QI - Sandi Toksvig
Discussion
Morningside said:
I agree that maybe the case and last night with that utter bell end Russell Brand I would agree.
But to be honest I prefer her as host.
There were some genuinely funny moments in last night's show, but I agree that Russell Brand and is faux-intellectual bBut to be honest I prefer her as host.
ks was awful. There's something about him that just makes my skin crawl. He's also not even a fraction of how clever he thinks he is.
snuffy said:
Having watched the current series, it's lost the plot I reckon.
It used to be 'Here's a clever/trick/sneaky question' and then the panel made an effort to answer it. Then repeat, so there were loads of questions, and teh panel kept to the subject in hand.
But now, Sandi Moosevig just asks a pretty lame general question, and the panel then each spend as much time as they can shouting and attempting to make witty comments that have little, if anything, to do with the original question.
It seems to have given up on the clever/trick/smart question part and become a place where comedians (often of dubious ability) can attempt to further their own careers.
Have to say caught a couple of them managing to shoehorn in a short extract from one of their gigs.It used to be 'Here's a clever/trick/sneaky question' and then the panel made an effort to answer it. Then repeat, so there were loads of questions, and teh panel kept to the subject in hand.
But now, Sandi Moosevig just asks a pretty lame general question, and the panel then each spend as much time as they can shouting and attempting to make witty comments that have little, if anything, to do with the original question.
It seems to have given up on the clever/trick/smart question part and become a place where comedians (often of dubious ability) can attempt to further their own careers.
It's turned into a show where those standups shine where their normal act involves interaction with the audience and a bit of improv, those using the carefully crafted routine technique struggle.can't
Morningside said:
But to be honest I prefer her as host.
I watched an old episode on Dave this week as I was away for work in a hotel. I don't know how old it was but Mr Fry looked quite young, and Mr Clarkson looked even younger !But I actually found it very funny. The main thing was that they stuck to the topic in hand. They must know what the questions/topics are going to be so they can work out what they are going to say in advance. But now, since they don't take much (or any) notice of the question, I wonder if the panelist just dont bother to make an effort anymore ?
It does seem like Alan is being given more free reign to lark about and act the clown in this series. It can be amusing at times, but I agree that it could wear thin.
Maybe a decision has been made to allow QI to drift more into "comedy panel show" territory? It would certainly make it cheaper to produce - fewer QI Elves needed to root out fewer "quite interesting" facts, since the time can be padded out with comedy. Sort of like the new Toblerone, if that makes any sense.
Maybe a decision has been made to allow QI to drift more into "comedy panel show" territory? It would certainly make it cheaper to produce - fewer QI Elves needed to root out fewer "quite interesting" facts, since the time can be padded out with comedy. Sort of like the new Toblerone, if that makes any sense.
Clockwork Cupcake said:
It does seem like Alan is being given more free reign to lark about and act the clown in this series. It can be amusing at times, but I agree that it could wear thin.
Maybe a decision has been made to allow QI to drift more into "comedy panel show" territory? It would certainly make it cheaper to produce - fewer QI Elves needed to root out fewer "quite interesting" facts, since the time can be padded out with comedy. Sort of like the new Toblerone, if that makes any sense.
No doubt they will soon blame Brexit.Maybe a decision has been made to allow QI to drift more into "comedy panel show" territory? It would certainly make it cheaper to produce - fewer QI Elves needed to root out fewer "quite interesting" facts, since the time can be padded out with comedy. Sort of like the new Toblerone, if that makes any sense.
snuffy said:
Having watched the current series, it's lost the plot I reckon.
It used to be 'Here's a clever/trick/sneaky question' and then the panel made an effort to answer it. Then repeat, so there were loads of questions, and teh panel kept to the subject in hand.
But now, Sandi Moosevig just asks a pretty lame general question, and the panel then each spend as much time as they can shouting and attempting to make witty comments that have little, if anything, to do with the original question.
It seems to have given up on the clever/trick/smart question part and become a place where comedians (often of dubious ability) can attempt to further their own careers.
