adapt a foreign format successfully!! Overall, I’d give it a 7/10.
Part of me hopes that Talpa set up a full-time British base soon. Avalon and Wall to Wall have done a really poor job with Talpa on ILMC and The Voice UK respectively. Talpa seems to do pretty well on its own without extra interference.
Well this was surprising really, not great by any stretch but not horribly awful either, which is more praise than I thought I’d be giving it, from the trailers. I wasn’t offended by it. Frank Skinner lifted it for me.
I think your summary is spot on; passable ‘in the background’ telly which the young ones enjoyed. Felt like it should be on a little earlier though; I’m surprised they’re putting this out after the puppet business.
It’s the very definition of light entertainment really, and although I could criticise it there doesn’t seem like much point. I can’t bring myself to get upset about it, it left me with a basically pleasant empty feeling.
It’s old school telly with modern sensibilities, which seems to be doing alright right now.
2.96m for this last night, which is slightly worse than I expected.
Nearly a million behind Your Face Sounds Familiar too. Not a great start.
Next week it gets That Puppet Game Show as a lead in and is up against Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Should be interesting.
Apparently the audience rose throughout, peaking with 3.22m at 8.10pm. Maybe some hope for it next week.
I can’t believe they’ve kept the name, it’s terrible! This was, er, interesting, I can’t completely write off any show with Frank Skinner in it and it kept my attention for the whole show but I dunno. I liked the Pass The Parcel round if only because it did seem quite exciting and I like how they were all slightly taken aback by the size of the explosion. I also like the idea of a TV programme that involves a band playing the theme tune to The Challenge Programme and Jamelia is great, I liked her changing her mind about the points she was awarding twice. And good also to see Frank Skinner recycle his old Anne and Nick routine with Susannah Reid.
But a lot of it seemed terribly contrived, the audience participation was too orchestrated and people are going to find that irritating, I think. I don’t like Micky Flangan and some of the panellists contributed nothing. Not sure about Gabby, I like her but I’m not sure she’s entirely the right choice for this. Would have been fascinating to see what it would have been like with David Walliams.
If it reminded me of anything it was Night Fever but I think it might be a bit too brash for public consumption. You’re right to say, though, that 95% of the criticism will be because it’s Saturday night light entertainment and not something like Breaking Bad, when of course you can have good light entertainment and bad light entertainment.
Oh, and it wasn’t me as Script Associate.
Meanwhile Break The Safe is proving tops for stupid answers, highlights last night including “Who does Craig Charles play in Red Dwarf?” “Hitler!”, “Who preceded George Osborne as Chanceller?” “George Osborne!” and “Which months include a lunar equinox?” “June!” “Incorrect! “June!”
Does anyone know the significance of the 8 on the big wheel? I noted it was coloured gold on our version, and in the Dutch show seems to have a sort of breaking through a brick wall symbol.
You may take the 8 points or take a chance and spin the wheel again.
Not sure I’ll watch this again, but definitely adequate even if there was barely an original idea in the whole show. Frank Skinner outclassed Micky Flannigan and I’m tempted to wonder whether this would be a good captaincy role for Michael McIntyre if he wants to do more family-friendly prime time work. Gabby Logan acquitted herself well.
I wouldn’t go as far as “good”, but I’d much rather watch this than Saturday Night Takeaway or The Generation Game or Noel’s House Party or Take Me Out or Your Face Sounds Familiar or perhaps 80% of National Lottery shows.
Recipe for the ‘perfect’ Saturday night show:-
The wheel from wheel of fortune – make sure you use the bankrupt section for extra flavour.
Strictly include some Dancing – Bruce Forsyth optional
The identify the weight of someone section from Britain’s Brightest
The make a fool of yourself and get judged by your efforts section of The Generation Game – from the Bruce Forsyth era
Some Night Fever style sing along and your preferred house band – we prefer to use Jools Hollands Big Band from Name that Tune
Various elements of family fortunes – strain away those used in other more pointless recipes to just leave behind the desks for the contestants to stand behind
Blend together the audience from The X Factor with that of The Price is Right – Bruce Forsyth era
The pass the bomb round from er, the playstation game Buzz
Two comedians from any panel show
Some play your cards right – remove all cards and Bruce Forsyth to leave behind questions with higher or lower possibilities
A pinch of salt
A host – if Bruce Forsyth is not available, replace with a question about him and a sports presenter.
Stir and serve, leaving the viewers to simmer….
I’m having difficulty with this show. Not so much saying something, as saying something beyond “this is utterly derivative and unimaginative”. Maybe I’ll be best to consider the press reaction, and what that says about its readers.
Consider this an open invitation for *you* to write a piece for the UKGS A-Z.
So, two weeks from now when Pointless Celebrities is back, we’re going from Richard Osman, to a bunch of Muppets, to a bunch of muppets, to Nick Knowles and his bunch of people who don’t listen. will come as a blessed relief.
It should air at 3.30am on February 29th. It is the worst show I have ever tried to watch. Noisy, Banal and with forced humour. The BBC owe me 30 minutes of my life back that I lost to trying to watch this garbage. I’m not on Twitter, but if I was I’d be going “Oh this is rubbish”