It's another of those 'panel-shows from hell' where famous people get to wish they weren't so famous. Originally panelled by slick, witty and sarcastic Mark Lamarr; two teams hosted by Phil Jupitus and Bill Bailey answer pop-music related questions around a loosely-based format. It is not a flattering programme. Few but their fans have much sympathy with the smug, shallow dim-witted, spoilt popsters, and Mark Lamarr ground away at their reputation and success with sphincter-puckering ruthlessness. Quite often it was just an excuse for a hatchet-job, and usually well deserved. There are questions and answers. And there's lot's to be learnt. An amazing amount of background information about the music industry in general is conveyed at tremendous speed, with gags a plenty. Informative and rather touching is a line-up of popsters past. Yesterday's forgotten heartthrobs stand geriatrically incarnate amongst a line of nameless equivalents, and panelists must identify the original. There is a contemporary film-clip of their youth to jog memories. Nobody in the line-up has their feelings spared. Throughout the programme, there are asides and sometimes lengthy digressions in which guests are made to suffer and squirm. It's definitely one of the best panel shows ever produced, the musical equivalent of 'Have I Got News For You'. When Mark Lamarr left the show I thought that would be its death knell. But no; a rather juvenile Simon Amstell took over and brought his own brand of humour to the show. If anything; it got funnier. Amstell has proved to be just as witty and sarcastic as Lamarr but less overbearing somehow; a strangely vulnerable personality makes his insinuating remarks all the more barbed. The show has gone from strength to strength. Long may the pretentious pop-icons be demolished.

I totally agree with everyone else, Mark Lamar is excellent as Presenter, Phill Jupitus is difficult to dislike, and SeanHughes/Bill Bailey have a great off the wall take on life .... but must add the comment, that it's usually better when "older" stars are the guests, and when they don't quite "get" what is going on, eg: Lemmy (Motorhead), who at first didn't understand what was happening, and when he did, took offence at the jokes being mostly at his expense and walked off in the last few seconds of the programme. ..... I'm not sure the title would work elsewhere in the world though, the Sex Pistols reference is obvious, but "Buzzcocks" less so. .... "Anyone got ideas for other titles for around the world ?"

Following the success of Have I got News For You, this put the panel format to a music quiz. The focus not so much being on winning or even giving the right answer but making as many jokes during the quiz as possible. The show is hosted by Mark Lamarr with two teams captained by Sean Hughes and Phil Jupitus. The rounds include connections (finding the links between two artists), intros (2 members of the team try to do an intro and the third member must guess the song), the line-up (teams must pick a `famous' musician out of a line of 5 people) and last lines (teams complete song lyrics).The show is consistently very funny - the teams obviously have some time to prepare and are given some notice of what's coming - but it does depend on the 4 guests. Sometimes a comedian will guest and will try too hard, or a musician will not deal with the quick wits around him. But for most of the time Lamarr, Hughes and Jupitus are sharp enough to carry the whole thing themselves. The humour is quite mad - cruel and sharp - so it may not be to everyone's taste.Overall it may not be the most original format for a show but with a good team and good guests this manages to be consistently funny. Who wins doesn't matter one bit and you do feel that everyone just wants to have a laugh. A very enjoyable 30 minutes week in, week out.

Never Mind the Buzzocks is a really good, funny and enjoyable game show.Hosted by the cleverly spoken Mark Lamarr (who is also captin of "Team A" in the game show "Shooting Stars") who in my opinion is a brilliant game show host. Phil Jupitus and Sean Hughes are captains of the two teams, both of them are also very funny.Games rounds in the show include "song impersonations" where two of the three contestents in a team have to act out a couple of popular songs without using the lyrics, they can only impersonate the instruments used in the song. This round can be hilarious.Never Mind the Buzzcocks is one of my favirote game shows but I still think "Shooting Stars" hosted by the really funny Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer still edges it for me.8/10.