2. the use of humour, irony,
exaggeration, or ridicule to
expose and criticize.
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3. Host: Dara O’Briain
Team Captains: Hugh Dennis, Russell Howard,
Andy Parsons (who have been in most of the
episodes)
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4. Looking at the following statements; what do
you think best describe panel shows?
5. Panel shows...
Seriously analyse current affairs
Are renowned for attacking rich, powerful and
famous people
Criticise normal people
Focus on comedy rather than winning
Have a strong sense of competition.Winning is
very important to the teams
Are often controversial
Offer unbiased, fair opinions and facts
Use the same format every week
Change format every week
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6. Are renowned for attacking rich, powerful
and famous people
Focus on comedy rather than winning
Are often controversial
Use the same format every week
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7. ‘Scenes We’d Like to See’
This is the part of the programme where all
the comedians go to the performance area
and are given a question to answer
They have to IMPROVISE their response
Questions such as:
‘things you wouldn’t see in a super hero movie’
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8. With the person sitting next to
you, think of a comic answer to
the following question...
Be prepared to share with the
rest of the class!
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Task
11. Title: using the same format
Using the same format every week is a key
feature of a panel show.With the reference to
the clip we just watched, write down a
sentence or two explaining how this feature
might offer the audience pleasure?
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12. The improvised rounds are done ‘one the spot’.
The comedians do not know what the
questions or topics will be.
What do you think happens when things are
improvised?
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Audience expect controversy and risky
answers
14. By using the same format every week, the audience knows
what to expect and can look forward to the different parts of
the show. However, the ‘scenes we’d like to see’ section is
unpredictable.The comedians have to improvise an answer
to questions.This means that the audience have no idea
what the answers could be.The improvisation can often
lead to controversial things bring said. For example, Danny
Boyle make a joke about 9/11 in his answer to ‘things you
wouldn’t expect to hear in a super hero movie’.This type of
humour is shocking and some audiences will find this funny.
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How does using the same format offer the
audience pleasure?
15. ‘Headliners’
This is the part of the programme where the
guests have to guess the headline based on
what the picture looks like
The guests give comic answers until Dara
O’Briain prompts them for the correct answer
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17. The fact that points are irrelevant and comedy
is the focus and the humour is satirical are
other key features of panel shows.
Write down and answer the following question in
a sentence or two:
How does the use of satire offer the audience
pleasure? (use ‘headliners’ as an example)
What are they making fun of?Why is this
appealing?
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Satire
18. MockTheWeek uses satirical humour.This is where
ridicule, sarcasm and exaggeration is used to make
fun of politicians and current affairs. In the
‘Headliners’ round, the comedians have to guess
what the headline could be.The focus is on comic
effect and not winning the round. In s.12 e.3 the
guests make fun of Gordon Brown.This offers the
audience pleasure because not only do the
contestants keep up to date with current affairs,
important political people are made fun of and they
also get to hear the opinions of their favourite
comedians.15/11/2013
19. What is satire?
What are some of the key features of panel
shows?
How do they offer the audience pleasure?
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20. How does MockThe Week offer the audience pleasure?
Key words: Example from the episodes:
Regular comedians Dara O’Briain, Andy Parsons
Satire ‘Headliners’
Same format ‘Scenes we’d like to see’- 9/11 joke
Frankie Boyle
Controversy Rebecca Adlington ‘looks like
someone who is looking at
themselves in the back of a spoon’-
Fannkie Boyle (again)
Use these key words (and other key feature that we have discussed)
to analyse how they might bring the audience pleasure.
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21. What are some key features of panel shows?
How do they offer the audience pleasure?
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