The Post Modern Game Show
I have been told that there are two types of people in this world: those who know everything about one subject, and those who know a little about every subject. In a post-modern world, both of these kinds of knowledge are not enough to understand what is real and what is not. What I mean by this is the real is what we see as authoritative and what we see as necessary to learn how to govern society. That which is not real is seen as a facade to make it appear valuable next to knowledge. One manner in which we show that this façade of knowledge is in society is through television game shows. In this information age, gathering knowledge even from our daily past time shows our fascination for the facts; however, even game shows have advanced beyond the question and answer form. The authorities of game shows are no longer the producers and the game show hosts’; however, they are now the audience and the interaction they have with the show.
Previously, shows like Jeopardy and The Price is Right were the highest ranking in game shows. Today comedy turns these prizewinners into information-packed, phony quiz shows. Previously, game shows in a modern world had one main point of interest: points leading to money. Today’s game shows are still run by points, but in the end there is no money. In fact, the illusion of points awarded and taken away becomes a joke itself. In reality, having popular comedians as guests makes the show more interesting than having a “nobody” answer. An example of this post-modern quiz show is a BBC program called “Quite Interesting.” The host is England’s well renowned actor, Stephen Fry. The panels of contestants on the show are all comedians and always include the actor and comedian Alan Davies as the “idiot.” In contrast to “Quite Interesting,” Jeopardy’s only celebrity is the host, Alex Trebek, and the contestants are only common people.
Jeopardy opens with an announcer’s introduction of each of the contestants, stating their professions and if they are a returning guest. The audience applauds them, and everyone, including the contests, applauds as Alex comes from behind the colorful set. We see the camera swoop the stage as if someone grand has taken place at the front podium- this establishes Alex as the authority. Alex greets the audience and begins by either acknowledging the life stories of each contestant or notes that there is a returning guest. The returning guest has his or her winnings from the previous show flashed across the screen while the announcer proclaims the amount proudly. As you settle into this straightforward approach, you have a sense that this is a serious television show filled with knowledge and information. Something as simple as format of the show can change it’s appeal and audience completely. The serious tone of Jeopardy has an older age range and group that is interesting in knowing a little of everything. In opposition, “Quite Interesting” takes on a different tonality.
As QI (Quite Interesting) opens, you are welcomed by Stephen Fry in a Q shaped desk surrounded by two giant TV screens, colorful lighting, and the audience clapping. These signs are the usual signals of a television game show. However, you notice a few different ways the show is formatted verses Jeopardy. As the camera swoops in, it doesn’t show you the host as the important feature. Instead the audience itself is included as the main frame before the host or his comedic guests are focused on. The host and panelists are not applauding along with the audience and instead they are talking amongst each other. This disconnection of the audience from the panelists shows a different kind of authority and a different attitude all together from the seriousness of Jeopardy. QI is public broadcasting like Jeopardy, but it acts in favor of a younger crowd. The familiarity the viewer receives as you swoop through the audience invites you to come sit and listen to a group of friendly people chat amongst each other.
Stephen starts out the show with an introduction of what the particular episode is about (in this case, since it is Series F, it is about The Future) and continues to introduce the panel of comedians. At this point, if you have watched the show before, they only change the panel to a very few, select comedians in order to keep the show familiar; however, you will notice that the selection of comedians are not from a highly educated group. These comedians are from televisions shows that are meant for the younger crowd and those who go to comedy clubs. You know now this show is not for the kind of people who are interested in information, but those who want to be entertained by knowledge. This is the postmodern way of gaining knowledge – understanding everything through the new medias we have and the old forms of entertainment.
Following the introductions, each of the four comedians are assigned a buzzer with a particular, and funny sound relating to the theme – in this case The Twighlight Zone, the original Star Trek intro, the new Doctor Who intro, and finally, for Allen Davies, the Frank Sinatra song: Let’s Face The Music. Not only are the buzzers themed but Stephen and his guest comedians have a bricolage tied to them. They all wear a sash that connects you back to Star Trek and any previous sci-fi movies. This small but significant form of symbolism also signs to the audience that this show is meant form a particular generation.
As the questions begin, you notice the usual signs of a game show appear: the stack of cards in front of the host, the alarms going off as the contestant gets the question wrong, and the correct answers award with points. However, this game show in some ways becomes quite interesting compared to the old days of Jeopardy. First of all, when the questions are asked, the audience themselves are encouraged to answer as well as the contestants. The comedians try not to answer the question with any seriousness; instead, they attempt to make the answer even more outrageous and ask for worthless points anyways. By the time the first question is finally answered, the audience is roaring with laughter and you have learned more about the personal life stories of these comedians than the actual answer.
For Jeopardy, the money is the whole point of the game. If there was no form of prize money given out at the end of each show, there most likely would be no contestants. The rank of authority is determined by who has the most money in that particular moment of the show. The returning guest always has the first question choice from the board in Jeopardy. The answer also must be given in the form of a question such as “Who is Jim Morrison. This tone of voice shows a lesser authority over Alex who has the most leniencies when speaking to the audience and the contestants. This versus QI in which the more witty or interesting an answer, even if it is in fact wrong, will gain more points that the obvious or correct answer.
