Gigglebox Weekly #21

Gigglebox Weekly With Ian Wolf

This week Ian Wolf witnesses a fight and Louie Spence dancing.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks

The 25th series of Never Mind the Buzzcocks contains some new elements from the previous editions: new rounds, new set. But it still sticks with ever-changing hosts.

This week, following his stint on Ask Rhod Gilbert, it was David Hasselhoff’s turn in the hot seat. Guests included Peter Serafinowicz, Louie Spence, and the usual two musical guests than no-one has ever heard of and whose names I can’t remember.

The only contribution these musical guests made that stuck in my mind is that one of them was able to read the answers on Hasselhoff’s question cards (possible flaw with the new set design maybe?). Here we see the key problem with panel games – it relies on the right guests. Yes, they know a lot about music, but you watch the show for the comedy they’re a bit of a waste.

Obviously there are some good moments, whether it is Hasselhoff making fun of himself, the panel making fun of him, or Louie Spence merely doing anything; but Buzzcocks has never been the greatest panel show ever made…

Harry Hill’s TV Burp

This week saw the return of what has been speculated by many to be the final series of TV Burp to be hosted by Harry Hill. My fingers are crossed that isn’t the case.

Hill, after so many years in charge of the show, is still able to find the tiniest aspects of any show and make a joke out of it, keeping it going on and on, forming a centrepiece that you want to return to constantly; whether it be his half-time fights, the “TV Highlight of the Week” or “Poetry Corner”.

In the first episode of this series, the main recurring gag was about a man called Stephen on Channel 4’s Coach Trip, who seemed to be so emotionless that Hill claimed there was another man called Ian trapped inside him. However, my favourite moment in this week’s show was from There’s No Taste Like Home in which Hill was constantly trying to figure out who had really made Nanny Maud’s rabbit pie.

TV Burp is without doubt one of the best shows on ITV. It is the most successful mainstream comedy of modern times – popular with audiences and critics – winning more awards than My Family could ever had dreamt of.

However, would the format survive without Harry Hill? I doubt it.