It was nowhere near as awful as I thought it would be. Bits of it even made me laugh.

These 'panel' shows only work when you have some fresh guests on there, if it wasn't for Fern, then there would have been no springboard for the comedy. Just three blokes doing their routines, many of the jokes lifted from their current comedy tours / radio shows / television series.

If I tune in next week and it's Frank Skinner talking to Jo Brand, Alan Davies and Sean Lock - then it might as well be everything else on the telly. Which is what Danny Baker was hopefully alluding too.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ January 21 2012, 3:01 PM GMT

If I tune in next week and it's Frank Skinner talking to Jo Brand, Alan Davies and Sean Lock - then it might as well be everything else on the telly. Which is what Danny Baker was hopefully alluding too.

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It's not that sort of panel next week, but it's got Sarah Millican so it does feature someone who has been on just about every other panel show.

Judging by the clips, it feels more like Charlie Brooker's You Have Been Watching, more than anything else.

Quote: Joey Moose @ January 21 2012, 3:44 PM GMT

Judging by the clips, it feels more like Charlie Brooker's You Have Been Watching, more than anything else.

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I'm not sure, after all You Have Been Watching is a quiz.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ January 21 2012, 3:01 PM GMT

if it wasn't for Fern, then there would have been no springboard for the comedy.

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Fern is not exactly a panel game novice, and if you look at the guest list for the coming weeks there are a lot of over-familiar faces. Even the non-comedians such as Chris Packham and Nick Hewer are becoming panel game regulars.

I enjoyed this, although as has been said it doesn't really bare more than a passing resemblance to Room 101. Don't know why but it reminded me of Genius.

Quote: Timbo @ January 21 2012, 4:17 PM GMT

Even the non-comedians such as Chris Packham and Nick Hewer are becoming panel game regulars.

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And bloody Jamelia. She's on EVERY panel game.

(She's alright though.)

Quote: Timbo @ January 21 2012, 4:17 PM GMT

Fern is not exactly a panel game novice

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She's also been on Room 101 before, when she was interviewed by Merton.

Quote: don rushmore @ January 21 2012, 4:30 PM GMT

She's also been on Room 101 before, when she was interviewed by Merton.

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Here's the guide to her episode: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/room_101/episodes/9/6/

Also, here's Danny Baker guide, who appeared in the very first series: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/room_101/episodes/1/8/

Watching this show felt a lot like watching The Bubble (the David Mitchell show) from a year or two ago. Perfectly amiable viewing but instantly forgettable.

I think that it would have worked better if they had brought Skinner in to host a show which had the same format bas the original. His appearance on Room 101 when Nick Hancock was still host was one of the best things that he has done and watching him talk to only 1 person would have worked better imo.

Aw, I miss The Bubble.

It doesn't feel personal any more, did they worry having one person wouldn't keep the interest of today's audience?

There are already panel shows with 3 or 4 people discussing stuff, having this show return with just 1 person in the chair would now be considered different.

Quote: jhmagic1 @ January 22 2012, 4:17 PM GMT

It doesn't feel personal any more

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Yes that's it - because the panellists are given the topics a lot of it feels like trite opinions to order, rather than stuff that has been bugging people for years.

The Russell Crowe finale is a worthy entry, but not very strong nominations on the whole. Especially as Danny Baker previously did one of the best ever Room 101s (Casualty and the Robert Redford lookalike).

Quote: jhmagic1 @ January 22 2012, 4:17 PM GMT

There are already panel shows with 3 or 4 people discussing stuff, having this show return with just 1 person in the chair would now be considered different.

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With the possible exception of Robert Webb being now old enough to be going bald, the whole thing stank of 1996. Skinner (b. 1957) fresh from "Three Lions", Britten (b. 1957) in her "Ready Steady Cook" pomp, Danny Baker (b. 1957) still on Radio 1. Robert Webb (b. 1972) adds a flash of youth, but the rest of the programme, in terms of attitudes, jokes, cast and shockingly choppy editing could be fifteen years old.

The format is now essentially a chat show with delusions of significance, with four people who make their living as TV presenters swapping a mixture of TV presenter anecdotes, taxi-driver rants and school-gate mumsy whining. How exciting.