Zoe Salmon

Press clippings

Fresh from Sellotaping fruit to Big Brother contestants' faces, Lee Kern turns his attentions to the subject of travel and adventure in his celeb-pranking show. His innocent face and deadpan attitude serves him well as he preys on his unsuspecting victims. This week, Lee poses as the world's only blind racing driver, persuades hapless boybander Andy Scott-Lee to break the news that scientists have found the iceberg that hit the Titanic and convinces Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon that she's presenting a show to be shown on plasma screens in the South Pole.

Hannah Verdier, The Guardian, 14th August 2012

The latest offering by Dave is the new quiz hosted by The Pub Landlord, Al Murray, in which contestants fight it out to win the grand prize of a frozen chicken. The big question is, is this show a turkey?

It started off well enough, with Murray interacting with his audience like he does in his normal stand-up act, picking on individual people. However, it went a bit downhill when he introduced the "Celebrity" Top Table, which consisted of comedian Olivia Lee, footballer Peter Shilton, and Dominic Littlewood who... does whatever he does.

Also there are Murray's assistants. One is Mr. Giblets, who is a man dressed up as a frozen chicken, who is no doubt glad his face is covered to save him the humiliation of people recognising him in the street. There is also Zoe Salmon, who I have never heard of before and I will probably never hear of again outside of the context of this programme.

With regards to the quiz itself, there were some fun categories (e.g., "Salt", "Body Matters", "Moustaches") and featured questions like "which of three members of the audience carried the most change", and "how many pickled eggs were there in a jar that Frank Skinner was holding". There was also the physical "Last Chance Saloon" challenge which featured contestants playing shuffleboard using various items of pub grub.

While there are good moments this show is mostly just OK. What we want from a show with Al Murray is him to do his stand-up in character. While we get some of that, it isn't enough. Why does there have to be a quiz? Can we not just have a show in which Al Murray just does his stand-up please?

On one final note, a bit of advice for Murray - don't end the show by singing "Eye of the Tiger", it just sounds naff.

Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 23rd May 2011

Al Murray returns in his Pub Landlord guise for this pub quiz-themed comedy gameshow in which contestants compete to win a frozen chicken. He's assisted by former Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon and a man in a giant frozen chicken costume called Mr Giblets. Those who score the fewest points in a round are branded "thick and slow" and sent to the "sin bin". Having an hour to fill, Murray spends ages bantering with Salmon, the crowd, the contestants and the celebrities at the "top table" (ex-footballer Peter Shilton, and TV stars Olivia Lee and Dominic Littlewood) before actually asking any quiz questions. It's all very silly and not remotely challenging but will no doubt entertain pub quiz fans after a couple of pints.

Catherine Gee, The Telegraph, 18th May 2011

This series of the madcap quiz show may not have struck the same irreverent chords as it did in its Nineties heyday, but it's been entertaining all the same. Concluding the current run, this episode sees The Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding, DJ Tony Blackburn and presenter Zoe Salmon join team captains Jack Dee and Ulrika Jonsson and regular guest Angelos Epithemiou - the curmudgeonly alter-ego of comedian Dan Skinner - for more surreal tomfoolery.

Patrick Smith, The Telegraph, 30th September 2009

It's getting to the end of the series for this CBBC sitcom. While the writing is a bit simplistic and the unnecessary laugh track is far too intrusive, this comedy in which Dani Harmer plays a teenage actress is far superior to After You've Gone, the primetime sitcom in which she also stars. In this week's episode, Dani has to get ready for her first awards ceremony, while her old acting class friend, Mo White, returns from the United States a superstar. While you may wonder why former Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon has been cast as a famous actress, bear in mind this is the same BBC that confuses Nicholas Lyndhurst with a talented sitcom performer.

Scott Matthewman, The Stage, 5th December 2008

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