British quiz show appreciation thread

I don't always watch TV, but when I do, I watch British game/quiz/panel shows.

Many are available on YouTube. Current and recent episodes may be streamable from the network web sites (BBC, ITV, Channel 4/5, etc). If they geo-block you, you can install a browser extension such as Media Hint to bypass the restriction.

My first recommendation is "Only Connect ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_Connect )," described as a game of lateral thinking. Player teams earn points by finding the connections between seemingly unrelated items.

The host (presenter) is PokerStars pro Vicky Coren:



Your first hint that the game is for intellectuals comes when calling for a question. These are the choices:



A puzzle thread inspired by the show was posted here:

https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/questions-and-answers/casual-corner/7455-puzzle-only-connect-connecting-wall/

You can play the Connecting Wall online at the official site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lskhg/features/quiz

... or at this fan site: http://www.puzzgrid.com/

One possible point of frustration for Americans is the emphasis on British culture, but that doesn't bother me because I don't know any of the answers anyway.

Interesting game. I like it. I would like it more if it was U.S. related since a good percentage of the items relate to U.K. Good concept though.


ZCore13

Quote: Zcore13

Interesting game. I like it. I would like it more if it was U.S. related since a good percentage of the items relate to U.K. Good concept though.


ZCore13

A board game I really like that is conceptually related is called Tri-Bonds. I highly recommend it.

Ok, I am an immediate addict, having watched one. Chalking up in advance 10 lost days of productivity. What a great format!

Quote: beachbumbabs

Ok, I am an immediate addict, having watched one. Chalking up in advance 10 lost days of productivity. What a great format!

I'm enjoying both format and host (presenter). The vibe is slightly austere, but Coren is adept at the dry British humor that I find very entertaining.

The contestants seem to enjoy themselves, which is good because apparently there are no prizes. The BBC has a long tradition of insignificant or modest prizes on its game shows, partly because it obtains funding from licence fees collected by the government. (The nearest network equivalent in the USA would probably be PBS.)

My next recommendation is "Countdown."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countdown_(game_show)

With over 5000 episodes, Countdown is a British classic, although copied from an even more enduring original in France.

It's basically a simple game of anagrams, elevated nicely by the intelligence levels of all participants.

The wordplay is accented by an occasional "numbers round," showcasing the female assistant presenter with an aptitude for "maths." Currently she is the delightful Rachel Riley:



Here's an old clip of Riley in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELJYIgZu2aQ

Episodes are only sporadically available on YouTube, but Channel 4 posts at least two weeks of the most recent ones on its site.

I really enjoy 'Pointless'. Players have to try and guess which the correct answer to a question that was not given by 100 random people in 30 seconds (or something like that)

For example:

'Name a John Cleese Movie'.

'A fish called Wanda' might have 50 respondents, while 'The Holy Grail' gets 60. The aim is to score as few points as possible. The best answers are 'Pointless'. A correct answer than no-one surveyed gave. For example 'Clockwise' might be a pointless answer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointless_(game_show)

Quote: thecesspit

I really enjoy 'Pointless'.

Oh yes thank you, I agree completely. It's a very clever format.

My only problem is that I haven't found a good source of episodes online. I may need to search more carefully on YouTube, but I'm only finding a few there. The BBC site only offers the five most recent.

My next selection is "QI."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QI

QI is a panel game featuring comedians answering general knowledge questions. The incidental point system deducts for obvious responses that are wrong, but rewards responses that are "Quite Interesting."

The erudite moderator is Stephen Fry (center):



And the permanent class clown is Alan Davies:



A clip from series 2: Is this a rhetorical question?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKX0T_YKrS0

Maybe I'm old school, but I go for the "classics" like Mastermind. (Simple game - each contestant sits in a black chair with a spotlight on him; in the first round, 2 minutes to answer as many questions as possible in a subject of the contestant's choice; in the second round, 2 minutes of general knowledge questions. If the contestant gives a wrong answer, the host reads the correct answer; the contestant can also "pass", in which case the answer is not read, which saves time - if the time runs out in the middle of a question, well, as the original host put it, "I've started, so I'll finish" - but the first tiebreaker is fewest passes. Note that it's a three-round tournament, and you can't use the same category more than once; also, the only prize is a cut glass bowl for the winner.)

Quote: ThatDonGuy

Maybe I'm old school, but I go for the "classics" like Mastermind.

Thanks for the suggestion. Here's the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastermind_(TV_series)

I'm not seeing much on YouTube from the classic Magnus Magnusson era, but I did find this clever sketch from "The Two Ronnies": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0C59pI_ypQ

I have been a fan of "The Chase" for a number of years, watching episodes on YouTube. It has been imported to America, and is in its third season on GSN with record-high ratings.

Contestants first build a bank with quick-fire questions against the clock.

They then must challenge "The Chaser," who they go against one on one in multiple choice questions. If the player gets a question right, they move towards 'home' with their money. If the Chaser is right, they advance towards the player. If the Chaser catches the player, they are out of the game and lose their cash. If they make it home, they advance to the Final Chase.

