I don't remember many other sarky panel shows hosted by a puppet...

(thanks for the set up)

Har har.

Ha!

I don't like "And then you die..." think that puppet really ruins the atmosphere.

I lived in Australia for a year and saw "Thank God You're Here" it was absolutely hilarious. I think there are some bits on YouTube if you look. However becareful of the American version, no way near as good.

I have just half-watched tonight's and it wasn't all bad. Like the earlier episode I saw, I think the performers try hard, but the programme as a whole doesn't really work. I think it might be the audience. It sounds like it's recorded in front of 30 people who didn't want to be there, but with 100 who were half interested it could be a lot funnier.

I also though Rob Rouse was much funnier than I ever thought he could be (my previous experience based on the Friday Night Project and Grown Ups (trailers only for the latter)).

Quote: Charles E. Lawley @ December 18, 2007, 12:16 AM

I lived in Australia for a year and saw "Thank God You're Here" it was absolutely hilarious. I think there are some bits on YouTube if you look. However becareful of the American version, no way near as good.

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I've seen some clips on YouTube - it does look awesome! The good (or bad?) news is that Britain is getting a version of this early next year.

Thank God You're Here will be on ITV1 and fronted by Paul Merton. It'll be interesting to see if it ends up like the Oz version or more like the US version. Hopefully they have managed to get some of Merton's old Whose Line colleagues involved so it's the former, I'll probably be the latter though?

Quote: Badge @ December 18, 2007, 1:23 AM

The programme as a whole doesn't really work. I think it might be the audience. It sounds like it's recorded in front of 30 people who didn't want to be there, but with 100 who were half interested it could be a lot funnier.

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Interesting point - you're right - either that's one very small studio, one very bored audience or some very bad microphones! Whatever the case, it's not a good look (or should that be 'sound'?) for the show.

Quote: Badge @ December 18, 2007, 1:23 AM

I think it might be the audience. It sounds like it's recorded in front of 30 people who didn't want to be there, but with 100 who were half interested it could be a lot funnier.

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When I was there the audience was very small (smaller than The Late Edition, which is pretty small) - I seem to recall they even had to turn people away - and there were lots of stops and starts due to the poor people in the puppet suit needing to breath (who must have been sweating to death by the end of it), its not like shows like 'would I lie to you', which is basically 3 hours of pure comedy.

It didn't help that most of the audience were middle aged women, dotted with a few 16 year olds, and the warm-up guy totally misjudged them going for a more 'adult' routine, which meant by 3 or 4 hours into the show most of them had just decided to ignore him, to the point he'd pretty much given up. A larger audience and better warm-up routine would have received a much better reaction.

Its a bit of a pity as as far as I'm concerned it hasn't cost you anything to get in, so you might as well laugh along and clap (even if it is a little forced). If you can't manage that, and long waits between clips, and laughing at the same joke/scene 8 times in a row, then don't go. Lucky for me, I find the whole process quite interesting, and trying to spot the joins/changes etc. on TV. This is also where shows like 'Not Going Out' come into their own, as the warms ups are constantly really good, as are Tim and Lee, who always come out and sprawl out a load of jokes (Black Beauty - She's a dark horse ), there's always something going on, the mess ups are few and far between, and usually followed by a light hearted joke, and the whole process doesn't 'feel' very long. Anyhoo, I'm starting to ramble, soon I'll be comparing the production styles of NGO and AGY, and why one usually favours to do pick-ups and one re-shoots the whole scene

Oh, and the 'Thank God You're Here' audience was big, and on two levels, and the warm up guy was Andy from 'The Paul O'Grady Show'.

Quote: charlier @ December 18, 2007, 2:46 AM

Anyhoo, I'm starting to ramble, soon I'll be comparing the production styles of NGO and AGY, and why one usually favours to do pick-ups and one re-shoots the whole scene

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Ugh, don't remind me.

Please people, for the sanity of the audience, do pickups WHEREVER and WHENEVER possible.