I think the show on Friday confirmed that Alexander Armstrong should do it permanantly. He is competent enough to read the autocue and set up the jokes but funny enough to be able to ad lib.

Quote: SillyBry @ May 24 2009, 9:00 AM BST

I saw this week's episode being filmed and it was fantastic.

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So you weren't the person standing up during the credits roll and causing the re-start then. What a berk. ha ha.

I'm definitely coming around to the idea of having Alexander Armstrong as the full-time host now. The novelty of guest hosts is starting to wear off. As you say, when it's a bad host, it's a really poor episode. Could do without that inconsistency.

Actually, thinking about it, Angus Deayton is no longer in the news any more... so the "you're in the public eye too much" excuse they used to fire him no longer counts and he could, in theory, be restored as host? But of course that'll never happen for multiple reasons, including that Paul has pretty much admitted he really didn't get on with Angus.

No I wasn't the idiot who stood up in the credits!!! He stood there for ages - they edited it down for the TV and then they focused all the cameras on him and were making jokes about it as they were deciding whether to reshoot the credits or not and he looked so angry and mortified that they were laughing at him! Well what did he expect?! And why did noone around him tell him to sit down? Everyone was laughing and pointing at him! But hats off to him, it did give us the chance to see Paul doing a backwards roly poly!
I think it would be too backwards looking to reinstate Angus, but I would enjoy the consistency of a good host all the time. There are a lot of guests that I think are very good guests, but not good hosts - like Frank Skinner - I love him as a guest, but he wasn't such a good host. Also, because Alexander hosts it quite a lot, they have good quite a nice relationship with him - there is quite a bit of banter.

Quote: Spagett @ May 24 2009, 2:21 PM BST

I think the show on Friday confirmed that Alexander Armstrong should do it permanantly. He is competent enough to read the autocue and set up the jokes but funny enough to be able to ad lib.

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He is good, but I'm sure his ears are growing. You don't notice it when he's in other things, but sitting there, head on at the camera, they are quite distracting...

Although not as disctracting as Jonathan Ross' forefingers - they are unnerving when they are on the desk as he introduces his guests.

That's weird you should say that, my mum said exactly the same thing!! She watched the show and asked me if his ears had always been "Martin Clunes-esque"?!

Has anyone else found HIGNFY rather plodding along this year? Part of the problem for me is that they can't/won't get on many politicians or other controversial figures anymore. During the last couple of weeks with all the political furore, you need figures like Charles Kennedy, Boris, Bob Marshall-Andrews, Anne Widdecombe, Ken Livingstons, heavyweight journalists etc. Probably most run scared of the "curse" of HIGNFY thesedays, but the show lacks the punch because of it.

Paul Merton & Ian Hislop (in their own different ways) are on best form when there is a heavyweight on the show. (Despite the denial, this was also one of the reasons Deayton was such a great anchor, he was there as part of the agenda, not just to make jokes. I feel the guest presenter thing has run its course and having someone host for at least one year would be an improvement.)

"Are Muslims allowed piggy banks?" Hehe. Good ol' Lee Mac.

I asked the same question in work a few weeks ago. Damn you Lee Mack!

Actually it was the swine flu one, I'm not quite awake yet.

HIGNFY is like being in a long term relationship when the sexual spark has gone but you still feel the need to 'do it' every Friday night because it's part of the routine and though enjoyable, it's nowhere near as good or exciting or fun as during the early days.

To keep the relationship metaphor going, the guest hosts are brought in to spice up the proceedings, but they're strangers, so it can feel very awkward and embarrassing at times.

But what are you going to do? You cheated on HIGNFY with Mock the Week and 8 Out of 10 Cats and how did you feel afterwards? Cheap and empty. That's why I've left HIGNFY for the younger, funnier and much more attractive Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

I still see HIGNFY every now and then, but despite the comfort of familiarity, the magic is gone.

Part of the problem is that Ian Hislop and Paul Merton now seem to be "resting on their oars", it's not a challenge anymore. Frankly a lot of stuff that they get a laugh from the audience about is predictable and not very funny. They dominate the show in a different way to how they used to. Hislop's incisiveness and Merton's surreal departures always worked best when they were reacting to Deayton or the guests. Now they have to manufacture their own set-ups too often and it's simply not as good. I'm by no means suggesting it has run its course, because you still get laughs from it. (Though I think you can get as many, if not more on radio's The News Quiz.) But the anticipation of tuning into HIGNFY has gone for me. It used to feel like an event, especially at times of political crisis. Now it's something that I don't regret missing, which is a shame.

Quote: Griff @ June 13 2009, 12:21 PM BST

someone ought to lift the burden from his shoulders and let him go and make more documentaries about Laurel and Hardy.

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I'd (sadly) have to agree that this series has seemed a little 'flat'. Which is particularly surprising considering the MP Expenses stories should have been potential HIGNFY comedy gold handed on a plate. The News Quiz has nailed the subject much better.

I think I agree with Tim, the fault is probably down to a combination of poor guest booking (the best guest of the series potentially being Alan Duncan maybe, because he walked into their firing line? He was the only controversial one I'd say), and Ian and Paul... because they're either getting a bit lazy or they're bit over-tired at the moment and so going back to what they do best.

Disclaimer: it's still far from bad though, Lee Mack and Shappi Khorsandi made me laugh last night.

I think that the series has really suffered from a lack of proper/heavyweight guests. I think that the show is good because they do get politicians and journalists on, but I think the politicians are too scared in the middle of this scandal!
I still prefer the show to Mock the Week - I don't like watching guests being scratched and trampled by the regulars if they dare to speak or take the limelight away from them.
I find it a bit weird with Paul Merton. Seeing him perform with the Players - he's so cheerful, he laughs along at everything and makes jokes with/about everyone. But on HIGNFY, his role is to be deadpan, which often makes it appear like he's not interested. I don't think that's the case, he just gives his guest a chance to speak and make jokes. I think he's funniest when reacting to what everyone else has said and not actually commenting on the news. I was disappointed by the episode hosted by Jack Dee this series, pleasantly surprised by Ruth Jones' episode and really really enjoyed Alexander Armstrong's. David Mitchell is a very good host as well.
Damien Lewis was good, but I thought Chris Addison was unusually quiet. Rolf was very funny in the same way that Bruce Forsyth was!
I've yet to watch this weeks.
I think another problem with this series is that the news has actually been the same in every episode - there are only so many greedy MP stories they can do!

Apparently, Angus Deayton is returning for a one-off edition to mark the show's 20th anniversary:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a172241/deayton-to-return-for-hignfy-milestone.html

Cool, thanks.