I don't mind that you don't like Mock the Week (tastes are different), but I disagree with your logic. There are people which have been guests on many or almost every panel game and usually those are the most D-list comedians around, who are cheap and desperate for publicity. You don't honestly think people like Katherine Ryan, Sarah Millican, Jack Whitehall or Seann Walsh are better comedians than those who didn't or hardly ever appeared on any other show such as Dara Ó Briain, Paul Merton, Mark Lamarr or Stephen Fry, who according to your logic must all be horrible comedians?
There can be many other possible explanations, such as they (usually the hosts or "captains") are not invited on "rivalling" shows or channels, contractual reasons, personal reasons, they don't fit the format, or simply they might not want/need that extra publicity and money (as a guest you'll get paid much less) because they are famous enough and earn enough money.
It's not the great comedians who rotate around on all those shows (unless they choose to do so, like David Mitchell, who just seems to love panel games - and even he has been on Mock the Week in the past, although he isn't a stand-up comedian).
But I agree with you, that Hugh Dennis and especially Andy Parsons aren't the most brilliant comics around, but the same goes for many other "captains" on panel games, such as Phill Jupitus, Noel Fielding, Micky Flanagan, Alan Davies, Jon Richardson, Rufus Hound, Seann Walsh.
You'll probably never see Dylan Moran or Billy Connolly - who at least IMHO are among the cream of the crop when it comes to comedy - on any panel game, but wave an invitation to be a guest on one of those in front of some bottom of the barrel comedians and I'm sure they wouldn't turn it down (and why should they as to them it means an opportunity to become more famous and earn a bit of money).
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TheApostle
10 years ago
I didn't say that other panel shows never have D-list comedians on.
You don't understand what I said if you think I suggested Merton and Fry not appearing on shows is somehow the same as Dennis and Parsons not appearing on those shows. Dennis and Parsons aren't wanted on those shows.
If you can't see how MtW and its panel is different than others shows, nothing I can say will help you.
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Moscoso1967
10 years ago
I only wanted to point out that just because someone can't be seen on many panel shows you can't automatically assume that it's because they're bad comedians and/or not wanted on any other show, that's just one possible reason, but are many other possible explanations.
Every panel game has mostly "D-List" comedians (and other "D-List" celebrities) on, who rotate (some more some less) on various shows, and occasionally there are some good guest/regulars. What comedians you think are good or bad, or which format of panel game you like, has mostly to do with your individual taste and sense of humour. And we very obviously have different tastes (and probably have different backgrounds which might explain them).
I get it that YOU don't like Mock the Week (and surely there will be many other people too) and everything you write is just your opinion, but I like it (and so do many others too), I like Dara, I like some of the guests the have/had on, and I quite enjoy the format of the show (though I could do without the Newsreel round), and that's just my opinion.
I grant you I should have given the thread a different title to make sure that everybody understands that this is just my personal opinion and not a fact, maybe "IMHO the best British panel game" or even better "currently my favourite British panel game".
So go and watch whatever you like and I keep on watching what I like! I don't go on the board of panel games I dislike (like Celebrity Juice) or find boring (like Was It Something I Said?) and complain about them.
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