This has “suck” written all over it. According to our sister site at Game Show NewsNet, the US import of the UK hit Have I Got News For You is on its way. It’ll be taping a pilot in New York City on November 20th, so click here if you want tickets. It’s hosted by “comedian” and Air America “personality” Sam Sedar. The two team captains are Greg Giraldo and Michael Ian Black. Why do I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing basically a crappier version of the old Comedy Central debate show Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn coming?
If we also remember back eons ago when this was first announced NBC wants to glitz the show up to make it more like a primetime event. I repeat my original statements: how the hell do you glitz up a comedy panel quiz? It’s like trying to shove huge scary lighting, dramatic music, and big cash prizes onto something like Meet the Press. I just see this ending up as a colossal mistake and mess because of where it’s headed and the way it’s being treated. I hope I’m proven wrong, though.
Here’s a bit of the UK original. With the network that handled Deal or No Deal with such delicate care, I sure trust them with this. Oh wait, I learned sarcasm!
25 Responses
OK… so NBC, which has SNL's "Weekend Update" (a satirical look at the week's news), is doing a pilot for HIGNFY (a satirical look at the week's news).
Of course, when NBC finally cancels the Jay Leno show, it will need a lot of new programming in a hurry… :)
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 3:41 am
Michael Ian Black is great. I wish it were on Comedy Central, though. Maybe the hour on Fridays when there's no new Daily Show/Colbert Report?
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 3:40 am
Michael Ian Black is great. I wish it were on Comedy Central, though. Maybe the hour on Fridays when there's no new Daily Show/Colbert Report?
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 3:40 am
Michael Ian Black is great. I wish it were on Comedy Central, though. Maybe the hour on Fridays when there's no new Daily Show/Colbert Report?
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 3:40 am
OK… so NBC, which has SNL's "Weekend Update" (a satirical look at the week's news), is doing a pilot for HIGNFY (a satirical look at the week's news).
Of course, when NBC finally cancels the Jay Leno show, it will need a lot of new programming in a hurry… :)
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 3:41 am
OK… so NBC, which has SNL's "Weekend Update" (a satirical look at the week's news), is doing a pilot for HIGNFY (a satirical look at the week's news).
Of course, when NBC finally cancels the Jay Leno show, it will need a lot of new programming in a hurry… :)
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 3:41 am
…Oh. Well, another possibility is that the American "Have I Got News For You" is actually an adaptation of the 1998-1999 BBC2 programme "If I Ruled The World", presented by fresh-off-of-"Whose Line?" Clive Anderson.
The series was AWESOME — here's the first part of Episode #1×01.
[youtube 12zVw08qpOw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12zVw08qpOw youtube]
And if that proves to be the case, this show might have a shot. But then again, this *is* the network that spoiled the heck out of "Deal Or No Deal" and totally ruined the only $1,000,000 win on "1 vs. 100"……….
So, yeah, I've got next to no hope for this show…but it could be a dark horse.
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 4:16 am
…Oh. Well, another possibility is that the American "Have I Got News For You" is actually an adaptation of the 1998-1999 BBC2 programme "If I Ruled The World", presented by fresh-off-of-"Whose Line?" Clive Anderson.
The series was AWESOME — here's the first part of Episode #1×01.
[youtube 12zVw08qpOw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12zVw08qpOw youtube]
And if that proves to be the case, this show might have a shot. But then again, this *is* the network that spoiled the heck out of "Deal Or No Deal" and totally ruined the only $1,000,000 win on "1 vs. 100"……….
So, yeah, I've got next to no hope for this show…but it could be a dark horse.
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 4:16 am
Didn't PBS do a show like this in 1978 called "We Interrupt This Week?"
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Makes me wonder what ever happened to the proposed pilot for a TV version of "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me." I'm not that convinced that it would translate to video all that well, but the NPR version is a riot.
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Makes me wonder what ever happened to the proposed pilot for a TV version of "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me." I'm not that convinced that it would translate to video all that well, but the NPR version is a riot.
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I believe CBS did film a pilot for "Wait Wait" but passed on it. However, if NBC green lights this show and it turns out to be at least a modest hit, I could see CBS bringing "Wait Wait" out of mothballs and giving it another try.
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Didn't PBS do a show like this in 1978 called "We Interrupt This Week?"
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Didn't PBS do a show like this in 1978 called "We Interrupt This Week?"
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Yes, they did. From what I can tell, it ran from October 6 to December 29, 1978 and again from February 2 to March 2, 1979 (according to the Wikipedia article on Deke Arlon, who co-produced the series, it ran for 26 weeks).
The creator and host was Ned Sherrin, who also created "That Was The Week That Was" in 1962 and "Up Pompeii!" in 1969 and was the other co-producer of "Interrupt". The series was a production of Cadogan Productions/WNET Television.
Sherrin died from complications regarding throat cancer on October 1, 2007.
(On a side note, "That Was The Week That Was" came to NBC from January 10, 1964 to May 1965 following an aired pilot on November 10, 1963. It had a lot of good stars of the era {including Alan Alda}, and was hosted by Henry Morgan.)
Posted on November 13th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
If you jazzed up MEET THE PRESS with dramatic music, scary lighting ( and maybe a set that looked a little like the inside of a strip joint), and a jackpot of cash/prizes, and an announcer who introduces the show like this:
"From Washington, where the pundits and the politicians match wits for cash and prizes, it's time to…
…BEAT THE PRESS!!!
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 4:33 am
If you jazzed up MEET THE PRESS with dramatic music, scary lighting ( and maybe a set that looked a little like the inside of a strip joint), and a jackpot of cash/prizes, and an announcer who introduces the show like this:
"From Washington, where the pundits and the politicians match wits for cash and prizes, it's time to…
…BEAT THE PRESS!!!
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 4:33 am
If you jazzed up MEET THE PRESS with dramatic music, scary lighting ( and maybe a set that looked a little like the inside of a strip joint), and a jackpot of cash/prizes, and an announcer who introduces the show like this:
"From Washington, where the pundits and the politicians match wits for cash and prizes, it's time to…
…BEAT THE PRESS!!!
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 4:33 am
Unless Jay gets XFL numbers, he ain't going any time soon.
I agree with an earlier post, it should be on Comedy Central, if for no other reason, they'll get a phethora of comics that the American WLIIA? didn't get for some reason.
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Unless Jay gets XFL numbers, he ain't going any time soon.
I agree with an earlier post, it should be on Comedy Central, if for no other reason, they'll get a phethora of comics that the American WLIIA? didn't get for some reason.
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Unless Jay gets XFL numbers, he ain't going any time soon.
I agree with an earlier post, it should be on Comedy Central, if for no other reason, they'll get a phethora of comics that the American WLIIA? didn't get for some reason.
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Why couldn't they just listen to us and had like Stephen Colbert host the show and have it be a comedy show like they treated Whose Line?
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Why couldn't they just listen to us and had like Stephen Colbert host the show and have it be a comedy show like they treated Whose Line?
Posted on November 16th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Hello! Didn't NBC try – and fail – with "Thank God You're Here", another British import?
If they want to do a news quiz, they should revive PBS's "We Interrupt This Week", a delightful three-vs.-three panel game hosted by the acerbic British host, Ned Sherrin. I just don't think NBC's audiences would appreciate the wit of such a program, unfortunately.
Posted on November 20th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
[...] host Sam Sedar and features Greg Giraldo and Michael Ian Black as the regular team panelists. Buzzerblog doesn’t seem to have much confidence in the show being good, but Giraldo and Black and the [...]
Posted on November 25th, 2009 at 2:03 am
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