Powerful

Brilliant and touching

Awesome Movie

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

In this panel game, the players take turns in saying something amusing about themselves, then the others try to work out whether it's true or is a lie. It doesn't work most of the time. That's because most of the lies are either obviously untrue - or are so trivial that it doesn't matter.The episodes vary a lot in entertainment value, depending who is taking part during that one - but most episodes are awful.Some of the most common participants aren't good on this show, despite being good elsewhere. David Mitchell is very good in scripted comedy such as Peep Show and the sketch shows that he did with Robert Webb - but as himself, his formal and intellectual style is uncomfortably incongruous for this light-hearted format.

I'm not big on panel shows, but Would I Lie to You? easily transcends its form and is one of my favourite shows period. Featuring a host (currently Rob Brydon, but previously Angus Deayton, for the first two series), and two comedians serving as team captains (David Mitchell playing up his high-brow nerdiness while Lee Mack serves as his foil), the show is genuinely funny with a fairly simple premise. Contestants read a bizarre story off a card and the opposing team is able to question them for a brief period before they must guess whether they are telling the truth or lying. It's a great format that has introduced me to the best of British comedic talent (Sarah Millican, Miranda Hart, and Rhod Gilbert are some of my fave guest stars) and every episode gives me at least a couple of real laughs.

Comedy panel shows seem to be the same similar setup, most like 8 Out of 10 Cats, Have I Got New for You and Mock the Week focus only on recent events and stuff, this one doesn't. Hosted by Rob Brydon (originally Angus Deayton in the first two series), with team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack, this show takes the concept of lying and telling the truth, and makes it into a game of telling what is fact and what is fiction. Rounds include a statement by one of the panellists and the other team identifying its reality, a celebrity statement and deciding what the reality is in that, identifying which person genuinely knows a mystery guest brought into the studio, and the final quick-fire round of quick statements and identifying their reality, including possessions. Guests have included Duncan Bannatyne, Frankie Boyle, Natalie Cassidy, Dom Joly, John Barrowman, Patrick 'Paddy' McGuinness, Fay Ripley, Dominic Wood, Jimmy Carr, Eamonn Holmes, Ulrika Jonsson, Dara O'Briain, Leslie Ash, Myleene Klass, Jason Manford, Neil Morrissey, Len Goodman, Russell Howard, Vic Reeves, Wendy Richard, Harry Enfield, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, Dave Spikey, Claudia Winkleman, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Gabby Logan, Robert Webb, Trisha Goddard, Rich Hall, Ben Shephard, David Baddiel, Maureen Lipman, Richard Wilson, Michael Aspel, Davina McCall, Olivia Colman, Hugh Dennis, Peter Serafinowicz, Danny Baker, Michael Buerk, Anton Du Beke, Shane Richie, Rhys Thomas, Phil Daniels, Lauren Laverne, Michael McIntyre, Jo Brand, Larry Lamb, Carol Vorderman, Fern Britton, Reginald D. Hunter, Ken Livingstone, Stephen Mangan, Jamelia, Marcus Brigstocke, Terry Christian, Clive Anderson, Miranda Hart, Christine Bleakley, Kelvin Mackenzie, Jack Whitehall, Omid Djalili, Dave Gorman, Janet Street-Porter, Ronni Ancona, Sir Chris Hoy, Danny Wallace, Michael Ball, Charlie Brooker, Reece Shearsmith, Trinny Woodall, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Martin Clunes, Richard E. Grant, Jack Dee, Ruth Jones, Kevin Bridges, Brian Cox, Keeley Hawes, Ben Fogle, Craig Revel Horwood, Kate Silverton, Julian Clary, Ronnie Corbett, Sarah Millican, Holly Walsh, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Rhod Gilbert, Rufus Hound, Bernard Cribbins, Patrick Kielty, Deborah Meaden, Mark Watson, Chris Addison, John Bishop, Joanna Page, Patsy Palmer, Rebecca Front, Nick Hewer, Sir Terry Wogan, David O'Doherty, Katherine Parkinson, Louie Spence, Bill Turnbull, Nigel Havers, Nina Wadia, Gregg Wallace, Greg Davies, Konnie Huq, Phil Tufnell, Bill Oddie, Jon Richardson, Frank Skinner, Victoria Coren, Mackenzie Crook, Chris Packham, Barry Cryer, Lorraine Kelly, Sue Perkins, Alexander Armstrong, Mel Giedroyc, Alex Jones, Chris Tarrant, Kate Humble, Miles Jupp, Richard Madeley, Richard Bacon, Clare Balding, Dale Winton, Tess Daly, Des O'Connor, Sally Phillips, Andy Hamilton, Dr. Christian Jessen, Diane Parish, Patsy Kensit, Bob Mortimer, Richard Osmon, Huw Edwards, Josie Lawrence, Bradley Walsh, Jim Carter, Armando Iannucci, Emily Maitlis, Vernon Kay, Denise Van Outen, Charles Dance, Isy Suttie, Gok Wan, Joan Bakewell, Warwick Davis, Paul Hollywood, Matt Dawson, Dermot O'Leary, Josh Widdicombe, Susan Calman, David Harewood, Greg Rutherford, Henning Wehn, Susanna Reid, Griff Rhys Jones, Micky Flanagan, Steve Jones, Fiona Bruce, Rob Beckett, Adam Buxton, Bruno Tonioli, Adil Ray, Kian Egan and many more. Very good!

Good, this. Two teams of celebrity guests try to figure out whether their opponents ridiculously far-fetched statements about themselves are true or, in fact, a lie."Would I Lie To You?" is a fairly new Quizcom that pokes fun at the recent boom of "truth game" formats. It only arrived on screens last year, but made an instant impact with me. A great selection of guests so far, and well-picked team captains in David Mitchell, whom I'd already established, and Lee Mack, new to me at the time but with a great, slightly Chandler-like comedy style.It's also good to finally see Angus Deayton return to a quiz host's chair. He hasn't lost any of his wonderful deadpan wit since his HIGNFY days, and makes for an integral part of the show's success. The first truly entertaining new TV programme in a long time, and it's set to return for a second series. I look forward to it.