Funny Stuff

[johnridley]

erikvolson recommended the BBC quiz show Quite Interesting to me a few days ago. I hadn't heard about it before.

L and I watched a few episodes the other day. It should come with a warning - we were both having trouble breathing by about halfway through the first episode. L was actually lying on the floor curled into a ball laughing.

The basic idea is that the questions are hard enough to be mostly impossible, so points are awarded on the basis of whether they're interesting or not, and deducted for stating the commonly-accepted, but wrong, answer. Most of the time is spent talking about tangential, semi-related things.

And I was reminded more than once of madtechie2718, especially when Stephen Fry turned to a panelist and said "You bastard."

In the midst of it all, I realized that this show is at least 10 rungs above what could possibly pass in the US. Yes, the questions themselves are pretty much impossible even for the UK audience and panelists, but the level of random info that's being bashed around in general is pretty high.

Comments

[erikvolson.livejournal.com]

In the midst of it all, I realized that this show is at least 10 rungs above what could possibly pass in the US

Well, that and the discussion about the finger and the koala.

[min8ive.livejournal.com]

I saw your post, too and went looking for it. I found 5 minute intervals on YouTube--is there someplace to see full episodes?

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

BitTorrent. The Pirate Bay has most. I had to go to Demonoid for season 2 in a reasonable size format.

As it happens, I'm mailing a couple of DVDs to you today. I can put one more in if you want, with season 1 and a little of season 2 on it. Or all of them if you want 4 more DVDs.

[min8ive.livejournal.com]

That would be great! Thank you!!!!

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

The first 2 DVDs are already in the mail. I'll put together another batch of QI.

[madtechie2718.livejournal.com]

Yes, we really like the show - never thought to mention it to friends in the US.

Between us, we do get a few questions correct - and, indeed, creatively wrong!

QI is based a couple of miles down the road - though the QI club has now merged with the Curious Group next door, I gather it still is heavily QI-influenced.

http://www.qi.com/about/building.php - the root of that site has a lot more info, including a petition to get it shown in the US.

http://www.qi.com/tv/petition.php