Panel Game: Difference between revisions

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A Panel Game or Panel Show is a variation on the [[Game Show]] in which celebrities and comedians compete in teams to win points. Panel games are a mainstay of British television, perhaps due to the continued UK popularity of radio entertainment, from which the format was adapted; or to accommodate [[No Budget|lower UK production budgets]]. The games are a useful way for up-and-~~coming -- or~~ fast-~~descending -- comedians~~ to pay the bills.

A '''Panel Game''' or Panel Show is a variation on the [[Game Show]] in which celebrities and comedians compete in teams to win points. Panel games are a mainstay of British television, perhaps due to the continued UK popularity of radio entertainment, from which the format was adapted; or to accommodate [[No Budget|lower UK production budgets]]. The games are a useful way for up-and-coming—or fast-descending—comedians to pay the bills.

The celebrity contestants are usually paid an appearance fee, but there is rarely a prize as an incentive to win, although the contestants may still be highly competitive. [[Played for Laughs|The focus is on comedy]]; [[The Points Mean Nothing]], and some shows feature a joke prize that is mundane (''[[Have I Got News for You]]''), bizarre (''[[Shooting Stars]]''), or non-existent (''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'').

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* Another mainstay of British panel games is ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'', a political and satirical panel game that generally attracts politicians, journalists, and businessmen as its panelists, as well as more politically-minded comedians.

* A similar show is ''[[Mock the Week]]'', basically ''Have I Got News For You'' [[X Meets Y|meets]] ''Whose Line''.

* One of the oldest British panel games is ''[[A Question of Sport]]'', ~~which -- since~~ it typically features ~~sportsmen -- is~~ generally regarded as more niche and less funny than its competitors (there were a lot of restrictions on how funny they could be when Princess Anne turned up). It's headed a bit more towards the comedic in recent years (ever since Sue Barker took over the chair), which meant that...

* One of the oldest British panel games is ''[[A Question of Sport]]'', which—since it typically features sportsmen—is generally regarded as more niche and less funny than its competitors (there were a lot of restrictions on how funny they could be when Princess Anne turned up). It's headed a bit more towards the comedic in recent years (ever since Sue Barker took over the chair), which meant that...

** ''They Think It's All Over'', also a sporting panel game but with more emphasis on the funny (each side had a regular sportsman, a regular comedian and one other random, usually a sportsman), was rendered slightly redundant. A change of panelists didn't kill the show; a change of hosts did. Rampantly most famous for the Feel The Sportsman round, where contestants were blindfolded and had to identify a sportsperson (or, in several cases, a ''team'' of sportspersons) by touch alone.

* The format was taken to its logical conclusion in ''[[Shooting Stars]]'' which dispensed with rules, order and sense, and featured questions such as "True or False: Bill Cosby was the first-ever black man" (the answer was false; it was actually Sidney Poitier). It also featured dream sequences, sketches, and other distractions from the boring business of actually hosting a show. The guests are more of an afterthought than anything.

* Subverted in ''[[Annually Retentive]]'', a [[Two for One Show]] which shows both a traditional panel game and the (fictional) behind-the-scenes backstabbing that happens behind it. As far as the celebrities are concerned, it's a 'proper' panel show, and only the host and captains act in the behind-the-scenes bits.

* ''[[Wild N Out]]'' is an urban-themed improv comedy show. The players, who seem to be regulars with a single exception (the special celebrity guest), are divided into the Red Squad (led by host Nick Cannon) and the Black Squad (led by the special guest). They compete mostly for pride, as well as the opportunity to hold the [[Professional Wrestling|pro wrestling]]-style "improv champion" belt.

* This format was once common on North American prime time; the tone was more serious, although there was still some joking going on. The best known of these were CBS's ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'', ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'', and ''[[What's My Line?|What's My Line]]'' (all of which later went into syndication) and CBC's ''Front Page Challenge'', which ran for 37 years (~~1958-95~~).

* This format was once common on North American prime time; the tone was more serious, although there was still some joking going on. The best known of these were CBS's ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'', ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'', and ''[[What's My Line?|What's My Line]]'' (all of which later went into syndication) and CBC's ''Front Page Challenge'', which ran for 37 years (1958–95).

* Australia also has its fair share of these, many differing from their British counterparts only so much as is necessary to avoid paying the BBC for the rights.

** There are two ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks''-alikes, the SBS's musically credible ''Rockwiz'', trumped in popularity by the Adam-Hills-hosted ''Spicks and Specks'' which is noteworthy for the fact that of the four non-regular panelists, two are generally musicians, the other two being comedians who don't know the first thing about music. Doesn't stop them from being funny.