Latest news with #TheAnswerRun
The Guardian
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It's a better time than ever to be really famous': why comedians are taking over TV gameshows
Going from telling jokes about your sex life in a room above a pub to asking someone in a studio what the capital of Malaysia is might not seem like an obvious career transition. It is, however, increasingly common to turn on your TV and see a comedian fronting a gameshow. In recent times, Romesh Ranganathan has hosted The Weakest Link; Michael McIntyre has hosted The Wheel; Lee Mack has hosted The 1% Club; and Jason Manford has hosted The Answer Run. When there are so many other people who would be glad of the work – full-time presenters; actors; Nigel Farage – why is the male-standup-hosting-a-quizshow such a mainstay of modern TV? Joel Dommett is likely as familiar to the general public for his hosting as for his comedy. He thinks the snobbery that used to exist in the comedy industry about gameshows and adverts has subsided a little. 'Comedians nowadays can do all those things and still be accepted as a decent comic,' he says. For Dommett, there's a symbiotic relationship between standup and presenting shows such as In With A Shout, Survivor, The Masked Singer and The Love Trap. 'Standup's almost the training for it in a weird way,' he says, 'but then also being on the gameshow keeps you on telly, then sells your tours in order for you to be able to keep doing standup.' Although some comics can make a living just from touring, this is a small minority, and the industry is still feeling the impact of a pandemic that ravaged live entertainment. This has caused a shift in attitude, says Richard Ackerman, who executive-produced the panel show Duck Quacks Don't Echo. He believes that Lee Mack, who makes a good living performing live, writing and starring in a BBC sitcom and appearing as a team captain on Would I Lie to You?, might not have considered The 1% Club under normal circumstances. The Wheel, similarly, was the result of the BBC looking for Covid-friendly shows. Comedians may have realised that, if there was a chance they could have another string to their bow, they might as well play it. This is by no means an exclusively modern phenomenon – with comics such as Lily Savage (Blankety Blank) and Jim Davidson (The Generation Game) hosting gameshows over the years. But TV is in trouble at the moment, says Richard Bacon, who produced I Literally Just Told You, presented by Jimmy Carr. Networks are desperate to get their audience's attention straight away. Bacon, who was once a TV presenter on shows such as Blue Peter and The Big Breakfast, started creating gameshows because he wanted to front them. He was then informed that he wasn't well known enough to present primetime shows. Three out of four of his commissions have been shows hosted by comedians. 'It's a better time than ever to be really famous talent,' he says. But if channels need a household name, why not reach for singers? Or actors? Unlike comedy, which is famously tied to culture, established pop acts and Hollywood stars can more readily cross borders, making them easier sells for international audiences. As The Wheel producer Tom Blakeson points out, actors are most well known for becoming other people, which is a problem. 'A lot of actors don't want anybody to know who they are – that's why they act.' A gameshow audience wants to be entertained but also reassured (which explains why more challenging comics such as Stewart Lee don't host gameshows). As Ackerman says, the tone is set by the host, so audiences wouldn't be sure that Ian McKellen was going to be a wickedly naughty host or a dry and sombre one. They know, however, that if McIntyre is hosting it's going to be light and bubbly and full of Michael McIntyre jokes. He has that thing on which commissioners love to prey: a brand. So comedians with well known brands emerge as the most qualified candidates. James Gill, who has warmed up for multiple TV shows, and hosts the award-winning Always Be Comedy, says comics make the best hosts because they have the human touch. 'The comedians we're talking about have such compassion because of their years dealing with people, and that is such an asset when it comes to gameshows.' Another advantage a comic has over an actor, Blakeson points out, is that an actor's audience is usually compliant. A comedian is used to interacting with an audience and winning them over, whereas even a newsreader – who could be superb at the job technically – might not be able to make an anxious contestant laugh. 'Yes, a comedian is a shortcut, potentially, but they are bringing with them a huge skillset these other people don't have,' says Ackerman. 'It's like saying, 'Why are all these fighter pilots from the RAF getting all the British Airways pilot gigs?' Beause they know how to fly planes.' When there were only four channels on TV, there was less pressure on hosts to provide entertainment. But, with TV struggling against the might of streaming platforms and the internet, choosing a host who is more likely to produce hilarious viral moments is increasingly tempting. And it is probably no coincidence that, whereas TV's most popular chatshow used to be hosted by Michael Parkinson, a serious journalist who let his guests do the jokes, it is now hosted by Graham Norton, a man who, immense chatting talents notwithstanding, found fame as a comedian. As Bacon says, the training opportunities for presenting talent are drying up. The same can't be said for funny people with millions of followers. Lastly, of course, there's the money. Ackerman says hosts in the UK can earn more than £15,000 an episode. Bacon says that for an American show he worked on the host earned several hundred thousand dollars per episode. Compared with standup, hosting seems like a doddle. Presenters don't need to learn lines; they won't be heckled; they tend not even to be performing in front of an audience; and they can make weeks' worth of TV in days. A cynic might think they're only in it for the money. 'They're taking their opportunity when it comes,' says Blakeson. 'When you're an entertainer you really do need to make hay while the sun shines.' This doesn't mean it's easy or that comics should get complacent. 'There are times when I've seen gameshows almost not work because a comedian's hosted,' says Bacon. 