The wit and skill of the comedian proves more important than the points won throughout the game show; however, you gain so much more interest and information from this half an hour fake game show than a Q and A of Jeopardy. How could this be happening? The answer is simple: the interaction between host, guest, and audience has become more personal. This new form of game show is a mixture of comedians’ knowledge of interaction with the audience and forms of improv that have proven successful. The new quiz show has compiled the enjoyment of real life stories with interesting facts to create a new realm of knowledge.
As the show progresses, one of the comedians, Ben Miller, shows actual knowledge of how scientists are currently working with mass. Instead of letting him share his knowledge the other comedians act bored and mock him for his knowledge. Not only do they mock him, the audience laughs as Ben tries to redeem himself for being informative. In order to gain attention of the audience and the comedians back to his list of questions, Stephen Fry uses his wit to mock both Ben and the other comedians with the information given. In Jeopardy, none of the contestants are allowed to speak any further than their answers. If they produce an incorrect answer, they are punished by having money taken away instead of encouraged to explain their answer.
What makes QI a more valuable show is the information. Stephen not only gives out facts about the questions he asks, but also the ideas brought about by the comedians. For example, the question of “When were the first time capsules invented” is answered with the 1940s, Stephen refers to the Guinness Book of World Records. He then states that this is not only a time capsule but also an entire room meant to be open in 8113. The comedians are encouraged to ask questions about why this date is so specific and guess what is the reasoning. Once they have guessed, Stephen continues about what exactly is in the room. This is a more intriguing and satisfying view of what a time capsule is as opposed to a simple Q and A format on Jeopardy. What makes it even most fascinating is how the comedians use analogies in order to further the interest in the subject.
As the comedians continue their own conversations on science and astronomy, the point of astrology being “rubbish” is mentioned. At this point of the show, Stephen fry turns to the camera and states clearly “…anyone who believes in Astrology and is currently watching, is banned from watching QI.” This interaction with Stephen to the public pushes the boundaries of Jürgen Habermas’ public sphere. This public sphere is “…a space where citizens come together to debate and discuss the pressing issues of society” (definitions). As a sense of authority, Stephen allows the audience to overtake the next moment with applause and whistling. In Jeopardy, the only interactions that the cameras, or the viewers in front of the televisions, have are at the beginning and end of the show. This includes the contestants saying hello, Alex saying hello, and Alex saying goodnight to the camera. Stephen Fry welcomes you at the beginning and says goodbye to you at the end, but with a tonality of cheerfulness and with a silly quote to add some good humor.
While the audience dies down, Ben interjects Stephen’s next question with his knowledge of time travel. Instead of turning him into a pawn for a joke, Stephen comments on how his statements are valid and in fact should be applauded for “…being someone who is worth having on this show.” The irony of coarse being that the main point of being on Quite Interesting is to have a laugh about information instead of relaying back to the Q and A status. This reminder of a game show makes us question what will happen next and hints to us that this show might not be purely for our entertainment.
The only friendly atmosphere that Jeopardy portrays throughout the entire show is when Alex has an interview with each of the contestants. This may seem similar to QI’s friendly attitude, however, the contestants do not interact with each other, and they only discuss themselves with Alex. This one on one time is no more than a continuation of Q and A time for Alex. However, it is for the audience’s viewing pleasure to know the individuals- this is merely touching base with the post-modern ideal of a game show. So how do we tell at this point what is the real and what is the façade?
The final round of Quite Interesting is called “General Ignorance” and focuses mainly on Alan Davies’ answers. In a sense, you could call Alan the ignorant mass society. His answers are considered common knowledge and in fact entirely wrong. His reference is mainly the Internet, and his answers are given in short and simple comments with his personal stories being his main discussions. This is how we know the façade is showing itself. Alan is put on QI in order to represent those who are modern and have not made the jump into the post-modern world. Instead of asking more questions about questions, he is determined to know the straightforward answers that Wikipedia has given him. Although he tries desperately to prove Stephen wrong, his attempts are futile. However, the audience feels for Alan and the blows he receives from Stephen are softened.
As QI ends, Stephen gives out the points and the audience applauds. What’s quite interesting about this section is what the points actually are. If you watch the show only for the points given out, you cannot discern whether the point system works or not. First of all, there is no scoreboard like Jeopardy. Second, the points at the end of most QI episodes are in the negative range. And third, the audience has won on the random occasion for guessing an answer correctly. Unlike QI, Jeopardy has a money counter on the front of each of the contestant’s podiums. The fact of the matter for postmodern game shows is that points should in fact not matter. The real calculator for the success of a game show’s contestants is in fact that they have taught the audience something intriguing and useful. This is unapparent in Jeopardy because at the end of the show the contestants all stand together with Alex as if to show they are the importance of the show. At the end of QI, Stephen gives out a witty quote from history to end on a friendly note. You watch as the camera pulls away yet again from a group of people chatting amongst each other. You feel as if you are leaving a group of friends behind.
So, as postmodernism takes over our television shows, we can’t help but note game shows as an exception. The valuable points have been replaced by the viewer’s need to know more. How will we know what new game shows will turn up next? It will be quite interesting to find out.
