# UK Dopers: "8 out 10 cats" TV show
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 27, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832 "2013-04-27T12:24:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/1 "2013-04-27T12:24:44Z")
Last night I watched [- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msXrd-Qe6mo) **“8 out of 10 cats does countdown”** and I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s extremely entertaining and perhaps more so considering that American TV does hyper produced shows with its own appeal but this kind of show is what I remember about UK television.
I’m also a big fan of Jimmy Carr so that helps but everyone was really on the ball as they say. Really funny and natural flowing conversation (who knows, maybe it’s all a good setup but I doubt it).
The question I have - how popular is the show in UK and Europe?
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/2 "2013-04-27T12:48:28Z")
I enjoy it, despite being American. Jimmy Carr’s appeal varies over time, I think, and I wish they didn’t invite so many guests that are more famous than entertaining. But I absolutely love both Sean Locke and John Richardson. They’re hilarious.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/3 "2013-04-27T14:47:21Z")
Poor sad lonely Jon Richardson.
I love the show, but I am not a Brit. I also love the _Big Fat Quiz of the Year_.
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### Author:  [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/4 "2013-04-27T14:54:43Z")
Rachel is cute.
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### Author:  [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/5 "2013-04-27T15:19:21Z")
I’d consider it popular in the UK, and a more ‘contemporary’ version of ‘Have I Got News For You’ which tends to be watched by old farts like me.
Don’t think it would have much reach outside the UK.
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### Author:  [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/6 "2013-04-27T15:41:17Z")
> [@newcomer](#):
>
> Last night I watched [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msXrd-Qe6mo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msXrd-Qe6mo) **“8 out of 10 cats does countdown”** and I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s extremely entertaining and perhaps more so considering that American TV does hyper produced shows with its own appeal but this kind of show is what I remember about UK television.
>
> I’m also a big fan of Jimmy Carr so that helps but everyone was really on the ball as they say. Really funny and natural flowing conversation (who knows, maybe it’s all a good setup but I doubt it).
>
> The question I have - how popular is the show in UK and Europe?
It’s pretty popular in the UK - obviously it’s format is very derivative of previous shows, but it does it very well. I don’t know how popular it is in Europe, but it’s probably not one of those shows that is likely to cross over to the continent.
I’ve seen Jimmy Carr live and he is amazingly quick. Whenever someone heckled him from the audience he had an instant riposte, without even a slight pause. Those that do well on these sort of shows really do have very good skills for improvised comedy.
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### Author:  [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/7 "2013-04-27T15:59:34Z")
There are no cats. ☹
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/8 "2013-04-27T20:24:52Z")
I’m American and I’ve watched the show for awhile. Love it. Jon Richardson and Sean Locke also did a special together where they traveled a bit in America. It wasn’t as funny, but it was fun to watch Jon Richardson be uncomfortable.
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### Author:  [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/9 "2013-04-27T21:26:37Z")
There are quite a few of these Have I Got News For You knock-offs, but this one is actually not bad at all. It mostly hinges on whether you can stand Jimmy Carr. I can, and I really like Sean Lock a lot, which helps.
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### Author:  [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/10 "2013-04-28T08:23:57Z")
I like it a lot, and it seems consistently popular of its type.
The Countdown special, though, although it featured the usual suspects, is very little like the usual format IMO, which is much more familiar UK current panel show.
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### Author:  [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-8-out-10-cats-tv-show/656832/11 "2013-04-28T08:35:38Z")
I’m an American and I like it. I saw a few clips on youtube, and decided find some full episodes. A lot of the topical humor goes over my head. Especially when they’re talking about British celebrities. I rarely know who they’re talking about when an American show mentions American celebrities.
Actually, I just finished watching an episode a few minutes ago, then I came here and this was the first thread I saw.