Have I Got News For You

'HIGNFY' still ahead of 'Piers Morgan's Life Stories'

Have I Got News For You conquered Piers Morgan's Life Stories for a second week on Friday (April 20) night, early viewing figures indicate.

Now in its 43rd series, amazingly, little has changed since Have I Got News For You was forced to ditch scandal-hit Angus Deayton as host for the successful but problematic "guest host" format. The thinking is that HIGNFY is kept fresh by having different celebs hosting the show every week, Saturday Night Live-style, and that's true to an extent-but it also means you have boring "safe pair of hands" episodes (here Stephen Mangan, usually Alexander Armstrong) more than the truly memorable hosts (like Boris Johnson or Bruce Forsyth). It also irritates me that the show still keeps in the "mistakes" a guest hosts make during the live recording, as if it's still a novelty having a "non-professional" sitting in the hot-seat and a fluffing a line or two. Isn't this the accepted format of the show now? Why are the still showing us what amounts to bloopers in the show itself?

HIGNFY is still incredibly popular and remains an entertaining watch, but I find myself wishing it would be overhauled. Ian Hislop and Paul Merton have been team captains for so long their shtick is fairly predictable, especially in the latter's case with his surreal meanderings. But more worrying than that, if we're honest HIGNFY is a much less perceptive satirical show than its reputation has us believe. If you note the type of jokes that are made off-the-cuff, or the writers have scripted for the guest host to read off the autocue, the majority of them are silly jibes about a particular famous person's public persona or physical looks. (Politician Eric Pickles is a particular target these days, just because he's fat. I guess Pickles is John Prescott's replacement because they've had the ex-Deputy PM on the show and now we know he's actually a straight-thinking and amusing man.)

Obviously not every joke can be a vividly perceptive gem that tackles the hot issues of the day in a fresh way, but I get the feeling that HIGNFY has less and less to say of real merit these days. It's like everyone who appears on it just follows the pattern they've seen play out hundreds of times, afraid or just unable to take the show down a different path. Why not alter some of the rounds, ditch some of the weaker ones, or bring in a few new ideas? For instance, why is there still a "guest publication" in the Missing Words round? Wasn't that a one-series joke that never got retired? Its weekly inclusion just removes the opportunity for a politically-based joke when the missing word has something to do with a niche topic like raisins instead of something topical and of public interest.

It just feels like HIGNFY could do with a facelift, because it's been around for so long that viewers find it comforting (some people have never known a world without HIGNFY, remember!), and treat it with a reverence it perhaps doesn't deserve anymore. It probably helps that there's no admirable challenger out there, with Channel 4's disappointing 10 O'Clock Live and Adrian Chiles' That Sunday Night Show its closest competitors. In comparison to both, HIGNFY remains genius.

Ian Hislop, 'HIGNFY' trumps Piers Morgan in ratings

Have I Got News For You claimed a historic victory over Piers Morgan's Life Stories last night (April 13).

If you were thinking Friday nights had become a little joyless lately, here's good news. The best panel shows around are back to make BBC1's end-of-week comedy desert bloom again.

Unbelievably, this is the 43rd series of Have I Got News for You sifting current events or, put another way, the 364th episode - and so far Ian Hislop hasn't missed one. He'll be renewing hostilities against Paul Merton here, with likeable wit Stephen Mangan in the chair as guest host (coming later in the series: Alastair Campbell!)

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Ian Hislop on comedy, politics and HIGNFY

"Sometimes the ones who are really useless are incredibly funny..."

At the heart of BBC One's returning Friday night comedy block is the 43rd series of Have I Got News for You. Over the last 22 years the current affairs panel show has clocked up some improbable statistics: no fewer than 363 episodes transmitted, with Alexander Armstrong its most frequent guest host after 19 appearances in the chair. Tonight's show will be hosted by Stephen Mangan, alongside veteran team captains Ian Hislop (who has appeared in all 363 editions) and Paul Merton (a relative novice at just 355). Later in the series, we are promised debuts from new hosts such as former government spin doctor Alastair Campbell, as well as returns from motormouth Jeremy Clarkson and Homeland's Damian Lewis.

Alastair Campbell to host Have I Got News For You

The former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell is to make his debut as a host on satirical panel show Have I Got News For You.

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This is one Christmas special from which you can't expect to hear too much goodwill to all men. It may have the jovial Martin Clunes returning for his tenth stint as guest host, but his hearty chuckle will not dull the sharp edge of Ian Hislop's satirical swipes at captains of industry, bankers, the Government, the opposition - anyone he feels he can accuse of hypocrisy basically.

Paul Merton's rants at the absurdities of the lighter side of the news should see Clunes's face crumple into paroxysms of laughter - he's always served as the lighter side to Hislop's more serious tone, but as the series has progressed the steady accumulation of idiocy in the world has proved enough to really get his goat.