8 Out of 10 Cats

Too much canned laughter. Even the most stupid attempts at humor get a raucous laugh, and most of the attempts are stupid.

This is a comedy panel game about public opinion and recent events. It was originally shown on Channel 4, then moved to More4 and is now on E4.

Every episode is hosted by Jimmy Carr. Each of the two teams has a captain and two guests. The captains have been Sean Lock, Dave Spikey, Jason Manford and Jon Richardson. The current captains are Rob Beckett and Aisling Bea.

How good it is varies a lot, depending on who is on that episode. Some guests are good, but many are awful. Aisling Bea is the best of the captains.

Love it. Ashamed to admit that panel shows are my way of keeping up with UK news and culture, and this is still one of the best. TheyAlways have a good variety of guests, and the regulars are doing a good job as well. Of course, Sean Locke will be missed, but there's not much we can do about that.

Since this panel show mostly concerns current events, the episodes feel old pretty quickly. Many of the jokes rely on the audience having news stories in fresh memory, so as those memories have faded, the jokes no longer work.

The quality of guests varies greatly, and conversations between them can feel a bit forced. Still, latest episodes can be worth catching if you're into making fun of current affairs.

The one old episode I'd recommend is S13E09 - the tax avoidance scandal.

8 out of 10 cats is a game show in which two teams answer questions linked to opinion polls answered for by the general British public. Hosted by the terrific Jimmy Carr, it features Sean Lock and Dave Spikey (both also brilliant) as the team captains, and a host of famous faces to be the other team members. The comedy comes thick and fast, especially from Lock and Spikey, with regular quips from the guests, most of which are surprisingly funny! With a host like Carr, and team captains who know what they're doing, this programme is an absolute treat and should not be missed.

This programme has become one of my favourite comedy game shows, up there with Have I Got News For You, Shooting Stars, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Don't Miss!