Hugely clever trick doing that with her name, though. Well done you! You must be so proud.It used to be 'Here's a clever/trick/sneaky question' and then the panel made an effort to answer it. Then repeat, so there were loads of questions, and teh panel kept to the subject in hand.
But now, Sandi Moosevig just asks a pretty lame general question, and the panel then each spend as much time as they can shouting and attempting to make witty comments that have little, if anything, to do with the original question.
It seems to have given up on the clever/trick/smart question part and become a place where comedians (often of dubious ability) can attempt to further their own careers.
There I was thinking QI was mainly aimed at people with a modicum of intelligence.
snuffy said:
Having watched the current series, it's lost the plot I reckon.
It used to be 'Here's a clever/trick/sneaky question' and then the panel made an effort to answer it. Then repeat, so there were loads of questions, and teh panel kept to the subject in hand.
But now, Sandi Moosevig just asks a pretty lame general question, and the panel then each spend as much time as they can shouting and attempting to make witty comments that have little, if anything, to do with the original question.
It seems to have given up on the clever/trick/smart question part and become a place where comedians (often of dubious ability) can attempt to further their own careers.
I didn't like Sandy Toksvig in the role as host at first, but she has got better at it. However, the whole show has gone downhill for me. It no longer lives up to its title "Quite interesting" in that there are no longer many questions asked with genuinely interesting answers. They seem to be all about giving the panel the opportunity to wear something silly or make something silly or do something silly rather than impart interesting facts.It used to be 'Here's a clever/trick/sneaky question' and then the panel made an effort to answer it. Then repeat, so there were loads of questions, and teh panel kept to the subject in hand.
But now, Sandi Moosevig just asks a pretty lame general question, and the panel then each spend as much time as they can shouting and attempting to make witty comments that have little, if anything, to do with the original question.
It seems to have given up on the clever/trick/smart question part and become a place where comedians (often of dubious ability) can attempt to further their own careers.
It's a show very much made by the panel, and sadly, the panels aren't as good. Though the odd gem still happens, anything with Rich Hall in will do that.
Sadly though, everytime I see a female on the panel I do think she is there because of her gender thanks to the dkitat by that pratt who was in charge and cancelled Zen. However, there are just as many men who are ste as well.
Jo Brand is an exception, as her general knowledge is quite far reaching.
Sadly though, everytime I see a female on the panel I do think she is there because of her gender thanks to the dkitat by that pratt who was in charge and cancelled Zen. However, there are just as many men who are s
te as well.Jo Brand is an exception, as her general knowledge is quite far reaching.
Morningside said:
Alan Davis. Hmmm. Takes someone else's observational joke. Repeat to make his own and repeat by shouting it out then slowly kill it off.
Very much this!Haven't seen this weeks yet but the other week, someone said something that got a chuckle from the audience, next thing Alan Davis was shouting it out in a silly voice over and over, turning a quick pun into a minute long side splitter (in his mind) while sandy giggles away in the background.
oh and just how many more times can Bill Bailey pretend to smoke a pipe.......hilarious!
king arthur said:
I didn't like Sandy Toksvig in the role as host at first, but she has got better at it. However, the whole show has gone downhill for me. It no longer lives up to its title "Quite interesting" in that there are no longer many questions asked with genuinely interesting answers. They seem to be all about giving the panel the opportunity to wear something silly or make something silly or do something silly rather than impart interesting facts.
Maybe just me but I get the impression that the "pool" of panellists has shrunk. The same faces seem to pop up frequently where in the past there might have been a decent interval between appearances.Janluke said:
I'm wondering if its more down to the editing. They always recorded loads more material than they used, maybe the Fry episodes where just edited a little tighter.
Indeed. Or a different editor, or a change in policy on editing. It could also be that Stephen Fry was more able to get things back on track and Sandi is more inclined to let the comedic banter run.
Personally I'm not too worried right now - the slightly more light-hearted format is quite amusing, although I wouldn't want QI to evolve into just another theme-based comedy panel show as it would lose its USP.
Clockwork Cupcake said:
Janluke said:
I'm wondering if its more down to the editing. They always recorded loads more material than they used, maybe the Fry episodes where just edited a little tighter.
