Promising first episode, I thought. Some good chaotic energy about Jenny Eclair, Kiell was pretty funny (for me), and Frankie already looking like this series' David Baddiel but also him and Greg were playing off each other nicely in the studio:
Jenny: "That gives me trench vagina"
Frankie: "There's lots we don't know about the First World War" Greg: "Oh, lest we forget!"
Up there with the hide and seek/get closer to Alex while he ducks down type episode in the train yard a few series back as tasks I'd like to have a go at!
Thought it was a solid start to the series , might take a couple of episodes to really get into the swing of things but it showed promise. The string task was classic TM.
Really enjoying this series, really good contestants again.
Feel like it had a dip in quality with the first couple of series on Channel 4, the ones that had to be covid compliant on the tasks then have them stretched out in the studio etc, but the last few have been so good again.
Junior TM coming with Rose Matafeo and Mike Wozniak.
Great for the kids and their family, but nobody else cares about some random precocious little darling getting to be on telly. As with nearly every format that gets a “junior” spinoff, I seriously doubt this will be good viewing. All the edge will be removed and it’ll probably be sickly sweet. No thanks.
Matafeo and Wozniak are good, but I can’t imagine I’ll tune in to this too often.
Junior TM coming with Rose Matafeo and Mike Wozniak.
Great for the kids and their family, but nobody else cares about some random precocious little darling getting to be on telly. As with nearly every format that gets a “junior” spinoff, I seriously doubt this will be good viewing. All the edge will be removed and it’ll probably be sickly sweet. No thanks.
Matafeo and Wozniak are good, but I can’t imagine I’ll tune in to this too often.
I'm going to give the first episode a look to see what's what but most junior formats lose the charm of the adult version. Which is a shame because Mike has the potential be an absolutely inspired choice as an assistant. I hope at least with Alex heavily involved it's not going to be awful.
I’ve found myself starting to want Mae Martin to lose though. I don’t know why, I think it’s because she tries a bit too hard without being that funny. The rest of them seem to have embraced being shit. 😂
I've struggled to warm to Mae at all. All feels very try hard and they'd be a pretty weak addition to Champion of Champions that's got some big personalities. Frankie and Ivo seem to be in a contest for who can lose a task in the most ridiculous way.
Frankie and Ivo might be my favourite team ever, they're just hilarious as a sort of odd couple.
"What did I just tell you not to do, you greedy bastard?!"
Mae has definitely been a but overmarked, getting the benefit of the doubt a few times, like a pineapple drawings and the throwing/drum task. But who cares about the marking really as long as it's funny? More controversial and more arguing about points the better really!
I kind of feel the same about Mae Martin. They're obviously a funny person but you can tell the competitive edge is coming out and there's something uniquely wrong about watching people actually try to win at a task while thinking really hard about what the trick in it could be. I know that's the best way to do it if you want to win but the best tasks always involve people stumbling onto the solution accidentally or doing something absolutely deranged. Mae is funny in the bits inbetween tasks but I don't think they've actually ever been funny during one. Even Iain Stirling was funnier because while he was horrifically competitive to an uncomfortable degree he was also incompetent so it balanced out.
Agreed Re: Wozniak. A genuinely entertaining and likeable character.
Saw Mike Wozniak live at Bloomsbury Theatre on Saturday. His latest stand up show (Zusa) was great. It's more story telling than pure stand up, but he is such a likeable performer it's impossible not to enjoy it.
Kiell is easily my favourite in this season - he's just a big kid its so funny
Especially when it goes against him and he looks likes he's going to have a tantrum
On the flip side to Mae, I feel like Greg is undermarking Kiell, because they've (absolutely correctly) decided it makes good TV to watch his little strops etc.
I like Mae. I think this series is working well because you've got the right mix of people and the way they interact with each other is brilliant, and Mae plays a part in that even if individually she's not the funniest.
Does anyone listen to the podcast? That's good fun
Every series needs one contestant who is actually trying to win. It can be very amusing when they’re also bad at the tasks, but Mae being actually competent shouldn’t really be held against them.
Every series needs one contestant who is actually trying to win. It can be very amusing when they’re also bad at the tasks, but Mae being actually competent shouldn’t really be held against them.
We've had competitive contestants before, as well as competent ones but I think Mae is the first to be both.
Not held against them but its weird to think that we've not really had this specific situation before.
I don't think Mae has been overly competitive to be honest, just pretty bright in thinking of a way around things (drawing pineapples etc). You need people to think outside of the box and try to get round the rules to make it more fun.
I don't think Mae has been overly competitive to be honest, just pretty bright in thinking of a way around things (drawing pineapples etc). You need people to think outside of the box and try to get round the rules to make it more fun.
I did crack up when Mae was looking for the hidden pineapples, then rounded the corner at the end. Perfect editing with just the loud cry of exasperation
Comments
Frankie: "There's lots we don't know about the First World War"
Greg: "Oh, lest we forget!"
Up there with the hide and seek/get closer to Alex while he ducks down type episode in the train yard a few series back as tasks I'd like to have a go at!
Feel like it had a dip in quality with the first couple of series on Channel 4, the ones that had to be covid compliant on the tasks then have them stretched out in the studio etc, but the last few have been so good again.
Junior TM coming with Rose Matafeo and Mike Wozniak.
As with nearly every format that gets a “junior” spinoff, I seriously doubt this will be good viewing. All the edge will be removed and it’ll probably be sickly sweet. No thanks.
Matafeo and Wozniak are good, but I can’t imagine I’ll tune in to this too often.
I'm going to give the first episode a look to see what's what but most junior formats lose the charm of the adult version. Which is a shame because Mike has the potential be an absolutely inspired choice as an assistant. I hope at least with Alex heavily involved it's not going to be awful.
"What did I just tell you not to do, you greedy bastard?!"
Mae has definitely been a but overmarked, getting the benefit of the doubt a few times, like a pineapple drawings and the throwing/drum task. But who cares about the marking really as long as it's funny? More controversial and more arguing about points the better really!
Does anyone listen to the podcast? That's good fun
Not held against them but its weird to think that we've not really had this specific situation before.
I don't think Mae has been overly competitive to be honest, just pretty bright in thinking of a way around things (drawing pineapples etc). You need people to think outside of the box and try to get round the rules to make it more fun.
Has anyone got anyone they'd especially want to see on the next series?
frankie boyle was one i wanted for a while, glad they got him this series. David mitchell is one but i've read he'd never do it. Maybe rob brydon