Never Mind the Buzzcocks

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Never Mind the Buzzcocks
5 / 5

Series: 28
Aired: 1996 - present
Channel: BBC Two
Writer: Various
Cast: Mark Lamarr, Simon Amstell, Rhod Gilbert, Phill Jupitus, Sean Hughes, Bill Bailey, Noel Fielding et al

Never Mind the Buzzcocks has been with me my entire life, pretty much. Ever since the sneering face of Mark Lamarr (whatever happened to Mark Lamarr?), and the divinely innocent-looking but sharp-tongued Simon Amstell (whatever happened to Simon Amstell?) to the continuously different guest hosts and now, quite sublimely, Rhod Gilbert.

A Musical panelgameshowquiz that, at its base, is similar to any other panelgameshowquiz: two teams, one host, lots of questions. There's never a reward for winning and no-one ever keeps score either, so the outcome is complete irrelevant. As with most things-stories, jokes, life-it's how you get there that's important, not the outcome.

I admit I'm going far too deep about a panelgameshowquiz than is necessary, but it's important just to keep that in mind. With panelgameshowquiz's the main aim is to entertain, and that's certainly what Buzzcocks does. There are varients of panelgameshowquiz's that are more tailored for education and liberation (see Qi and Have I Got News For You for clarity) and whilst that's great, something with a stand-up feel to it is nice for a change.

The format is the same for each episode (rounds, points, questions) but it's the guests that are tantamount to the entertainment, as with any panelgameshowquiz. If you've any interest in music, Buzzcocks will most definitely interest you on some kind of level, despite genre differences and the presence of... okay, let's call it: idiots. Whilst you don't really need a comprehensive understanding of molecules to be on Buzzcocks, it wouldn't hurt to know about music pre-Back Street Boys.

When Amstell departured, the show seemed to revive itself. There was a moment a few years ago when I certainly wouldn't have even thought to give it 4 or even 3 stars and I grew weary of it, as I think did most of the viewers and possibly those involved. It was almost like witnessing a car-crash sometimes, but with verbal abuse instead of brain damage.

Since it's shake up, Buzzcocks is an "all-new subtly different" panelgameshowquiz and I'm absolutely delighted with it. I'm rating it based on how much I can't breathe during and that's almost every episode. Not a lot of things do that.