The British are Better Than Us: “Only Connect” Series Four
The fourth series of a show which deserves more praise than I can give it, Only Connect began this week. The show puts a team’s lateral thinking skills to the test, making them connect up to four seemingly different items. Why does it deserve so much praise? We’re being pelted with shows with Deal or No Deal-level intelligence, but a show like this can come out and still do well. It’s the smartest show on the planet, bar none, and proves that people still do want to see hard quiz shows that make you want to think, not just gamble cash.
Another reason I love it is how sarcastic it is, and most of that is due to the great hostess Victoria Coren. The show knows how smart, elite, and intelligent it is, and it flaunts it while poking fun at it at the same time. It works well and it’s a fantastic contrast. For instance, watch the first part of the first episode of this series and see what I’m talking about. Previously people had to choose between Greek letters to determine what question they’d get. They changed it this season, and the results are very funny. Take a look. What do you think of the show?
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Greek letters Out, (watch the clip) In. “Be careful what you wish for.” Brilliant. BBC America, live up to your name and bring this one over.
Bring this to America. maybe create a kids edition.
Eggheads would also be a good show for the U.S.
BTW, victoria has been a guest on a newish comedy panel show “You Have Been Watching” hosted by the amazing Charlie Brooker, that has them chatting about and poking fun at tv trends of the week and of the past (much like his series screenwipe). Also she’s been on his radio 4 channel “So wrong it’s right” or something similarly titled, where the panel tries to come up with the worst possible thing in a given scenario. Basically an excuse for Charlie Brooker to get angry about/at things, which is always hilarious :)
Genius! Sadly, that means it’ll never hit American shores.
New symbols pretentious? Perish the thought! (Sarcasm!)
I wish there were a way to pitch this to a couple of carefully-selected PBS stations as a co-production (I’m thinking WGBH/Boston and WTTW/Chicago for the Hahvahd and Northwestern connections)… this could be produced for next-to-nothing other than a studio and a host… you could make a contest out of question-writing.
Even better would be if it could be paired with an American QI… :)
I’d love to see this in a block with “Countdown” on PBS. Hey, a (smart) guy can dream, can’t he?
Countdown and Only Connect in one hour? I’m all for that. Would you rather have that or Price is Right?
And Aaron Bell, is he not the 2009 Krypton Factor Champion?
Yes, Aaron was 2009 Krypton Factor Champion. He was also on Deal or No Deal in the very early days (as well as being a University Challene Finalist, like David Brewis on the same team).
Only Connect is relatively unusual in not caring particularly about the quiz show history of contestants (they can’t be too picky otherwise they wouldn’t get the really good people going on).
I almost had a spit take with my congac……
Pure brilliance!
“Only Connect”, “Countdown”, “Eggheads”, “QI”–why not go for the full monty and throw in “Mastermind:”, while you’re at it?
Unfortunately, the folks who program for the intellectual crowd think of game shows as being uncouth, and fit only for those who like screaming audiences, screaming contestants, and a limited intellectual challenge.
And that is too bad! But it is in line with the anti-intellectual traditions that flourish so well here in the USA.
Even the good old “College Bowl” would not have lasted more than a season without boo koo funding from General Electric, which got much prestige from that program.
How insulting to think the set that’s smart can’t appreciate a good quizzer.
It’s not that the intellectual audience cannot appreciate a good, brainy game show. The problem lies with the programmers at PBS, Bravo and other networks and cable channels that aim at the intellectuals.
They give every appearance of having their mindsets permanently on “snob”. Anything resembling a game show would be seen as beneath the white-wine-and-brie crowd that these programmers seek.
As a teetotaling vegan, I neither desire white wine or brie. I do know that when PBS aired Think Twice in 1994 they took a lot of flak for it, as indicated here:
http://articles.latimes.com/1994-10-10/entertainment/ca-48717_1_quiz-show
Eh. It still looks like cable-access expert-level Team Pyramid to me. It’s as inaccessible and pretentious as ever and proud of it. The play along is still just barely there, drowning in the difficulty level. The fourth one was the only one I even bothered trying.
I agree with Rob…. these more “highbrow” UK game show formats (Only Connect, Pointless, etc) should try to aim for PBS in the US. If PBS could be convinced to do a few game shows, they might do decently well. And good game show formats seem like they would be really good things for pledge drives (ie, you could get tickets to a taping for a large donation, or even maybe preferred interview status to get on the show for a certain donation level).
The prize levels on a PBS game show would certainly not be on the level of a broadcast show, but, I don’t see the purposes of these shows to be like WWTBAM or DOND anyway, with huge end prizes…. the game ITSELF is the draw to fans, not any drama about a big “prize”. Much like I don’t think Jeopardy would do that much worse if the question values were much less…. the trivia is the draw, not the fact that questions are worth $2,000.
It’ll be years, if not decades, before a smart show like this hits the States. And if it does, it won’t be on broadcast TV. Cable would have to run something like this, and I don’t mean GSN.
@DaveC: PBS actually had a delightful, high-minded game show back in the 70′s called “We Interrupt This Week”. Hosted by the acerbic Brit Ned Sherrin, this show was a current events quiz loaded with comedy, satire, and smart-ass comments from two teams of six journalists and columnists. The show was taped at WNET-TV New York. I would love to see this show come back. NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!” could also work, with the right host and panelists.
I agree. PBS also had the Carmen Sandiego games, plus two adult game shows, “Top of the World,” where the United States competed against Britain and Australia through a live broadcast, and “Think Twice,” where players answered questions, improvised stories to hide clue words, and tried to identify items on lists.
I beat the contestants on the third question! I think I can die happy now…
I have to say that this is an excellent show, though some of the connections were a bit tricky for me but is is good none the less. Hopefully BBC America can get the episodes to air here in the states.
LOL! Egyptian hieroglyphs! Awesome!
Victoria Coren was European poker champion a couple of years ago.