Would I Lie to You?

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.

The best panal show in Britain right now and has been for some time, maybe even ever.

There's no political bias, preaching or agenda. It's just clean family fun, that everyone can enjoy (The swearing got toned down after the first 2 series and a time slot change).

I'm in my 30s and i love it my Grandad is in his 80s and loves it, my Mother and partner (who normally just enjoys football, football hooliganism and films about football hooliganism) loves it and my little sister who's 12 loves it. That's a lot of different generations and types of people with vastly different interests who enjoy the show, so it's always worth a try (If you want a sample search on YT for the Kevin Bridges buying a horse story).

I think replacing Angus Deaton with Rob Brydon was a master stroke, Him, Lee and David bounce off each other so well. So even if your not a fan of the guests or don't know who they are, you can still enjoy it because of those 3.

The only quibble is that it's too short, if they made an XL version like QI do (i know there's usually an extra episode with unseen stories, but there must be so much more) then I doubt there would be any complaints.

They've pretty much got the format bang on now, it used to be a lot faster paced but the last 5 series (maybe more) have been right on the money. The fact I'm a huge David Mitchell fan makes this a much watch for me, so idnyou were a fan of Peep show (everyone should be!!!) Or any of his other work, then it's worth watching just for his involvement.

This show along with 'This Time with Alan Partridge' & when a new series of 'Inside No 9' comes out are the only reasons I still have the iPlayer installed, (I don't watch TV live, it's so laborious wading through the rubbish to get to what you want) and unless there's a new series of the office or extras i don't see that changing anytime soon.

Fingaz MC.

This simple game of anecdotes that may or may not be true is as entertaining as it is because of the trio of regulars: the host (Rob Brydon) and the team captains (David Mitchell and Lee Mack). Their shared chemistry and ability to bounce off of each other is what saves any episode with subpar guests.

There are certainly many guests who are great at the game and very entertaining to listen, but they alone couldn't have carried this show for the 15 years it's been on.

Since there is rarely anything topical about the anecdotes, all of the series (except the first two) feel pretty much as fresh now as they did back in the day.

Superb show always high on laugh factor. Can't fault the team captains either David Mitchell and the always on-point Lee Mack. Without doubt one of the greatest shows ever devised.

"Would I Lie to You" is an insanely funny British panel show that will have you laughing out loud every episode. It stars Rob Brydon as host and David Mitchell and Lee Mack as team captains who are joined by two contestants each, either comedians or other TV personalities. The contestants have to read out a statement they've never seen before and the opposing team has to decide if they're lying or telling the truth. There also comes a guest to the show and each member of one team claims to know him and the opposing team has to decide which one has the genuine connection to the guest.

While the show's format alone makes it funny, it's Rob, David and Lee that really make the show: David and Lee work very well together as their TV personalities are in contrast and their banter is just hilarious. David shines with his rants and his dry, pedantic logic while Lee is incredibly witty and imaginative. Rob is effortlessly charismatic, acting either as mediator, instigator or participant depending on what the situation demands.

What makes the show so great is the fact that while it may be fun to guess if the stories are the truth or a lie, a large enjoyment stems from the stories themselves: they're often so interesting and funny that their facticity becomes a side issue. This - of course - depends on the contestants. Some are more skilled than others at telling stories in a funny and engaging way, though generally comedians are better at this. Kevin Bridge's horse story is mostly regarded as the most funny story, followed by the stories of Bob Mortimer, Greg Davies, Rhod Gilbert and Henning Wehn.