Show Discussion: Don’t Ask Me Ask Britain

By | April 18, 2017

Tuesdays, 8pm,
ITV

After runs in both the Middle East and Italy, Alexander Armstrong invites teams led by Frank Skinner and Jonathan Ross to predict what app voting Britons think on a variety of topics.

You can download the app for Android and iThing.

We saw a runthrough of this years ago and weren’t that enamoured with it – back then it was designed as a big money quiz, I think turning it into effectively a low-stakes comedy panel show is probably the best move, although it’s fairly unique in being a live one.

Show Discussion: Culinary Genius

By | April 17, 2017

Weekdaily, 3pm,
ITV

There are a lot of interesting shows starting in the next fortnight, I don’t predict this will generate much discussion but we’ll put it here anyway – Fern Britton invites nine cooks to show off their skills in a bid to win £1,000. Each week a different chef joins Britton to set the challenges – this week it’s Gordon Ramsey, which might seem like punching above its timeslot but it’s his show so it’s probably not that much of a surprise.

Here’s quite an entertaining interview with Fern and husband (and judge) Phil Vickery in the Huffington Post.

The long awaited return of Bother’s Bar Does Что? Где? Когда?

By | April 16, 2017

That’s right. On this most Easter of all Sundays it’s seems fitting to resurrect something we did only just last week for another episode. It’s the Russian show What? Where? When?, the lateral thinking quiz show which is normally set in a dining club but we’re using Google Hangout and Powerpoint. Will the team foil the dastardly David J Bodycombe and the even dastardlier audience’s questions or will they (once again) come out on top?

If you have a question you think would be suitable for future episodes then David would like to hear from you. There’s a bit more of an art to it than your standard general knowledge, so have a watch and see if you get a feel for them. We’re hoping to bring you more if interest holds up.

#brigstemens

By | April 14, 2017

Here is a thing that is happening next week, our three-night tribute to long-running Belgian quiz De Slimste Mens Ter Wereld.

Thankfully it’s not “who’s the best at graphic design at Bother’s Bar” because I will have no chance. Instead seven intrepid gladiators will be putting their knowledge, associative thinking and strategy to the test to win the coveted solid-resin trophy, valued at half the money paid for the font.

Also next Tuesday at 8pm the first in the series of Don’t Ask Me Ask Britain, where Alexander Armstrong and celebrity captains Frank Skinner and Jonathan Ross attempt to predict what the nation thinks on a variety of subjects voted on live using the app (Google Play, iTunes).

Meanwhile it’s Easter! And that means Eggs, so here’s a full episode of Sat 1’s Das Goldene Ei from 1995 (which I haven’t actually watched yet) which is a kind of 100,000DM Show-a-like.

Round-up

By | April 11, 2017

Look I know what you’re thinking, “Brig I know the world of gameshows and competitive reality has been, for want of a better word, really dull recently but it would be nice if there were posts not based solely around what Bother’s Bar is doing or has been up to as an exciting change of pace especially given you’re doing The Smartest Person at Bother’s Bar three nights next week on the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.”

Well readers I hear you, so here are some things in the comments recently you might have missed, with thanks to various contributors:

  • Taskmaster promos – Contestants in the upcoming series have been charged with making a billboard to advertise the new series starting April 25th on Dave. Here is a three minute film, although you have to register for UKTV Play now because everyone in television is awful. Also in the new series “to encourage greater audience participation in the show, each week viewers will be asked to complete a task set via Dave’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, with the winner receiving a takeaway voucher.” THUMBS UP EMOJI.
  • “They” are looking for contestants for 5 Gold Rings. Looking at the recent viewing figures this could be the nexus point of a 3D graph with “most money”, “most fun”, “least chance of national embarrassment” along all the axes.
  • Babushka is going to be heart attack inducing.
  • The Boss with Susan Calman starts April 24th on BBC One.
  • Murder in Successville returns to BBC3 from 19th April, first guest detective is Richard Osman.
  • Finally Countdown is getting a new set, although it looks like evolution rather than revolution:

What? Where? When?

By | April 9, 2017

IF you missed it on the Schlag den Star Watchalong on Saturday night, David Bodycombe set up a game of Что? Где? Когда?, the Russian show that became Million Dollar Mind Game in the US, where logical questions are clouded in euphemism. As promised here’s an edit. Who will win, the commentators or the viewers?