Press clippings Page 3

Former Phoenix Nights star and comedian Paddy McGuinness hosts the last in the series of the entertainment panel show in his usual holiday-rep style. Treading ground previously pioneered by our TV critic Clive James and Chris Tarrant in the Eighties and Nineties, the quiz focuses on wacky news stories and video clips from around the world. Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) and Rufus Hound (Celebrity Juice) head up two celebrity teams. Their guests this week are David Hasselhoff, Louie Spence and Coleen Nolan.

Toby Dantzic, The Telegraph, 10th August 2012

The 25th series of Never Mind the Buzzcocks contains some new elements from the previous editions: new rounds, new set. But it still sticks with ever-changing hosts.

This week, following his stint on Ask Rhod Gilbert, it was David Hasselhoff's turn in the hot seat. Guests included Peter Serafinowicz, Louie Spence, and the usual two musical guests than no-one has ever heard of and whose names I can't remember.

The only contribution these musical guests made that stuck in my mind is that one of them was able to read the answers on Hasselhoff's question cards (possible flaw with the new set design maybe?). Here we see the key problem with panel games - it relies on the right guests. Yes, they know a lot about music, but you watch the show for the comedy they're a bit of a waste.

Obviously there are some good moments, whether it is Hasselhoff making fun of himself, the panel making fun of him, or Louie Spence merely doing anything; but Buzzcocks has never been the greatest panel show ever made...

Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 10th October 2011

It's been with us some 15 years now, and, in the wake of Have I Got News For You, has reached that stage of its maturity where it has guest hosts. This week it's David Hasselhoff, whose career of affectionately parodying his Hasselhoff persona has outlasted his earlier, un-ironic one. Regular team captains Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding are on hand, joined by Pineapple Dance Studios star Louie Spence, Amelle Berrabah of Sugababes and the ever-reliable Peter Serafinowicz.

David Stubbs, The Guardian, 3rd October 2011

Never let it be said that David Hasselhoff can't take a joke, so prepare for some ill-advised gyrating as he takes the helm for the start of the surreal music quiz's 25th series.

Adding to a very animated atmosphere is the never-knowingly-understated Louis Spence, Sugababe Amelle Berrabah, ­Twitter's pre-eminent off-the-cuff comedian Peter Serafinowicz and singer Loick Essien.

To mark the show's silver jubilee, there have been a few face-lifts to bring the show bang up to date: there's a slick new desk, a shiny new logo and even some surprising tweaks to the final round.

What's not changed, of course, is the top notch banter between rival captains Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding, who treat this quiz with the ­seriousness it deserves.

Jane Simon, The Mirror, 3rd October 2011

The music quiz returns for a 25th series with an unsafe pair of hands at the tiller: fresh from baffling the nation as a judge on Britain's Got Talent, David Hasselhoff is your host. Bracing themselves to laugh uncomfortably as the Hoff delivers jokes he doesn't get to a spot six inches to the right of the camera are regular captains Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding.

Among tonight's guests are replacement Sugababe Amelle Berrabah, chronic jazz-hander Louie Spence and comedian Peter Serafinowicz.

Jack Seale, Radio Times, 3rd October 2011

Continuing their trend of rotating hosts, the music panel show is back for a staggering 25th series with cheesy David Hasselhoff taking the chair. Regular team captains Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding return. This week's guests include Amelle Berrabah, from troubled pop trio Sugababes, cutting comedian and actor Peter Serafinowicz, and impish reality star Louie Spence, whose manic campery should guarantee maximum mayhem.

Toby Dantzic, The Telegraph, 30th September 2011

This week saw the return of Rhod Gilbert's panel show in which he, his two regulars (Greg Davies and Lloyd Langford) and a selection of celebrity guests attempt to answer all manner of odd questions.

This week's guests included Phill Jupitus (good comedian) and Kimberly Wyatt (not sure who she is). There was also David Hasselhoff in the role of the "Authenticator", making sure everything discussed was correct and providing extra information. I suppose it is a suitable title as you can't really call him an "Expert", unless you want to know how to make rubbish TV programmes and make it big in the German music charts.

Ask Rhod Gilbert mixes obscure knowledge and debate with very cheap laughs. In the first edition of the new series we learnt that a dog is as clever as a two-year-old, how many words we use on average in a lifetime, and that it was Hugh Heffner who brought Pamela Anderson into Baywatch (I think we can skip past that last one).

However, we also experience the traditional end-of-show humiliation in which Langford always gets mocked in some stupid way. In this week's edition it was to see which was the most dangerous foodstuff, which was tested by firing different items of food at him. This included water balloons filled with gravy and a gun firing 99 ice creams at him.

One issue I have with this show is that Gilbert announces who has won each round, despite the fact that there is no winner. Now, obviously there are some panel shows in which the scoring is irrelevant like I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, but it's not as if there is any "competitive element" in it like ISIHAC has, so why have winners in the first place?

Ask Rhod Gilbert does have some laughs, but it's not the most brilliant show by any stretch of the imagination.

Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 26th September 2011

David Hasselhoff wields milk gun on Ask Rhod Gilbert

David Hasselhoff goes from Baywatch to spray-watch as he fires a milk gun at a human target.

The Sun, 21st September 2011

Alan Carr returned tonight with a new series of Chatty Man and a plethora of half-decent guests, including David Hasselhoff, Colin Farrell and Cee Lo Green.

It would be all to easy to compare his talk show to Graham Norton's Friday-night programme and indeed, it would also be unfair to do so, because Alan Carr's efforts amount to nothing more than a pale imitation of Norton's show.

Without the celebratory atmosphere of a primetime weekend slot, Chatty Man felt listless and tired, which is never a good sign for a series-opener. As Carr limped through a weak preamble full of forgettable gags, he appeared to be lagging before the show had even started.

His first guest was David Hasselhoff, whose main purpose seemed to be providing a variety of Hoff-based puns (most notably, 'f*** hoff' and 'six-and-a-hoff') but who struggled to command the full attention of both the audience and Carr himself.

In fact, the host appeared slightly distracted throughout the programme and as the endless stream of guests flowed on, his focus waned and he seemed to be listening to them less and less.

Carr is an amiable little chap, but given that he's suppose to be a comedian, his jokes were far too thin on the ground. When the cast of The Inbetweeners discussed their show's success, they outshone him to a considerable extent.

The boys were witty and charming, but they pretty much led their own interview, a large portion of which centred on the burgeoning career of Joe Thomas' left testicle.

Unless Chatty Man can pull in more guests like them, this series is going to be a disappointing one.

Rachel Tarley, Metro, 14th December 2010

The camp comedian may be an acquired taste for many, but his chat show has now reached its fifth series. Joining him for an all-male natter this evening are David Hasselhoff (plugging his panto Peter Pan), the cast of The Inbetweeners and actors Colin Farrell and Jim Sturgess (plugging their new film The Way Back). Expect plenty of leering from Carr. Cee Lo Green also performs his new single.

Catherine Gee, The Telegraph, 10th December 2010

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