And here is the second part of my brief look at the British Panel Quiz Show, judging each one on the presence (or not) of the luscious, lovely, lively, little and likable Lucy Porter.


The first part of this is located here. The rest are located below.

A Question of Sport:

The most serious member of the list, A Question of Sport is hosted by Sue Barker and currently has Matt Dawson with Phil Tufnell as team captains (previously Ally McCoist captained). It's probably my least favourite of these, in part because I'm not a huge fan and in part because I haven't really found it funny since McCoist left. Still with 38 seasons there's no doubt it's a huge show and a good one. I just find it a little bland these days.

Here's a clip from the 'what happens next' round. As you see it's a lot drier than the rest in this list:


Porter-Factor: As the show uses sports celebrities for it's members Lucy is unlikely to ever come on this show. So, just like Never Mind The Buzzcocks it fails.

They Think It's All Over:

The other sports quiz on this list, the BBC's They Think It's All Over ran until 2005 and was hosted more than ablely by Nick Hancock, unlike A Question of Sport TTIAO mixed in Rory McGrath, Lee Hurst and Jonathan Ross alongside sports personalities which provided a far more entertaining mix.

Perhaps the highlight of each episode was the brilliant 'Feel the Sportsman' where two members of each team blindfolded would attempt to identify a sporting personality by touch alone. Here's one of the classics with 'Jake the Snake'.



Porter-Factor: Of course, the show has ended and Lucy never appeared on it. So sadly the show is lacking in the key omph factor. But it's still great entertainment. Especially when Jonathan Ross is on.


Argumental:

The youngest show on the block Argumental is the pioneer in Dave's attempt to create their own programming and it's not bad at all. Two teams 'debate' over various subjects provided to them, normally one team will take the 'for' argument and the other the 'against', but one round has each competitor debating with themselves, flip-flopping on the subject in time with the buzzer. Regulars Marcus Brigstocke and Rufus Hound compete for the audience's voting approval while John Sergeant oversees the entire thing. I'm get a lot of pleasure from long funny rants (Scrubs, Charlie Brooker) and I'm guilty of quite a few of them myself; as such this show entertains me a lot and I wish it a great deal of success.

The clip this time is a lengthy one with the entire first half of the episode, but the nature of the show is very long sustained rants. There should be some familiar faces here:



Porter-Factor: Argumental had Lucy on this week, making them the current winner in this category and as such the overall winner of this part of the list list (based on my criteria). She was magnetic on it.

Would I Lie to You?

One of the most fun members on this list Would I Lie to You is pretty much as the title suggests. Two teams of celebrities mix lies and truths in an attempt to deceive the other team successfully. It's presented by Angus Deayton and has Lee Mack and the rather brilliant David Mitchell as team captains. Angus is of course a huge part of the draw, he's an experienced host and the irony of his position works rather well here. Still it's Dave Mitchell who's the real talent here, the combination of angry posh schoolboy and educated, insecure cynic which is projects results in many comedic rants and rebuttals.

This clip has one of his best rants about Mike Reid rapping at the Tory party:


And because he's such a star when he's ranting. Here's a bonus clip:


Porter-Factor: No Lucy Porter yet, but she's a prime candidate for an appearance on the show as it's still a rather young show and she'd be ideal for the next series of it.

The Big Fat Quiz of the Year:

Once a year since 2004 we here in Blighty we get The Big Fat Quiz of the Year as hosted by Jimmy Carr. This is a lengthy look back on some of the more entertaining moments of the year in quiz panel format. Unusually for this type of show there are three teams and no true team captains. The show usually contains a mix of presenters, comedians and actors and is often driven by Carr's stylish presentation and Noel Fielding's antics. It only comes once a year but it delivers laughs by the buckets.

I was unable to find the 2008 version of the show except for a US version only (wtf? seriously?) so here's the first part of the 2007 edition:


Porter-Factor: No Lucy Porter yet and with the show running just once a year the odds are long she'll ever be on it. But there's still a possibility.

8 out of 10 cats:

Again hosted by Jimmy Carr 8 out of 10 cats looks at the world of statistics. It's far more entertaining than that dry introduction would suggest, Jimmy has a devilishly deadpan style which makes for a great host (Angus is the same) and a sharp wit. This time the team captains involved are Sean Lock and Jason Manford with the superb Dave Spikey (Phoenix Nights) in the earlier episodes. The teams attempt to identify the correct answers in various public opinion polls, with exceptionally funny results at times. The show also does well in giving it's guest stars a fair share of the screen pie.

Here's a clip from the show about a Dog Psychic, this one still entertains me:


Porter-Factor: Lucy still hasn't made an appearance here, but the show is still young and it's more than suitable for her talents. So maybe she'll turn up soon.

I know that Lucy appeared on "What the Dickens?" back in May of 2008 but as I didn't watch it I can't comment on the show.

So have I missed any of your favourites out? How about similar shows in other countries, I find these a great way to relax, unwind and have a good laugh so I'm always happy to hear about more of them.