User reviews

This is a very funny BBC panel game with two teams and a host. Angus Deayton hosted it for over a decade, but since he was fired it has had many different guest hosts. One team is led by Paul Merton and the other by Ian Hislop. Each team has different celebrity players each week. However, many celebs have been the host and/or contestants multiple times.

The show has several rounds and is very good at making fun of politicians, current affairs etc.

Some episodes are much better than others, depending on who the participants are.

Eleven years and still going strong. This is a topical news quiz which is never short of hilarious in its biting satire and ceaseless wit. In the chair is Angus Deyton, and competing are two teams, each made up of a regular captain and a different guest each week. The captains are comedian Paul Merton and Prive Eye editor and former 'Spitting Image' script-writer Ian Hislop. Guests over the years have included a wide range of politicians, celebrities and other well-known faces including Neil Kinnock, Ken Livingstone, Tom Baker, Charles Kennedy, Boris Johnson, Bob Monkhouse, Clive Anderson, Jo Brand, Harry Enfield, Rory Bremner, Jimmy Saville, Peter Hitchens, Trevor McDonald, Cecil Parkinson and many others. Here's to another eleven years.

Have I got news for you is a superb show. I've watched it for years, and while the circumstances of Angus leaving was rather silly and moralistic, it was the shows answer to Pink Floyd losing Syd. The show has become less predictable, and in many ways better with his leaving. Having two guest panelists every week is very fine and dandy, but the presenter being new every episode is simply brilliance itself.

My personal favorites as guest hosts would probably be Clarkson, Boris Johnson and of course Brian Blessed. But I digress.

The biting political satire of HIGNFY is beyond reproach. At times, a certain understanding of British society and British politics will be needed to understand gags. It's not that complex, though. If I can manage it as a Norwegian, I see no reasons why English speakers should find the humor too complex. Television far to often panders to the smallest denominator. Condecending, to say the least. HIGNFY is one of the shows that prove why such thinking is utter rubbish. It's funny simply because it's somewhat intellectual.

I have laughed my behind off more than once watching this show, for anyone with an ounce of anglophilia, the least bit, it is a must see show. For anyone who just loves a laugh, the same carries.

Not being able to watch this masterpiece of a satirical programe would be comparable to what Edmund Blackadder once called worse than an eternity in the depts of hell, with Satan and all his minions; in short, five minutes with him and a pencil.

I recommend this so hard it hurts.

This is up there with "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" as Britain's most purely enjoyable comedy panel show. In fact, HIGNFY probably has even greater prestige because it's the longer running of the two and has managed to survive the loss of a permanent presenter without too much damage being done. If we're honest, then Buzzcocks is gamely trying, but it will never reach the heights of old without Mark Lamarr. "News" has always lived and died on the quality of the rapport between its guests and regular show members, so as long as you have a strong figure in the hot-seat you're guaranteed plenty of laughs even if it's been a slow week for headlines.

Apart from the witty team captains, the genius of this show is that it brings politics into everyone's front room, and the disingenuous cheaters liars and back-stabbers in the media are never allowed to wriggle off the hook like they so often do on "Question Time". I'll never forget, for example, when Piers Morgan was left humiliated and sulking like the big baby he is after one particularly memorable appearance. Public figures either get the chance to permanently destroy their reputation, or else come across as genuinely likable human beings - either way we can sit at home enjoying all of it. It's the modern equivalent of a spectacle like the Christians being thrown to the lions, and it provides consistently top-notch viewing. Bravo to the regulars, and of course the BBC for being brave enough to stick with it all this time. May it have many future runs ahead of it.

Have I got News for you is normally a very funny show, with Paul Merton and Ian Hislop both being intelligence and having good comedic timing and willing to make fun of themselves. HIGNFY is a topical news quiz with a guest host, and Paul Merton and Ian Hislop as captains of the team. They make jocks of whatever is big in the news, whether it politics, international relations, economic or celebrity, the list is numerous. The guest host can normally be anyone famous, from politicians such as Boris Johnson, William Hague or Charles Kennedy, to presenters like Jeremy Clarkson, Adrian Chiles or Des Lynam, to comedians like Jack Dee or Bill Bailey. Other guests are also on the show, I really enjoy it when David Mitchell is on because he is just great, especially one time after the Local Elections in 2006 and the cabinet reshuffle with Charles Clarke was offered a number of jobs and John Prescott had an affair. The show doesn't pull any punch, which makes the BBC lawyers worried at times. There are recurring jokes such as the camp German Ambassador, Ian Hislop being sued in the past and Ian Hislop and his views on the Euro. HIGNFY is the standard bearer for shows of this natural and none have come close to matching it for intelligence or comedic value.

