Riddle Me This...Great Unanswered Questions

Who is the best person to have on a quiz team? A generalist? A specialist? Or, in the case of 'Great Unanswered Questions' (BBC2); how about someone who knows everything? Dr David Booth, in the eyes of 'thetvreviewguy', seems to be (and emphasis on the words seems); one of the smartest people on the telly. Booth is amiably accompanied by comedian host Colin Murphy, bearded nerd Matthew Collins and a different celebrity guest each week. The Science Doctor answers questions on everything, without apparently goggling, being wired for sound or reading from cog notes on every subject from archery to zoology. Smart TV is in short supply and 'Great Unanswered Questions' treats their viewers as smart too. We live in a paradoxical world where instead of handling a surplus of information through specialisaton, we do process information by knowing some things about many things; the ubiquity of information resources means that we can get legitimately tell ourself that learning is so analogue. 'Great Unanswered Questions' takes trivia and expands it; we get the factoid but also the reason behind it. Most appealingly, it feels like fun and the conversation is kept on a smiley keel by Murphy who is often gobsmacked by what his panellists know about 'stuff'. There are Known Knowns, Unknown Knowns and what Booth and Collins know; 'thetvreviewguy' knows he likes this, but knows he has lot more to know after each viewing.

Easy like Sunday Evening

‘The Sunday Night Show’ (ITV) is, shock horror, surprisingly good. ITV has produced a ton of rubbish over the last few years. Since the breaking up of the franchise, it has nearly always chased ratings over quality. So what does ‘thetvreviewguy’ like about ‘The Sunday Night Show’? Adrian Chiles, Brummie Everyman, chairs a panel for a half hour of chat looking back on the week. There are ultra quick ‘celebrity’ interviews (uhm ‘Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow and charlatan health doctor – she of the fake MD – Gillian McKeith were on last Sunday). There’s still some unfortunate ‘and now for something completely different’ links from trying a break a silly world record to the Egyptian revolt.  Chiles, however, is perfect in the role; he has a lightness of touch and proves he’s no dummy when it comes to current affairs. And it has a great slot; 10pm on a Sunday night is usually when ‘the fear’ of the working week hits home. This show lightens your mood and allows you to put of the inevitable ensuing depression that comes when the thought of re-boarding the day ship enters the mind. Give yourself a well earned break and go with ‘thetvreviewguy’s recommendation to tune into ‘The Sunday Night Show’.

They Shall Not Pass

The catchphrase 'I've started so I'll finish' will have a certain resonance for the over 30s viewer by instantly reminding them of 'Mastermind' (BBC2) and the magnificent Magnus Magnusson. In the multi-channel, multi-platform world of today, we might consider the universal appeal of a high-brow quiz show to be quaint and strange. When a taxi driver took on and beat University lecturers and professionals it was remarkable; you could have easily renamed the show 'Battle of the Classes'. The downside for many, but not in the opinion of 'thetvreviewguy', is that 'Mastermind' heralded the way for a generation of pale imitations and mountebanks to the world of knowledge and, yes, they're probabl thinking of the egregious Anne Robinson. The question writers never set out to embarrass; this is solely done achieved by the poor contestants themselves who crash and burn under fire. It's a contest of wits and a clean fight to boot; there's no room for strategizing or tactics, your score depends on how well you know your specialist subject and how you stand up against the pressure of being on TV. It's a family favourite too and demonstrates that the pursuit and expression of knowledge can make for excellent viewing. Although 'thetvreviewguy' doesn't warm as much to the present host John Humphreys as to his predecessor, he still enjoys watching one of the smarter programmes on the box.