A hilarious series starring many of TV's greatest comedians. 'QI' is a very unique, funny and often intelligent show. It also certainly lives up to its name, 'Quite Interesting'. Many ideas for this series are ingenious, such as every subsequent series being called the next letter of the alphabet, and each episode using a word beginning with that letter and other words. 'QI' is certainly a very different show, and definitely not in a bad way.
Stephen Fry hosts this series, making it all the more funny and witty, with Alan Davies at his side every episode, taking a rather 'dim' role at time to add humour. The other three panelists vary, with many comedians and other celebrities appearing on multiple occasions. Fry will give very odd, but interesting pieces of knowledge to the audience and the panelists which he receives via an earpiece from the crew, to which the panelists will react as themselves, usually in shock or humour, and reply with witty comments. This system works perfectly, making the show both more hilarious and interesting than most others.
I'm not too sure on this, but I believe that the writing is more for Fry's and, on occasion, Davies' dialogue. The crew research interesting points, try to verify them and then write it down, making adjustments so it is short but still interesting. John Lloyd is the head writer, so most credit must go to him. The directing is pretty much standard for TV quiz shows, so nothing new here. The opening theme, composed by Howard Goodall, is unique and quirky, fitting the series. It's is actually also very catchy, and you may find yourself humming it in the shower after watching an episode.
Although both hilarious and intelligent, 'QI' can often be wrong. They state things very factually, obviously, but are wrong on occasion. They sometimes correct themselves episodes later, but this is not always a show. This is looked at as a very factual and intelligent show above anything else, but I am afraid that I cannot agree. I first noticed a huge mistake with the 'Earth has two moons' episode. This is wrong, Fry calls the 'second moon' "Cruithne", which is an asteroid which doesn't not orbit the Earth. This is a common misconception. After this I have researched many 'facts' from the show, and have found more than a few to be more misconceptions. However, the show is correct most of the time.
This is a great show, despite it being wrong on occasion. It is hilarious, witty and interesting, which is everything it wants and needs to be. It hasn't declined in quality, like most shows, and remains brilliant. I only put this at an 8/10 due to the misconceptions I have found. If you're looking for witty comedy, this is the perfect show for you.
