Never Mind the Full Stops Online

Another twist on the "Have I Got News for You" formula, the title highlighting the format link to Never Mind the Buzzcocks. However those expecting the same irreverent humour of either of these shows will be sorely disappointed because this is not what Full Stops is about. It is amusing but it is funny in a Radio 4 way rather than a Radio 1 or 2 way. I don't mean this in a derogatory way but I see it as a statement of fact. To me the other panel shows tend to be about free-wheeling wit and the answers tend to be secondary to the entertainment value and laughter provided.

Here the focus is more on being pedantic on the subject of language and grammar and obviously the appeal of this will depend on the individual; for some it will be a wonderfully engaging quiz show whereas for others it will be a terribly dull show with little of interest. For me personally I fall somewhere in the middle. Here and there I found it quite amusing but mostly I found it quite cold and aloof and nowhere near as entertaining as I would have expected it to be. It does vary slightly on the panellists involved but few manage to inject a lot of comedy into proceedings because the quiz aspects does tend to prevent it somewhat. Fellowes doesn't really help as he tends to be louder than his teams and is not particularly smart or funny; I can see why some viewers like him but I didn't.

Overall then an mildly entertaining show from my point of view. Far too tied up in itself to really provide entertainment value above and beyond the pendant-attracting value. For some it will be a great quiz to watch after finishing the crossword in The Times but unless you are the type of person who regularly corrects the errors in the speech or writing of others then I imagine the appeal of this will be quite limited.