I don’t know how many of you have access to it, but I’ve been watching the new QI with the new host.
The first episode I wasn’t quite into the new host–she seemed to be finding her bearings. I like the second episode more, but wish it had more klaxons.
Any other opinions?
I watched episode two before episode one, mainly because I’ll watch them as I run into them on YouTube.
I didn’t realize Fry was leaving, so I was a little startled to see Toksvig in the chair. It took a little while for the “this isn’t Stephen Fry!” feeling to fade, but I think they’ve made an excellent choice. I thought she ran a tight ship, with a disciplined balance between keeping on track and letting the comedians run with their funny tangents and anecdotes. She also brings the same headmaster / headmistress sensibility that Fry had.
In one of the episodes she gives a detailed elaboration on some topic and Alan quietly says “you’re in the right chair”. That and her reaction seemed quite a poignant moment (as much as you can say that about a quiz show), and I think Sandi Toksvig and Alan Davies are going to have a similar chemistry that will successfully bind the show together.
In short, two thumbs up!. Also, there was a Guardian article about this that aligned with my impressions on this: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/oct/28/qi-stephen-fry-sandi-toksvig-has-made-it-sing. I didn’t really notice or mind the smugness or cobwebs, but after reading the article I guess there’s a new freshness about these episodes that is nice.
I’ve watched QI since the very first episode and I am happy with Sandy as the host! I think she did fine and will continue to do well.
The BBC banned all-male panels in 2014 so it will be nice to have Sandy there on a permanent basis so they don’t have to scrape around for other women, but ALSO it will be nice to have at least one if not two women or MORE on every episode!
Haven’t seen the second episode of N, yet.
That was the first episode. And I did like that part, and thought maybe that was the point where she found her bearings, which is why I liked the second episode.
I still like the klaxons, though. There was even a point in the second one where I was sure there should’ve been a klaxon for an obvious wrong answer, but there wasn’t one.
I’ll admit I’m nowhere near caught up on the show, as I just recently found a way to watch every whole episode online. Has the klaxon been played down in more recent series?
I don’t know if it’s been played down so much as that the panelists have become more reluctant to give obvious answers.
Lucy Beaumont was a little off, but the 2nd one, “North Norse” was a masterclass on what makes Qi so good. Intresting questions, comic arguments between panelits, good diversions. I haven’t seen a QI XL this good for years.
“It’s like Scotland, where YOU come from” was an outstanding line.
Fry seemed a bit bored and listless in recent years, at least to me. I can’t blame the man for wanting to move on after 13 years, although I have no idea why he felt he had to move on to a crappy American multi-camera network sitcom.
I liked Sandi a lot, although I was thrown off a bit at the beginning by how different her gregarious host persona was from her dry, acerbic appearances as a guest. It almost seems at times that she’s doing a Fry impression.
I don’t know any facts, but I suspect Stephen Fry’s depression was starting to interfere with his ability to keep an upbeat face on some episodes, especially with the schedule being upgraded to two shows each shoot day, multiple days a week.
The simple answer might be that Hugh Laurie got into US TV through House.
As for that American sitcom, Fry was certainly the best part of it. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”
Uh, sorry? You can’t really search for things that short, and I checked a page or two.
Since the threads have a clear time separation, I’d like to request that they be merged.