In the Final Chase, any players remaining work as a team to answer as many questions as they can in 2 minutes. The Chaser then has 2 minutes to catch the players by beating their score. Any wrong answers by the Chaser can be stolen by the team, pushing the Chaser back. If the Chaser catches them, they all go home with nothing. If they survive, they split the collected cash brought home.

Here is a Youtube video of a Season 6 episode from Britain: Link.
Here is a Youtube video of the Season 2 premiere of the U.S. version: Link.

The British version can be very tense without feeling fake. The U.S. version has a bit of a theatrical feel to it occasionally. Both versions are well done, nonetheless.

Quote: Dween

I have been a fan of "The Chase" for a number of years, watching episodes on YouTube. It has been imported to America, and is in its third season on GSN with record-high ratings.

Excellent, thanks! For my last trip, I downloaded a bunch of British series 1 episodes, but never got around to watching them. Hopefully soon.

I haven't seen the US version either, but it's nice that GSN has a high-quality, successful original to supplement the regular diet of Family Feud reruns.

Yes we seem to know how to do game-shows and strangely our well known comedians seem to make the best hosts. There are also many others ranging from the stupid (Red or Black) through Trivia/General Knowledge to really intelligent (Mastermind, Countdown, University Challenge). There are also a few based on answers by the public such as Pointless and Family Fortunes (look for "family fortunes worst answers" on YouTube if you fancy a laugh). There are also pseudo quiz programs, such as QI, where the questions are also used as a catalyst for off-topic impromptu discussion. If you have radio also try BBC Radio 4 at 6.30pm on Mondays.

Quote: charliepatrick

There are also many others ranging from the stupid (Red or Black) ....

I agree on that one, and I don't totally enjoy Ant & Dec (the hosts of the show).

I tried to enjoy "Tipping Point," an ITV game presented by Ben Shephard. But there's too much luck and not enough variety.

The concept is based around a "coin pusher" arcade machine. Here's a photo:



The show is still in production, with a 4th series upcoming, so somebody likes it.

Quote: gpac1377

The concept is based around a "coin pusher" arcade machine.

Am I the only one who has seen one of these machines in a casino, played for quarters? Okay, this was in 1985...

And for those of you who may need some English-to-English translation:

University Challenge = College Bowl (although CB hasn't been on the air since something like 1972, except for one-off specials and something called the Honda Campus All-Star Campus, which can best be described as "Historically Black College Bowl".

Family Fortunes = Family Feud (I heard an explanation as to why they didn't call it "Family Feud"; I think it's something like, the British have no real concept of a Hatfields-and-McCoys feud (a "family feud" is something more like what you would expect in "Romeo & Juliet"), any more than Americans know what the Philosopher's Stone is (hence the USA book being called "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone"), and the term would be misleading).

Quote: ThatDonGuy

Am I the only one who has seen one of these machines in a casino, played for quarters? Okay, this was in 1985...

In US casinos, I recall seeing "Flip-It" machines configured for either quarters or dollar tokens. But the machines seem to have disappeared completely within the last few years.

Despite producing only 83 episodes, my next selection is one of the best-loved game shows ever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Maze

From 1990 to 1995, the Crystal Maze offered adventure challenges for 6-player teams, guided by the inimitable Richard O'Brien, author of "The Rocky Horror Show." Here's a brief parody that perfectly captures the essence of the program:



After four series, O'Brien departed and was replaced for the final two series by the less charismatic Ed Tudor-Pole.

All episodes are available on YouTube.

Countdown - numbers game.
For those not familiar with the show they have two sets of numbers - the large are 100 75 50 and 25; the small are 1 to 10 twice. The contestant chooses (n) large and (6-n) small, whereupon a random number generator picks a number between 100 and 999. (In some countries the computer also makes sure the solution is possible, but in the UK this didn't use to be the case). Points are awarded for being the closest.
You can use the four mathematical signs (+ - / *) and endless brackets to come up with the number.

If you're still not sure of the rules this video (Carol explains the rules to Ant and Dec) might help.

The challenge!
I stumbled across this video of an amazing numbers game. I now know of two solutions.

Before cheating see if using 100 75 50 25 6 and 3 you can come up with 952.

Quote: charliepatrick

I stumbled across this video of an amazing numbers game. I now know of two solutions.

I think I (or someone else) posted that video before. If you have a decent sense of algebra you can see how to come up with those numbers. They make it seem much more amazing by insisting on doing it linearly.

One thing I miss about Carol Vorderman is that she did not receive any help. There were plenty of times where she threw up her hands and said "I can't get there. I'm one away," demonstrating a certain honesty in the proceedings. Not only does Rachel Riley seem to always have the answer, she has actually correctly declared certain solutions "impossible", something you can only be sure of if you're using a solver (with incredibly rare exception). Carol used to always make a huge deal about never ever EVER saying a solution was impossible.

ETA: Even on this numbers game, you can tell just by looking at the numbers that the solution is impossible. Carol still doesn't call it impossible.

http://youtu.be/6yoozgIjHRI?t=2m30s

New fan of "The Chase" here. Will have to look in on it after I get some more things done. Thanks!