Buzzcocks: buzzingly brilliant or buzz off? (Never Mind the Buzzcocks)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Date:	02/06/08 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hilarious

Disadvantages: Pushes the boundaries of humour

Never Mind The Buzzcocks is a comedy game panel show featuring the rock and pop music industry. The panellists are celebrities, who answer questions on music from the past and current trends, often in hilarious fashion.

Buzzcocks was first aired in 1996, when it was hosted by Mark Lamarr. Simon Amstell took over from Lamarr in 2006. Phil Jupitus and Sean Hughes were the two team captains from the first series, and Hughes was replaced by comedian Bill Bailey in 2002.

Each team consists of three people, the captain and then two celebrities. Usually, one of these celebrities at least is music based, but the others seem to be chosen at random. The contestants are taken through a series of rounds by the quizmaster in sarcastic fashion (Lamarr and Amstell both excellent at this), and the script writers for the programme really go to town on this show, pushing the boundaries in many area.

There is a points system, and the show is based on the contestants' musical knowledge, but this is often not the draw of the show - it is the comedy element, and the quick wit of the contestants and presenters. One criticism is that the comedy does push the limits very much and becomes explicit on a regular basis, so this is definitely not for the younger viewer or anyone who is easily offended.

The rounds include one where they have to pick the former star out of a lineup. Five people, all similar in appearance, are brought out, and the contestants have to choose the correct member of, for example, a cult band from the 1980s. Often, the lineup consists of people dressed in dodgy getup, and they're not allowed to smile, prompting the panelists to try and make them do so. Another round is where two of the team have to sing a song for the third, who has to guess what it is - the only drawback is that they have to imitate the instruments in the song, not the words! Hilarious!

In Conclusion, Buzzcocks is one of those quizshows for celebs that will leave some people in stitches and some turning over in disgust. I am in the former category, and I find the humour brilliant.

Summary: Never Mind The Buzzcocks (TV)