[Great] British TV: An American Rebroadcast Wish And/Or Recommendations List

[Kromm]

Another anti-recommendation, like "The Wheel", to watch once, scream with scornful laughter at, and have a realization that maybe American TV isn't ALWAYS the worst out there. If you ever encounter "Tipping Point" you will be amazed something like this ever got put on TV. 

You know in old fashioned arcades those machines you drop coins in and there's a series of moving ledges where falling coins may (but almost never do) push coins down to a lower ledge, and on the bottom ledge into a collection basket?  Imagine that as an actual game show, with the only addition trivia questions to determine how many coins you get.  Sooooooooo stinky. Yet fun to hate watch. 

Edited January 14, 2021 by Kromm

[SVNBob]

On 3/22/2020 at 11:51 PM, SVNBob said:

Taskmaster creator and the Taskmaster's assistant (little) Alex Horne will be giving out tasks to do on Twitter, using the hashtag #HomeTasking.

With UKLockdown 2.0 happening, HomeTasking is back.

But this time, there's a slight twist.  Apparently, the tasks will be ones that were previously done on the show, so there's the additional layer of "I could have done better than those comedians at that" on top of the previous HomeTasking silliness.

Task #1 is already up and running.  Your time starts now.

 

[Kromm]

I've been watching episodes of Celebrity Mastermind and not minding it the way I assumed I would going in.

The show is in a way hilarious in how conservative it is.  An ancient host.  A format that's literally just answering questions and nothing else.  No bells, no whistles... even no set.  The set is literally a rolly office chair in a black void with a spotlight shining on it, other chairs on the side for the players not on at the time, and the old as dust host in his own chair at a tiny little table.  The rules are literally that they come in with a declared expert area they're asked questions about, there's a second round with general questions, and the highest number answered correctly wins. They can pass and it only counts against them if there's a tie.  The soundtrack is this blaring, almost self-important sounding fanfare that's clearly actually piped into the black void rather than added in post.  

The Celebrity version just adds that they're playing for charity, that the celebs often get away with picking specialist subjects that are laughably specific or very non-intellectual, and occasionally there's some Brit reality star who totally doesn't belong there who's dumb as a rock, and proves it.

It's weirdly compelling.

Note this is not the similarly named Game Show Network US show.  Not even close.

[SVNBob]

After the failure of Taskmaster, The CW is trying importing and adapting some other British programs.

This time they're planning on airing a couple series of Would I Lie To You?, as a conceptual lead-in for an American-produced version to also air on The CW. 

They're also doing a mixed-nationality season of "Killer Camp", which The CW apparently already aired a full-UK series of.  Concept seems like a cross between the old Fox series "Murder in Small Town X" and the relatively-recent ABC series "Whodunnit?", but dressed in the tropes of the '80s slasher movies, like Friday the 13th.

https://www.thewrap.com/the-cw-to-adapt-british-tv-series-would-i-lie-to-you-and-killer-camp/amp/

[Danny Franks]

On 1/23/2021 at 10:05 PM, Kromm said:

The show is in a way hilarious in how conservative it is.  An ancient host.  A format that's literally just answering questions and nothing else.  No bells, no whistles... even no set.  The set is literally a rolly office chair in a black void with a spotlight shining on it, other chairs on the side for the players not on at the time, and the old as dust host in his own chair at a tiny little table.  The rules are literally that they come in with a declared expert area they're asked questions about, there's a second round with general questions, and the highest number answered correctly wins. They can pass and it only counts against them if there's a tie.  The soundtrack is this blaring, almost self-important sounding fanfare that's clearly actually piped into the black void rather than added in post.  

I've always liked Mastermind, for a couple of reasons - one, the general knowledge round is fun to take part in and really does have a wide range of topics. Two, it's always amusing to see just how esoteric and specific people can get with their specialist subjects, and to ponder on what specialist subjects you'd pick if you were a contestant.

It's been on the BBC for almost fifty years, and the setting - a black chair under a spotlight - was apparently inspired by the creator's experiences being interrogated by the Gestapo as a prisoner of war.

That and University Challenge, which is even more stuffy and old fashioned, are my favourite game shows, because of the simplicity of the concept and, in the case of University Challenge, the achievement of getting a few questions right.

[Kromm]

I've tried University Challenge.  For some reason I couldn't get into it as much as Mastermind. Mastermind is quaint but charming. I can't say why UC doesn't feel that way... but it doesn't. 

[Kromm]

I'm enjoying a recent Brit gameshow called "The Answer Trap". It's that rare thing, a legitimately new gameshow concept that's simple, easy to understand, and very watchable.

Basically they give a screen full of answers. Then they put up either two or three questions (depending on the round) and teams have to in turn match the answers with the correct question. To foul things up, not only do many answers, on the face of it, seem to equally apply to multiple questions, but they also put up several (two, or four, depending on the round) fake answers that don't actually apply to either question and are "answer traps", but which when well conceived often sound more like legit answers than the real ones. 

Aside from the easy and fun game mechanics, the show cast (the presenter, and on-screen, the two actual guys who come up with the "answer traps") are all pretty good, as are the presentation (the music, audio cues, set, etc.) 

There are episodes floating around on YouTube--up to you guys to find 'em. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Kromm

[Llywela]

Do you guys get Pointless or House of Games in the US? Those are two quiz shows I always enjoy.

[ABay]

Pointless is available but not House of Games. Of all the panel and quiz shows to choose from Netflix.Amazon/Britbox insist on providing Would I Lie to You instead of something enjoyable.

When does Mock the Week start up again?

[Ceindreadh]

9 hours ago, ABay said:

Pointless is available but not House of Games. Of all the panel and quiz shows to choose from Netflix.Amazon/Britbox insist on providing Would I Lie to You instead of something enjoyable.

When does Mock the Week start up again?

Tonight on BBC2.  (Thursday the 13th)

[VCRTracking]

Somehow even a 1980s hyper energy children's show is better with UK accents.

 

Thinking how a KIDS INCORPORATED reunion would not nearly be as charming.