QI

Back in the 60s this genre was handled best on the radio by I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again. There have been several TV attempts to revive that format and this one gets it absolutely right. The best description I have seen is like a really fun dinner party. The quiz part is still central, the questions are real, the answers are real, the points scored are real, but the time is largely taken up by the banter triggered by the questions.

The questions frequently have obvious, "everyone knows", wrong answers which receive a klaxon and a big forfeit and triggering this is occasionally the point of the question.

You're sitting down for an evening with 5 really smart, really quick witted, really comical people playing the pub quiz from hell and you're along for the ride. Wonderful, and archetypally British, entertainment.

Some adult humour, some disrespectful humour, some irreverent humour, lots of good natured teasing, and you still learn something. Great.

I really enjoy QI. It has what most 'quiz' show's lack. It never takes itself seriously, the guests are always witty and have fun making the show.

Back in 2005 I was lucky to watch them record an episode at the London Studios. What a great night's entertainment. The stuff that they leave out is just as funny so although it takes them over 2 hours to record a show the time flies.

Stephen Fry is such a clever man , the best bits are always when the other guests take the pee out of Stephen for being too posh.

GREAT ENTERTAINMENT!

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.

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.

Stephen Fry, as per usual, is involved in one of the funniest and most entertaining shows on British Television. After Blackadder and the like what can one expect from him? This programme is not just funny it is indeed, Quite Interesting(sorry for the pathetic pun). If anybody has ever wondered what noises frogs make, how many wives Henry VIII had, or the why Plato was called Plato, you must see this programme!

My friends and the whole of my college, after me watching it, know what snippits of information have been on the programme because i make sure that they are told the best bits. I advise any power-crazed factophile to watch this at the earliest opportunity (Thurs BBC2 10:00, BBC4 10:30)!