Would I Lie to You?

Thanks to YouTube, I've become a HUGE fan of the British original, so I dipped my toes in this US version with trepidation. After all, who do we have here that can rival Lee Mack and David Mitchell in this type of format?

While precisely adhering to the original's structure, the best I can do is to call the comedy content rather spotty. The upside for this US viewer is not missing many of the jokes that are culture-specific for the English. The downside is a matter of personnel, which will change each week.

In fairness, the earliest episodes of original-recipe WILTY weren't as fast-paced and funny as the later ones. So this imitator deserves a few more episodes to see how it ripens. They were amusing enough to warrant a bit of learning-curve patience.

I tried. I wanted to like it. There's no rapport between the host and team captains. After reading another reviewer mention the level of comedian in those slots compared to the level of those in the original, I agree. But also, having three people, no matter if they're A listers or C listers, who have worked together and have a playful and occasionally caustic relationship would be the key here. This was a missed opportunity to get the likes of Joel McHale and Ken Jeong (who never seems to turn down an offer) and someone else from their group.

The British version is almost ridiculously conversational with no one giving a damn about how any of it looks. It's a collaboration in silliness and that seems lost here. Maybe some things just don't travel. It might find a place but it needs less effort.

When they try to duplicate british tv on american television, they never watch the show and get to know the panel characters and their skills. They bring the show here and because they dont know the english comedians they replace them on the US version with c-list comedians from the US. They did the same with taskmaster with reggie watts. Lee mack, david mitchell, greg davies and the rest etc, are not c-list comedians. They aere the kevin harts, the jim gaffigans. The top teir...

But because they arent known in US the US producers dont know this and just put any comedian uin to do what they do. This show will fail just like taskmaster US cause they dont bother to get the same level of comedian. Just cause you dont know who they were doesnt mean they are equal to unknown US comics. Taskmaster would have killed with danny devito maybe? But reggie? Come on!!!

Oh, and as usual from a non white cast, it took about 30 seconds into the first show for them to make white people jokes. Racism is racism. Ill never watch again.

It's horrible and not funny or entertaining.

While they stick to the script of the British original word for word, and the format is the same, it's terribly done and annoyingly cringy.

The host isn't funny, the team leaders are terrible, and the guests are 5th rate.

I realize that hoping for the US version to get even a single David Mitchell or Lee Mack was a long shot, but come on! This cast is pathetic. Not even Rob Brydon would lower himself to be on THIS version.

Contrast the terrible US version with the recently finished first season of the Australian version. The Aussies get it right, and while not as consistently funny as the current (16th season) British version, it's first season was on par with the first from Mitchell-Lee-Deayton. I went into the Aussie season without knowing any of the cast, and yet it still was FUNNY (though not Bob Mortimer funny, more Lee Mack on a moderately tired Thursday kind of way).

The British version did get better after they fired Deayton and replaced him with Brydon, but it was enjoyable because the format and Lee/Mitchell were so good. In addition, the guests were also very well selected and almost always did a good job (though some of the edited out bits were not always as good). For the US version to get worth watching, they'll have to replace the ENTIRE cast and do a MUCH better job with the editing.

I guess the US just isn't always good when trying to replicate British hits. WILTY, Taskmaster, Great American Baking Show, etc. Certainly the more involved the regulars are (judges, Team Captains, etc.), the less chance of success in the US since the American production companies always miss the mark when hiring.

Will this get better in the future? It'll probably improve a star or 2 but still not enough to survive. Best case it'll get a couple years before the axe, though less than the Great American Baking Show got before cancellation. However, I'll be surprised if it even gets a second season since it's so so bad. US taskmaster was cancelled after one season, and that at least had Alex Horne and yet was still dreadful.

TL/DR: Your time is much better spent watching the British version, or even the Aussie one. Heck, rather than watch this dreck, maybe plotting how to get the US to rejoin the British colonies would be less painful.