8 out of 10 cats

image c Channel 4

8 Out of 10 Cats
3 / 5

Series: 18
Aired: 2005 - Present
Channel: 4
Writer: N/A
Variations: 8 Out of 10 Cats Uncut and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Cast: Jimmy Carr, Sean Lock, Jon Richardson, Dave Spikey, Jason Manford et al

Another review, another comedy panel show. They get a bit of a bad rap, and I do quite like them because they help me find new comedians to fall in and out of love with, but 8 Out of 10 Cats is not one of my favourites, despite the fact that it does what comedy is supposed to do: make me laugh.

It's fairly basic, like any other panel show, wherein the host, Jimmy Carr, asks questions of two teams, captained by Sean Lock and Jon Richardson, with rounds and a rather pointless points system. Unlike other panel shows, however, 8 Out of 10 Cats doesn't use itself as a springboard for up-and-coming comedic talent but as an all-round purveyor of entertainment. I use panel shows to discover new comedy talent, because I don't have the time or money to go to gigs and festivals to find them. Shows like Mock the Week, QI, and As Yet Untitled have been instrumental in giving comedians a wider audience and helping me to find new talent.

8 Out of 10 Cats, whilst still introducing lesser-known comedians to a television audience, tend to have The Famous on their show, as opposed to The Funny. It's always cringe-worthy when you see a news reader trying to be funny, or some eejit from some reality TV programme trying to be funny, or good at anything, and it always puts me off and my enjoyment plummets during the introductions when the ratio is leaning heavily on The Famous.

I also find they have a very Channel 4 agenda: it's very rare to find comedians or entertainers in general who have or appear on shows on the BBC, ITV or Sky. Fair enough, I suppose, but sometimes it's so obvious and quite passive aggressive. Whilst an episode has never failed to make me laugh, it can get very repetitive or feel too much like a mass promotion-fest, and when the introductions are made and there are too many Channel 4 reality TV "stars" my heart usually drops and Instagram will probably be browsed infrequently.