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99p Challenge - Tickets for New Series Available

Started by 12 years, 11 months old, June 03, 2004, 04:55:04 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets/shows/99challenge.shtml

QuoteThe 99p Challenge
Like a Radio 4 panel game, only better. Back for a triumphant new
series, The 99p Challenge returns for three dates only with host Sue
Perkins, its lovely regular Armando Iannucci and some very special
guests...

Friday 18 June - Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead, World of Pub,
Black Books and Spaced)
Friday 2 July - Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead,
Black Books and Spaced) and Marcus Brigstocke (The Now Show and We Are
History)
Friday 9 July - Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Black Books and
Spaced) and Peter Baynham (Saturday Night Armistice and Brass Eye)

Studio doors open: 7.15pm
Venue: The Drill Hall, 16 Chenies Street, London W1
Minimum age: Those under the age of 14 will not be admitted.

To apply for tickets for either show, please call us on 020 8576 1227.
Alternatively you can email us at: radio.ticket.unit@bbc.co.uk - please
include your name, address, daytime telephone number, preferred date and
the number of tickets required. Please type 99p Challenge' in the
subject heading of your email.

Far too London for me, but if anyone from here goes do keep us informed.

benthalo

Roll up, roll up... spend an unbearable length of time in front of Nick Frost pulling that face. Warning - they'll record two, and you'll wish you'd stayed in the bar after the first one.

Darrell

Peter Serafinowicz is rubbish in an improvised environment. Ditto Bill Bailey.

This will probably be the worst series yet. I only really have time for the first series, the only good bits in the second are Baynham going off on one, and after that it's Dredge County.

Fishbulb

I've wondered about this for a while- is this show totally improvised? The end credits do list Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley as "writers"- do they just write the rubbish introductions/ links that Sue Perkins reads, or are they responsible for writing some of the jokes too? Some of the responses seem a little bit too "polished" to be improvised- leading me to believe the contestants at least know beforehand the topics that they're going to have to respond to. Other times like with Baynham it does seem like he's just rambling off the top of his head. So what's the deal?

Dark Sky

Quote from: "Darrell"Peter Serafinowicz is rubbish in an improvised environment. Ditto Bill Bailey.

You reckon?  I used to hate Buzzcocks, but I watch it now 'cause Bailey's hilarious.

Could someone explain this show thing, too, as I've never heard of it...

Dark Sky :o)

quadraspazzed

I thought all (or at least most) of these kinda 'comedy gameshows'  were scrpited to at least some degree, leaving room for genuine improv.

Maybe I'm too cynical.

Personally I found the series that BBC7 recently ran well worth listening to. I don't know which series it was though.

Darrell

Quote from: "quadraspazzed"Personally I found the series that BBC7 recently ran well worth listening to. I don't know which series it was though.

The first two series glued together.

benthalo

They spend the whole day on it, preparing a book of answers which people take turns to vamp around. A 30min show takes at least 90mins to record, and there's an abiding sense of throwing shit at a wall throughout.

butnut

Quote from: "benthalo"They spend the whole day on it, preparing a book of answers which people take turns to vamp around. A 30min show takes at least 90mins to record, and there's an abiding sense of throwing shit at a wall throughout.

Is that how they do all panel games these days? That Armando Iannucci thing had that same air about it. I saw a recording of QI a few months ago. It was fascinating to compare the different techniques of Alan Davies and Rich Hall. Mr. Hall said virtually nothing throughout, but what he did say was funny, and probably almost all of it will make the final edit. As for Mr. Davies, he just wouldn't shut up and he was never funny. What a cunt.

I get the feeling that ISIHAC is done in a different way, but I'm probably wrong. I really must go to a recording of that someday.

benthalo

Dig out the old thread about that Iannucci pilot, butnut. There's a discussion about this difference on there. Basically, an ISIHAC recording will make you walk on air for the next 24hrs and I imagine the same applied to an old Mary Whitehouse Experience at the Paris Studio, because these people knew that it should all be as good as possible.

butnut

Oh yes, I was being thick.

Quote from: "benthalo, in the 'Go and See The Armando Iannucci' thread"I think some people are working under a misconception about how panel games work. Obviously, we all know that it had twelve writers (including Gash's Tetsel & Robbins, and Roger Drew?) including the six-man team, but this doesn't mean that you can judge a performer according to the quality of their material. The answers script which escaped last night is a good example. There are two pages of answers, none pre-selected, which they take turns to extemporise from in each round. They would have been at Drill Hall since at least noon working on rehearsals and further writing, revising the script as they go. With great talent, that recording would have sparkled under such conditions.

Hang on... twelve writers! Fucking hell.

In fact, that's what I kept thinking of on the way home. Take I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue for example. The Christmas Special from last year went on for a similar length of time in recording for an hour slot, but they generally run to 60mins for their regular 30min slot. The point is that they are relentlessly funny. Ian Pattinson, Cryer, Garden et al do not work on the policy that if they come up with a few credible passages then they can record an overspill of crap. It's *all* gold.

Or The Mary Whitehouse Experience. Sessions ran to an hour and were bursting at the seams with great material, which is why a reduction to 30mins makes them so fucking good and bear relentless repeated listening.

The younger generation of producers and performers now seem to work on the policy of chucking everything in and hoping that something sticks. This is simply inadequate, lazy and uncomfortable for the audience. Even cut to 30mins, last night's recording will be hard work. I promise, I've seen this happen before on many occasions. I'm sure Alan and ELW10 have too.

One of the best points you make there, is how a show like ISIHAC knows how long a joke can go on for. One of the most depressing things about that Iannucci recording was how long they droaned on about some very unfunny things. And one word sums it up - velodrome.

Almost Yearly

It's on this week isn't it?

Or next, or something. Anyway they said something about it on the wireless.

This has been a useless Heads Up by AY.


Edit: Tonight, ah yes.

Pinball


Almost Yearly

I thought it was pretty good. With that line-up it oughta be.

Jemble Fred

The worst episode so far, but still really enjoyable, and always guaranteed to supply plenty of guffaws, just as ISIHAC is. It seems a shame that there's such a definite line drawn between this and ISIHAC, because they're so similar. And while I suspect ISIHAC will continue even past the demise of Graeme Garden himself, the 99p Challenge will probably last a few series and fold. Perhaps the team will then cross over?

Of course the one thing that does worry me about this show is the amount of writers. Okay, so ISIHAC has one, or at most a couple of writers, who put together superb scripts for Humph – half the reason most people tune in. Surely it doesn't take FOUR people to come up with a few game concepts and write Perkins' so-so script? Which begs the question... what else are they writing?