Once upon a time this was the most fantastic satirical news show. As it aged it gradually got tired of itself and degenerated to a point that it is no longer recognisable. There isn't any smart satire any more, it is just cheap digs at politicians, occasional rude words, penis references and forced jokes about meme pictures read out by a string of guest hosts.

Losing Angus Deayton was the beginning of the end for the show but in more recent years it has taken a much more significant nose dive in quality. The current state of world politics and clickbait journalism should lend itself to good satire, that they can't manage anything beyond 'Trump is stupid', 'Tories are evil' is just a waste of air time.

I felt I should write this as the previous review had no mention of Angus Deayton's departure.

Though this should have been a tragedy for this great show, something good has come out of it, with a guest host every week. 'Have I got News for You' is a dependable British Comic institution. I can be found faithfully on a Friday night in front of my TV set, watching and laughing. The basic formula is: one guest host (expected to make obligatory self-derogatory remarks) two captains (almost without exception the comic geniuses that are Ian Hislop and Paul Merton) and two guests (who are expected to make jokes relevant to their fields, For many people it is a matter of choice, but I prefer Paul Merton's humour to Ian Hislop's.

The animated title scene is perhaps the worst part of this brilliant show- and it is only half a minute! The other problem is that because this is so topical, it cannot survive like Blackadder has, it lacks that timeless element. Generations to come would have to read up on some news reports to understand the jokes.

Sometimes, the guests can be superb, or less so, but the programme is carried solely on Merton and Hislop, and rounds such as the one where a newspaper is taken and a series of words blanked out are guessed.

On a more serious note, this is not a quiz show in the vein of Who wants to be a Millionaire or University Challenge- this is for fun. Some who are not entirely up to speed on current affairs may not enjoy all the jokes.

So if you find life tragic enough and long for a bit of humour, do watch it, because they've got news for you!

(I couldn't resist it)

*****/*****

What on Earth has happened to this show, I admit it's been some time since I was a die hard fan, but boy this has gone downhill in a somewhat staggering fashion.

The Angus Deayton years were legendary, biting, good witted, somewhat balanced humour. As someone who has always been centre left, I've always enjoyed mockery of the right, but someone who's also loved mockery on some of the insanities of the left too.

We are in the most horrendously toxic time ever, a time where Politicians are likely being killed, for doing what they think is right, left, centre or right, it's wrong, it's frightening.

I'm not sure there's much by way of good spirit or nature here anymore, I didn't think the so called scathing comedy was helping the current political tensions.

Am I wrong here? Is The non partisan BBC fulfilling its mandate?

5/10.

Hosted by Angus Deayton, two teams (Captains Hislop and Merson and one guest each) pick through the weeks news in a quiz format. Rounds include odd one out, working out a story from news footage, missing words round etc. Winning is not as important as making good jokes.

This is the original panel show that sparked off copies on other subjects, music (never mind the buzzcocks) sport (they think it's all over) TV (It's only TV but I like it) etc. However it's a very British style of comedy - relying on sharp wits and cynical, satirical views on news stories. Deayton provides the scripted lines, Hislop provides the cruel satirical wit and Merson provides the off the wall style humour. All three are very different but work together very well making for a constant stream of jokes that appeal to different senses of humour.

The chemistry is so good that the guests don't really matter. Some are very good and match the sharp wits joke for joke. However others are clearly out of their depth and are not able to keep up with the joking, rather just try to answer the questions straight. Many are on so that they can be the butt of jokes - politicians are the main group that walk a tightrope by appearing on the show. However the guests are not that important - indeed Merson's team mates have included an Elton John impersonator and a tub of lard (after guests dropped out at the last moment), yet the show was as funny as ever.

Overall very Private Eye Editor Hislop's sharp, cynical humour mixed with Merson's surreal brand of comedy held together in a quiz format makes for a very funny show that feels as fresh as it did all those years ago.

How is the show unable to find anything funny in the feminist movement, remainers, being woke, being politically correct, the democrats, extinction rebellion. they seem like a goldmine of material. It's all so depressingly predictable, going after the usual suspects, isn't edgy or clever. Trump is an idiot, Brexit was bad we get it. oh Lord we get it. like a stuck record.

Have I Got News For You is a satirical news quiz in which two teams compete for points, by answering questions on the weeks events. The show is often devastatingly funny, extremely witty and is always fresh and topical.

Hosted by Angus Deayton until 2002, the show features two regular team captains, Ian Hislop and Paul Merton who are each joined by a guest. From the second series in 2002 and in to 2003, the show has been hosted by a series of guest hosts, ranging from popular MP's like William Hague and Charles Kennedy to mainstream celebrities such as Charlotte Church and Anne Robinson.

