Weekdays, 6pm,
BBC2
It’s fair to say that this Mega Monday has four new shows but there are two shows that are of most interest to us. This is one of them.
Debatable tasks contestants with finding the correct answers to questions for big money but helping or hindering them are a panel of three celebrities who will debate the answers between them. It sounds a bit like a comedy panel version of Think Tank really.
This is the first we’ve seen of Patrick Kielty for a while.
Bad thing about the show: It’s Think Tank.
Good thing about the show: It’s better than Think Tank.
Basically, it’s more interesting to watch how people think than just what they know. Questions are quite well pitched, the panel is well cast. And they nicked some music from The Chase.
I enjoyed these half-hour. For MEGA Monday so far: Think Tank < Debatable.
The show is alright 7/10. Nice and steady to play along. Not many rules to play which is good.
Patrick makes a good host and maybe this could be a good show to watch and play along each time its on.
I would only change the jackpot to atleast £3,000 as there is three panelists.
Might as well provide a format run-down as per usual.
One contestant, along with a panel of 3 celebs, aims to answer a number of questions to win up to £2,000.
Round 1 has 2 questions, each worth £200. A question is shown along with 4 multiple-choice answers. The contestant gives their opinion of the right answer, then the panel give their thoughts, settling on a final answer. The contestant can choose to go with the panel’s answer or pick their own.
Round 2 has 2 questions, each worth £300. This time, the contestant is shown 3 items (today’s were to put 3 paintings in size order from smallest to largest, then 3 businessmen from youngest to oldest) and has to get all 3 in the right order to earn any money. The panel has large cards in front of them that they can pass between themselves to illustrate the order they think is right.
Round 3 has 2 questions, each worth £500. This time, 3 facts are shown about a particular thing (today’s were about bananas and Alfred Hitchcock). Only one of the facts is correct.
The contestant then faces The Final Debate. They choose one of the 3 panel members to help them, then are presented with 2 categories (today’s were Geography and Musicals). Once the category is picked, they are shown a question with 6 possible answers of which 3 are correct. The contestant and the panelist then have 45 seconds to discuss which 3 answers are correct and lock them in. If all 3 answers are correct, the contestant wins the money.
Overall, it’s a decent show. Yes, there might only be 7 questions in the whole half-hour run-time, but the questions are of a decent difficulty and there’s a nice bit of play-along value to be had. One thing I DID notice was the background music that plays when the questions are revealed. It sounds a LOT like the music that plays when Bradley talks to the contestants on The Chase before they’re about to play the CashBuilder. On the whole, it’s a decent show and I’ll most likely watch again. 7/10 from me
Initial thought: yeah.
Just seven questions in the half-hour, so they’ve gone for panel discussions. Is Alan Sugar older than Richard Branson? Are bananas actually radioactive?
Today’s show worked because of the panel: Russell Kane the fast-talking comedian, Ann Widdecombe from Strictly Come Dancing, and Dan Walker from the BBC4 Book Club.
Looks like they’ve at least one person each day for a “young” audience (and by “young”, under 50.)
The show will stand or fall on the debate, the people on the panels and how they spark as a unit. If they get this right, could be a hit.
First thoughts – this is what they commissioned to fill the Two Tribes sized hole due to Richard Osman’s other commitments.
Second thoughts – an enjoyable panel game which despite not having many questions over 30 minutes, doesn’t suffer as a result. Does the panel change every show, a set panel for the week, or the same panel for the entire series?
Looks like they just nick 3 random guests from the BBC canteen each day to be quite honest!
Small point of pendantry – but the show is recorded at a non-BBC studio facility…
The soon to be rubble – Fountain Television.
For me, Mehh, And nothing more or less.
So, it’s basically a 12 Yard show in reverse.
On those you have a contestant ‘work out the answers aloud’ – here the it’s the celebrity panel working out the answers aloud. For an enternity..
Yes, it’s riggable to give the contestant a very low sum to play for, by ‘tipping’ off the panelists on a couple of questions so, they do a great convincing job on the wrong answers.
But for me it’s far too pedestrian in pace.
Patrick is wasted as a host (For all it’s faults, Last Chance Lottery is still the pinacle of his game show hosting career) Each episode will live and die by the three celbs, and the banter they provide to distract you from spotting it’s been a minute and a half since this question was first asked.
Another show which brings nothing new to the BBC Two 6pm quiz slot. John Craven must be sitting at home thinking “who did my show upset not to get a second series?”
6/10. Because I’m in a slightly generous mood today.
I quite liked it. It could’ve done with a more responsive audience, a couple more questions, and it’s not particularly tense if the celebs are too clever (the guy today won nearly two grand by just agreeing with everything) but the nuts and bolts are there.
Yeah this works OK as a light quiz and comfort television, questions encourage good discussion, decent facts, doesn’t outstay its welcome (you probably wouldn’t want it to be longer than 30 mins). Would agree with a comment I read saying they’d need to see a couple of panels before coming to a definitive decision.
It’s interesting that shows like this and The Question Jury are built around discussing of answers and feel OK whereas in a 12 Yard show it’d be hugely annoying. I suspect it’s because 12 Yard questions aren’t really designed to be very discussion worthy.
In my head this was going to have the celebs argue a different answer each. In reality it’s not really a debate, but also in reality I think the set up is quite pleasant, allows people to shine.
Probably doesn’t need drawn out answer reveals for the level of prize on offer.
The music’s good though isn’t it? 😉
Not your best Paul but not bad 🙂
I heard recycled Chase SFX twice – they definitely use the generic bed at least once (I heard it when he has to make the decision of who to choose in the final), and also the alarm used for time up in the final is the same as the one they use for the end of the quick-fire round in the Chase.
Nothing mind-blowingly original. My only big qualm in yesterday’s episode was that it seemed like there’s very little reason for the contestant to ever not go with the celebrity’s answer – especially when the celeb is certain of it. It makes the contestant almost feel redundant.
They get around that on things like Guess List by the questions being opinion-based. Maybe this will change with a slightly less brainy panel.
Interestingly the final episodes going out next week are all extended 45 minute editions to help the scheduling in terms of the Are You An Egghead final rounds (Also 45 minutes)
I hope that doesn’t become a “thing” should there be a second series as it moves along quite nicely with the 30 minute format
What I want to know is when they’ll air episode 20, that was due to air on Friday but was bumped for extended tennis.
Tonight at 5:30pm!
Nope, it didn’t show then either! Must’ve been bumped yet again because of the tennis…
I’ve just checked the BBC2 schedule for 26 September 2016. It’s not there either. That said, I did find something interesting on at 4:30: The Link. Did they not get the message from Challenge shunting it back three hours?
They are *literally* just filling airtime. That’s what happens during the day on BBC2 now.