Are panel shows scripted or ran through?

We all laugh at them and think how witty the people are on HIGNFY and NMTB, or Mock the Week, but I wonder if a lot of these shows are scripted and that the people might not really be that spontaneous in 'real life', I'm sure it's true with 'mock the week' and maybe to a lesser extent the others.

Views?

Reply 1

Bubblebee

I think they all get like prep cards. I know they do on QI, but other than that I'm not sure.

Reply 2

=nuke=

I never got the impression that Mock The Week was scripted much but I can imagine Have I Got News For You gets a lot of writing done first.

The editing probably helps a lot because you lose the rambling and get straight to the punchlines.

Reply 3

Ziggy_Stardust

I've always got the impression that there's a mixture of scripting and improvisation, especially after watching Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, although I don't know how accurate an insight into panel shows it actually is!

Reply 4

cpj1987

The panel get given the topics/questions a few hours before filming, and are then sent away to look at them all, and plan what they think might come up, in most cases.
They're not actually given a script, or any exact questions, because then it'd lose the illusion of improvisation completely - but in most cases they do have a good idea about what they're expected to say, yeah.
The editing process enhances this, as nuclearbuddha said.

Reply 5

Clubber Lang

HIGNFY obviously has tons of jokes pre-made for it - especially given to the main presenter obviously.

WRT to the 2 main panelists (ian and paul) i imagine they coem up with the jokes base don a lot of material they read that day..also as someone says its edited a lot as well.

Reply 6

randomreg

I've been told that in Mock the Week, the same bits are filmed several times, which can sometimes be a bit wearing for the audience. But it means the show can be edited to look just as they want it and with the best takes. And lots of the rounds have a stand-up element, so I've heard lots of direct lifts from a performer's stand-up routine. Still, it's a good showcase for them.

I don't think scripted is the right word, but there must be a lot of decisions made before the show gets underway. How far those decisions go, who knows? At the end of the day, the shows are meant to make us laugh, not to act as a beacon of truth. And as far as I'm aware, they don't claim to be unscripted anyway.

I don't know if I'll laugh or cry if the newspapers start writing stories about a 'faked' and 'misleading' comedy show. How about an in-depth investigation in just how meaningless Dara Ó Briain's giving out of points are on Mock the Week...?

Reply 7

naivesincerity

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1AL1Dvc4y1Q

check out the end of the show...

One example...if it was unplanned that Preston walked out, how would Amstell think of doing the bit with the chair and the music at the end, knowing the camers would pan to the chair etc. sorry to be pedantic but I am sceptical.

Reply 8

Clubber Lang

lol, wouldnt have thought the Preston walkout was planned unless they paid him some money because he came off looking like a prat according to some.

Maybe just soem quick thinking?

Yes, they do film multiple takes of shows like HIGNFY as they show them sometimes on TV and on their DVDs.