We Need Answers

After my recent commenting and reading Julia Raeside's rather wonderful Guardian article about it, I felt the need to dedicate a whole post to BBC Four Quiz Show We Need Answers.

Presented by Comedians Mark Watson, Tim Key and Alex Horne, We Need Answers is a comedy quiz based on questions submitted by the general to a text answering service, as Horne explained (with the aid of his trusty Powerpoint presentations) "It's easiest probably if you think of the questions as an enormous herd of chins... we've chosen our favourite chins and we've nurtured the chins - the stubble has grown and the stubble has developed into bea- Questions beards, it's question beards, that's how the show works." No further explanation is needed. That particular quote says a lot about the tone of the show. It's a mix of surreal and whimsical humour but done in an earthy, charming manner that avoids the angular, aggressive style adopted by so many 'comedy' quizzes.

Horne's presentations are a cornerstone of the show, chipping in with amusing idents and providing a generally light-hearted backdrop to the quiz. It is much to the comedian's credit, that he has been able to turn such a banal electronic medium as Powerpoint into such a potent tool for making mirth.

Quizmaster Key is beautifully awkward in his role. A style no doubt familiar to fans of his poems and membership of exciting sketch-troupe Cowards. His delivery is understated and bordering on clumsy (in the best possible way), but mostly very, very funny.

Watson is perhaps the sensible one and keeps watch over proceedings, chipping in with his undeniable wit and generally maintaining order (such as it is).

Each episoded begins with the presto movement of Summer from Vivaldi's Four Seasons and as the baroque strings evoke the thundering of heaven, this most charming of quizzes gets underway. Key introduces the theme - this week "the ancien- the oldest theme, possibly: Poetry... and God... and Politics and Geography". The chemistry between Key and Horne is magical to watch as they huddle in the booth for the opening of the show, Horne playing to the camera and Key's expressive face conveying thoughts of bewilderment. Then the contestants are introduced to the strains of "Let's Meet The Contestants", a song presumably unfamiliar to anyone who has not had the privilege of witnessing the show, but that will have avid viewers singing and dancing as we speak. This is one of a number of recurring musical motifs that include the brilliant 'Sad Question'.

Last night's episode was a cracker. Stoic and humourous Barnsley poet, Ian MacMillan hunched in the stool like Rodin's Thinker, played the game wonderfully, giving the marvellous hosts a dose of their own whimsical medicine. Miranda Hart towered above Edinburgh award-winning Key in a nail-biting physical challenge (working out when a minute has passed, while wearing a bucket on your head) and lost out by only a fraction of a second.

The Quickfire Meltdown Round was introduced as ever by Key, doled up like a genie and riding a carpet instead of his usual leather armchair for no real reason in particular. MacMillan had a stormer to ensure that Hart left in a clunky manner wearing the now infamous 'Clogs of Defeat'. The Barnsley poet went on to face the House Prize Showdown, which again came from Key's house. A pogo stick, not quite as good as last week's 'full set' of Moroccan hats, but a functional and tempting prize nonetheless.

The question, as big as any faced by Kant, Hume or Russell was 'Can horses swim?'. MacMillan paused thoughtfully, the tension was positively palpable, before bellowing a triumphant 'yes'. That brief affirmative sent Horne, Key and Watson into rapture and the studio was infirment, he gave a brief pogo of victory and Hart returned looking suitably disappointed but thoroughly pleased to have appeared on this, most irreverent of quizzes.

For some, the low-budget studio and presentation of the programme has been a stumbling block, but it is positively charming in its austerity and refreshingly modest about its considerable charisma and joyous in its sense of cosy involvement. I cannot recommend it enough. As Hart's fictional mother would say "Such fun!"

The Rigours of Digital Switchover

As mentioned in a previous post, for the last couple of months I have been without my precious terrestrial signal, leaving the Samsung LCD TV in my room little more than a monitor for watching DVDs or virtually winning the league with a team of footballing mercenaries from all corners of the globe. This means that for these last two months, iPlayer has been my God.

I really can't extoll its virtues enough, it is truly a marvellous invention, up there with the combustion engine and the flugelhorn, however it does mean that I do find myself filling my spare hours searching for worthy programming. There are certain limitations, no repeat viewing of MOTD, no Question of Sport full stop (though some would argue that's not a bad thing - I'm not among them) and limited movies (again, not always a bad thing). This provides an even greater challenge of finding programming to accompany my laziness.

I found myself watching BBCThree's Young *insert blue collar profession here* of the Year, hosted by non-thinking person's Vernon Kay, George Lamb. I confess I did not view it for long, but I did realise that it is truly watercooler telly, raising a number of important questions, namely - 'Who he?' 'Why he on telly?' and most importantly 'Oh Christ, where I put the remote?'

I find myself reaching for the excellent and far more cerebral Wallander on BBC Four (several brand new episodes being broadcast before Christmas) a healthy hour and a half of Swedish sleuthing by haggard, stubbly detective, Kurt Wallander (played magnificently by Krister Henriksson) or the equally excellent Sorcerer's Apprentice on CBBC, presented by the coniferous Ortis Deley (who was presenting kid's shows back in my day and remains jovial and proffessional as ever). It's a kid's reality show, but before you reach for Dignitas on the speed-dial, it's actually thoroughly enjoyable and a good deal more charming than its adult counterparts (though a turd in a hat is a good deal more charming than most of the tat regurgitated every year by the reality companies).

The trick is finding the hidden gems (here's looking at you BBC Four) like the brilliant We Need Answers, hosted by comedians Mark Watson, Tim Key and Alex Horne, where two celebrity contestants battle it out over general knowledge, trivia and physical prowess in a number of innovative and most importantly fun rounds. It is a joy to watch and one wonders why it is so hard for more programming to be like this.