The Wheel

Michael McIntyre has long been searching for other projects besides being a venue filling stand-up comedian.

Being a talent show judge didn't work, neither did being a chat-show host, so the BBC have clearly thought in their wisdom that being a game-show host might be more up his street. He even came up with the format...great.

This isn't a bad show, it's an opportunity to use the seemingly in vogue idea of celebs (cough cough) helping members of the public to win 'big money', but isn't up there with the best game-shows.

It's done well for the BBC so far, so I imagine they'll continue to milk it.

SPIN THE WHEEL! is shouted by the host, and for what seems like thirty minutes, the wheel spins, and spins, and spins. Then the contestant wheel spins, and spins, and spins. And the viewer's brain spins, and spins, and spins.

If this review sounds repetitive and monotonous, that's because this show is repetitive and monotonous. There is very little game play, a lot of shouting. It's a panel show trying very hard to be a game show, but failing on all counts.

Could of a bit faster, but apart from that, it's great. The host can be funny (unpopular opinion) and it's a fun show to tune in to. Granted, it is a bit cheesy.

The only reason people watch this is because there is nothing else to do. An hour of spinning people around and around when we only get about 10 or so questions, with a possibility of no questions being asked for far too long with the ridiculous shutdown feature. Quite frankly The Wheel is a dull waste of time and money when it ought to be much better. Avoid.

This bit of fluff is makes reasonable entertainment that I, my mother and grandmother can enjoy.

Macintyre can be a bit much, but he is perfectly cast here, as our guide where responds impeccably to the apparently not funny things the contestants say.

The tone is bombastic and deliberately silly which you just have to be in the mood for. They don't waste time though: there's always someone I have heard of in the celebrity line-up and the questions are usually pretty gettable but of course there is so much I don't know!

The random element of the contestants casts a shadow over the show. Maybe they could have a fastest finger type thing?

It gives irritating (and common) possibility of someone raising all the money themselves and then someone else just takes it at the last.

Often they greedily try and double it and I so want to see them lose everything.

Sentimental and low-brow, sometimes that is just what the doctor ordered.

I get a masochistic joy at seeing the remarkable ignorance of celebrities and the general public.