QI

What word could sum up this programme? Wonderful? Fascinating? Hilarious? All of the above.

As the QI Master, Stephen Fry is as brilliant as ever, and his banter with regular panelist Alan Davies is fabulous - their contrasts just work so well. The things that they talk about are genuinely interesting, and all of our family love it. It appeals to all tastes and senses of humour, as the variety of guests makes the dynamics of the show slightly different each week - and it never falters.

I hope that they make 26 series of this - we've just seen series 'C' and I hope they see it all the way through to 'Z'. Marvellous!

QI is one of the panel shows that are so everlastingly popular in Great Britain, which such fabled programs as Have I Got News For You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks previously gaining fame in the UK.

QI - short for Quite Interesting - is hosted by the all-around intelligent Stephen Fry, who asks questions that are 'impossible to get right' to a panel of four, most of them comedians. One of his panelists, Alan Davies appears on every episode, while others rotate. Many, such as Bill Bailey, Rich Hall, Sean Lock, Phill Jupitus or Jo Brand make regular appearances, but none are ever-present as Davies is.

The goal of the quiz is to answer Fry's questions, but there's a catch. The answer needn't be correct, all it asks is that one is interesting along the way. Points are given for interesting answers, and points are taking away (usually to Alan) for answers that are both obvious and wrong. Such answers are accompanied by a klaxon and the wrong answer flashing on a screen behind the contestants.

Example - Fry: How many sheep were there on Noah's ark? - Most people would think the answer is two, but, as proved when Alan answers this and is klaxoned, the Bible states that in the case of clean animals, Noah would take them in sevens.

The questions aren't necessarily the main part of the quiz, however, as, more often than not, the panelists will go off on wild ramblings that have little to do with the original subject, often scoring them points for being interesting.

At the end of each episode is a quick-fire round called 'General Ignorance', where they ask questions that they know will provoke an obvious answer - once again, usually from Alan Davies.

The show has a truly intelligent feel to it, and, although the panelists aren't necessarily intelligent (Jo Brand) or interesting (Gyles Brandreth), they panel's banter and humorous routines are a great way to spend half an hour. My favourite by far is Rich Hall, and I hope you will enjoy him in the next season of QI, which starts next Friday on the BBC.

If you're a fan of useless facts, you'll love this show, and if you're a fan of panel shows, you'll adore it too.

With lots of references to British culture, lifestyle and history, it is a difficult-to-translate show. But if you watch it in English and with a British mindset, there is nothing like it: smart, interesting, truly funny (and not prudish at all).

Davies and Fry are a lovely couple of hosts to watch, and the panelists are also quite funny (I like Hall and Jupitus very much).

It is a very entertaining show, with lots of interesting pieces of information which are simply funny (though probably extracted from a questionable use of sources and statistics, but it really doesn't matter because the whole show is hilarious).

I happened to watch it at a friends' and I didn't expect it to make me «laugh», just to entertain me with interesting stuff. However, to my surprise, it was funnier and wittier than many comedy shows. I laughed my heart out! Warning: It is not a «family show» unless you openly talk to your children about adult matters. References to sexuality, gay life and double entendres abound, but always in a subtle, witty way which does not strike as vulgar in general.

Kudos to Q.I.! Do not miss this program if you can!

I miss the XL versions of this programme, they were so much more fun, but I suspect you can have too much of a good thing & this IS a good thing.

Sandi Toksvig is genuinely one of those people who seems to enjoy her work, I hope she does as I thoroughly enjoy watching her. I'm going to be controversial and suggest Sandi is better than Stephen Fry, who to my mind was less giving to the women.

Each programme gives an opportunity for the 'contestants' though just what is at stake is hardly worth mentioning, to shine in some form.

There is a real mix of people, ages, sexes, sexualities etc.. This gives scope to all viewers to latch on to various parts of the programme. General Ignorance is a great section, especially when the obvious answer, is, for a change, the right one!

Sit back, relax & laugh. BTW, spoiler alert, you may actually learn something as well! Blue Whales rule!

I love Stephen Fry and have never found him to be smug and up himself! He often has the p*ss taken out of him on QI and obviously enjoys it as much as we do. He is a real genius and his mimicry (particularly of Robert Robinson) is brilliant. He is always at pains to point out that he does not know everything and his "helper elves" are supplying him with the facts. Alan Davies plays the idiot to SF's brainiac wonderfully too and the programme works because of their relationship. Other panellists worthy of note have been Jo Brand, Andy Hamilton ,Sean Lock, Jimmy Carr, Rich Hall, Bill Bailey and just about every guest that has taken part. It must be quite daunting to be witty and funny among the talent that turns up time and again for this show. My wife and I watch QI as often as we can when it is on and still enjoy the ones we have already seen over and over again. I always feel I have been educated, amused and thoroughly entertained and informed. As a lover of trivia this programme suits me down to the ground- it's almost perfect in every way. I am always amazed at how quickly the 30 minutes go by and cannot wait for the next one. It should run and run for ever. Kudos to the one who devised this great piece of TV.