'I can see that they're thinking about the joke and they're not thinking about either the story or the human experience of this person.' Gill cautions against assuming it's as easy as it looks: 'What you really pick up when you're watching someone host a gameshow from close quarters is how many things they're simultaneously juggling. It's very much the old swan analogy: on TV we see a terrific gameshow where everyone's having fun but the legs will be paddling mighty quick beneath the surface.' Dommett echoes this, having seen how consummately McIntyre presents The Wheel. 'For two and a half hours he doesn't leave the set, doesn't leave the circle, he just stands there, in between all these mad celebrities, and entertains us all, constantly, whether he's filming or not filming.' But, if anything could have prepared these comedians for the difficulty of hosting, it is standup, that most unforgiving and gladiatorial of entertainments. Survive all alone on a stage, and anything else will feel like a walk in the park. As Dommett puts it, 'I'm OK by myself, so I'm definitely gonna be fine with an Autocue and a script.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jason Manford at the Palladium review: observational wit that is harder than it looks
'You'd better be funny,' yelled a heckler at the start of Jason Manford's Palladium set. It might have sounded like a threat but it was really a playful request from someone who just wanted to forget their troubles for an evening. I'm sure the fan went home satisfied. When if comes to delivering the funnies, few do it better than Manford. He is versatile too. He plays a headmaster in TV drama Waterloo Road, he presents daytime quiz The Answer Run and if he seems relaxed onstage that might partly be due to the fact that he starred here as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz in 2023. The punning title of his show, A Manford All Seasons, succinctly sums up his style. The Salford-born stand-up excels at a cheeky brand of observational wit which everyone should appreciate. His speciality is relatable storytelling, tapping into truths that have his audience nodding in agreement en masse. His subject matter is often trivial – how we secretly love it when an event is cancelled and we can stay in, the 'ballache' of organising nights out, how children are skilled at waffling at bedtime. There is a lot about the travails of parenthood - as a father of six he is not short of source material. Family life certainly keeps him grounded. He recalls how half an hour after finishing an arena gig he was on his hands and knees doing chores in the kitchen. So much for the glamour of celebrity. Elsewhere there are self-deprecating tales drawn from his showbiz side. How he came off the sub's bench to replace Usain Bolt in a charity football match and let the side down, befriending a former England international, visiting a Chinese sauna on tour and not knowing how naked to get. He is happy to be the butt of the punchlines. Even when the gags are occasionally low-hanging fruit – such as his smutty Dion Dublin routine – Manford is an absolute master of drawing everyone in. He is a brilliant raconteur, the apotheosis of the superstar comedian who is essentially your funniest mate in the pub. He is certainly no mere 'who remembers when Snickers were called Marathon?' nostalgia merchant. One of many highlights is when he offers fans a peep behind the curtain, explaining with a judicious example the scientific percentage game of his accessible humour. Too universal and routines will feel obvious, too obscure and they won't resonate with enough people. In the process he makes you aware that stand-up is much harder than he makes it seem. If you want surrealism or state-of-the-nation sideswipes give this a swerve. But for comedy that simply tickles you Manford consistently hits the sweet spot. Touring until March 26, 2026. Dates and tickets here:
BBC News
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jason Manford to return as host for series two of The Answer Run
BBC Daytime has commissioned series two of popular quiz show The Answer Run, for BBC One and iPlayer. Created and made by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, comedian Jason Manford will return to host this unique show, which is on the search for contestants now! The innovative programme format sees three pairs of contestants battle it out in a fast paced, quick-thinking general knowledge quiz show, where contestants are always one swipe away from banking the cash or crashing out. Families watching at home can also play along and test how they would fair when facing The Run!. Filming for the new series (25x45') will take place in Glasgow this March. In each round of this addictive 50/50 quiz, contestants are given the choice of two possible answers. Questions fly down The Run and players must swipe towards the answer they think is correct. Under time pressure will they make the right decision? Answer categories will range from 'Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift' to 'Jupiter or Mars' and everything in between. Teams will be eliminated throughout the show, until one pair remains. They will then face The Final Run to attempt to take home all the money they've banked. Jason Manford comments, 'I'm delighted to be back on BBC One with a second series of The Answer Run. As predicted, it's become an addictive TV quiz show that the whole family can get involved in, shouting at the telly. I can't wait for the new series to air later this year with you lot sat watching at home thinking you could do better. And if that is the case, why not apply to take part in this series - filming starts in March - the contestants really are the stars of the show!' Rob Unsworth, Head of Commissioning for BBC Daytime comments, 'We're delighted to welcome Jason back to The Answer Run after its debut series was such a hit with viewers. It's a brilliantly play-along format - you can't resist shouting your answers at the telly as it builds to a real edge-of-the-seat finish.' Creative Director and Executive Producer for BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, Pete Ogden said: 'We're incredibly proud of the first series so it's great news that its returning to screens for a second time. Jason is the perfect host for The Answer Run and we can't wait for audiences to watch and play along again when it airs this year.' Series 2 of The Answer Run will air later in the year. The Answer Run was commissioned by Rob Unsworth, Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak commissioning, the Commissioning Editor is Alex McLeod. This is a BBC Studios Entertainment production made in Glasgow, Scotland. Suzy Lamb is Managing Director of BBC Studios Entertainment Productions. The Executive Producers are Gareth Edwards and Pete Ogden. HD3