Ian Hislop is the editor of the fortnightly satirical magazine, private eye and is known for being euro-sceptic and anti-football. Throughout the shows history, Ian's knowledge of pop music has been the butt of many jokes from the other two regulars, but he usually takes it in good humour.

Paul Merton, the second of the two captains, is a well-known comedian who works for the BBC in a number of other productions, such as Room 101. His comments during the show are typically off the wall and almost random to the extent of making him the bright star of the show's off-beat humour - particularly if he's on form.

The show's guests include people from all areas of the media - ranging from lords to comedians and from political leaders to actors and actresses. Some of the show's best guests have been the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone (who claimed he was once second in popularity to the pope), Spectator editor and Tory MP, Boris Johnson (who made such a hash out of all his appearances as to be one of the show's brightest and funniest guests), Guardian Columnist and well-known Feminist, Germaine Greer (who made certain to Ian Hislop she was wearing don't f**k me shoes) and the totally mad Eddie Izzard who asked if all the items in the odd-one out were made out of jam.

Many people have claimed that without Angus Deayton, the show could not work and is destined for failure. Two series later, the show is still running as well as it ever has, with the added bonus of the guest hosts being able to shine through and give a wave of freshness to the show. How could ever forget Bruce Forsythe's "Play your Iraqi cards right?'

It's just a show that can never get tired - as the news itself will never get tiresome - there'll always be scandals, lies and Have I Got News For You.

Decades ago this was a great show, sadly it has become predictable and boring. Maybe if they had tried to change the format a little it would be salvageable.

To be concise - used to be funny years ago and now it's the same tired jokes every time in a format as stale as it can be. Merton and Hislop are likeable but you know what you'll get every time.

A cheap programme in every sense that ought to have been taken off the air a long while back. Funniest when Angus Deayton was the host - it has grown increasingly awful since then.

Odd how cheap jokes about politicians are viewed as satire these days - it has become so painfully predictable and if you find this funny then television as a whole must be a constant delight to you.

The audience are there to laugh and they do but really - how is this tired old mare still running?

Running for 14 years now, and through fire, brimstone and Presenter Prostitution Scandal, still going strong, the recent vein of guest presenters bringing strong new variety to the show.

'Private Eye' editor Ian Hislop and veteran funny man Paul Merton spearhead this quiz show, led formerly by respected actor Angus Deayton, of 'One foot in the grave' fame have sculpted a masterpiece manifested in this programme. At first, I was wondering how a show about current affairs could be so comic, but the news provides us with an inexhaustible supply of scandal, potential parodies, and hilarious opportunities to lambast politicians and such like, which is what 'Have I got news for you' has been inspired by for the last fourteen years.

Joined by two guests, usually politicians, comedians, journalists, or Boris Johnson, the format surprisingly has never grown tiresome, and with recent classics such as Angus'... Well, departure, the infamous 'Tub of Lard' episode, and 'Elton John' Joining the guests, I am hopeful this show will continue for many years to come.

Yes, it's still on, 25 years later. Yes, it's sort of become a staple in the British comedy landscape. But that doesn't make it good.

When HIGNFY is funny,it's on the money in terms of satire. However in recent years it's just become almost a send up of itself. The same old guest hosts back time and time again. We've seen what they can do, next please.

The best bit of the shows run for me was when Brucie was on the first time and pretty much reminded the nation why we love him.

I'm not saying axe it, the BBC aren't flush for comedies right now, they need it. But maybe give it more of a rest between series. Maybe then it'll come back a bit more refreshed, and funny.

Actor Angus Deayton, satirist Ian Hislop and comedian Paul Merton make a very formidable trio on this weekly quiz show. Each week they are joined by guests, with appearances by such people as Paula Yates, John Simpson and Tom Baker being particularly memorable. I don't know what Americans would make of it, because you have to be familiar with British celebrities and British news to understand it. Nevertheless, there is endless humour and it's a delight to watch the regulars score points against each other every episode. The format could go on forever but it wouldn't be the same without Deayton, Hislop and Merton.

I am an american in love with british panel shows. 8 out of 10 cats, countdown with 8 out of 10 cats, would i lie to you, etc etc tec. I simply dont get this show. The atmosphere, the lack of excitement, the ramblings with no point... WHERE IS THE COMEDY???

I think Paul Merton is brilliant and so is ian hislop and so WAS angus Deayton but if there is to be a replacement for Deayton it has to be Clive anderson. The show is probably the best comedy show Britain has at the moment and it isn't even a sitcom. I'm surprised that paul merton hasn't done his own sitcoms because he'd be brilliant. The show should never end. Can't wait for the video release in late november to early december. great show.

It's disgraceful the way you speak about human beings on your show because people like you people are struggling with mental health and wellbeing. Shame on you. You encourage people to be disrespectful and believe it's ok.