QI
Background
QI is a TV show originally broadcast on late-night BBC 4, but has now moved to Prime-Time BBC2,
and is also frequently aired on
'Dave'.
What is QI?
QI and The BBC (And Dave)
QI (which stands for 'Quite Interesting') is a comdedy panel quiz show, in some ways similar to '8 Out of 10 Cats' and 'Have I Got News For You'. It is hosted by Stephen Fry, who asks his panelists to answer certain general knowledge questions. The catch is, that the answer is not always the obvious one.
The BCC's aim is to; inform, educate, and entertain. QI provides all of these. It informs people about the current world, it educates people on little-known facts, and it is ludicrously entertaing and funny. It fits perfectly in with the BBC's mission.
QI is also aired frequently on 'Dave', which is advertised as "The home of witty banter". Once more, this fits in perfectly with the channel's ideals and values, as QI does
indeed contain a large amount
of witty banter.
Why Is It So Popular?
The reason for QI's popularity is mainly the fact that it is simply funny. Each of the contestants has a buzzer which makes an unexpected and amusing noise (such as a sneeze), as opposed to a normal "buzz". When a contestant gets an answer wrong, a very embarrassing and loud alarm goes off which singles the contestant out as a complete fool.