Indeed. Or a different editor, or a change in policy on editing. It could also be that Stephen Fry was more able to get things back on track and Sandi is more inclined to let the comedic banter run.
Personally I'm not too worried right now - the slightly more light-hearted format is quite amusing, although I wouldn't want QI to evolve into just another theme-based comedy panel show as it would lose its USP.
I dip in and out of Q XL but for me, HIGNFY is the only panel show that is regular viewing, because it is essentially still 90%ish about it's format, and not an excuse for flavour-of-the-week comedian to be annoying, plus they have rather a large selection of non comedians which makes it so refreshing
Halb said:
I dip in and out of Q XL but for me, HIGNFY is the only panel show that is regular viewing, because it is essentially still 90%ish about it's format, and not an excuse for flavour-of-the-week comedian to be annoying, plus they have rather a large selection of non comedians which makes it so refreshing
Indeed. It's a format that really works and, as you say, has a ready pool of non-comedians. When Never Mind the Buzzcocks was cancelled, I thought that it too was self-sustaining because there was a ready supply of musicians, but with hindsight I can see that it was not the same - because many musicians are not, by nature, that entertaining and talking is not necessarily their forté. With HIGNFY, by contrast, MPs, ex-MPs, journalists, political commentators and the like are by profession able to talk about politics and the news and they don't even have to be funny so long as they will tolerate having the piss taken out of them by Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, the guest presenter, and any comedians on the panel.
QI seems to be suffering from the same problem that Mock the Week is experiencing - a shrinking pool of comedians meaning that the same old faces pop up more often than before. Mock the Week more so than QI.
I don't think it is all Sandi's fault. The format has got a little old, it was never based on current affairs, and while I was a fairly avid viewer for the first handful of series I rarely bother now; and didn't much in the latter stages of Fry's reign. It just got old, and Alan Davies ever more tedious.
Clockwork Cupcake said:
Indeed. It's a format that really works and, as you say, has a ready pool of non-comedians.
When Never Mind the Buzzcocks was cancelled, I thought that it too was self-sustaining because there was a ready supply of musicians, but with hindsight I can see that it was not the same - because many musicians are not, by nature, that entertaining and talking is not necessarily their forté. With HIGNFY, by contrast, MPs, ex-MPs, journalists, political commentators and the like are by profession able to talk about politics and the news and they don't even have to be funny so long as they will tolerate having the piss taken out of them by Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, the guest presenter, and any comedians on the panel.
QI seems to be suffering from the same problem that Mock the Week is experiencing - a shrinking pool of comedians meaning that the same old faces pop up more often than before. Mock the Week more so than QI.
I don't watch much of any of them these days, but I don't think' Buzzcocks and Mock the Week are really comparable with HIGNFY and QI. I remember when MtW first started, the blurb suggested it was basically going to be HIGNFY - 'Great' I thought, until I watched it. It was more like ITV had come out with something to rival HIGNFY, like they used to do with other programming, and completely failed. 'Buzzcocks never appealed to me either, was it meant for students and the type of people who like Big Bang Theory?When Never Mind the Buzzcocks was cancelled, I thought that it too was self-sustaining because there was a ready supply of musicians, but with hindsight I can see that it was not the same - because many musicians are not, by nature, that entertaining and talking is not necessarily their forté. With HIGNFY, by contrast, MPs, ex-MPs, journalists, political commentators and the like are by profession able to talk about politics and the news and they don't even have to be funny so long as they will tolerate having the piss taken out of them by Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, the guest presenter, and any comedians on the panel.
QI seems to be suffering from the same problem that Mock the Week is experiencing - a shrinking pool of comedians meaning that the same old faces pop up more often than before. Mock the Week more so than QI.
Gompo said:
I don't watch much of any of them these days, but I don't think' Buzzcocks and Mock the Week are really comparable with HIGNFY and QI.
You're missing my point - I wasn't comparing them on quality, but on concept. They are all comparable in the sense of relying on guest panellists. Gompo said:
'Buzzcocks never appealed to me either, was it meant for students and the type of people who like Big Bang Theory?
It was obviously meant for people far less superior than you. Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Sunday 21st January 00:28
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