TV Review: THE GUESS LIST and AMAZING GREYS

The Guess List: Saturday, BBC One

Amazing Greys: Saturday, STV

Paul Whitelaw

It's testament to the versatility of Rob Brydon that he can concurrently star in BBC Two's The Trip to Italy with Steve Coogan, which behind all the crowd-pleasing impersonations is a relatively introspective project, and appear as the host of a shiny-floored Saturday night game show on BBC One. Almost unique among his peers, he straddles both worlds with ease.

Co-produced by the man himself, The Guess List is basically just an excuse for him to muck about with an unusually high calibre of celebrity guest. When was the last time you saw Simon Callow, let alone Jennifer Saunders, on a quiz show? It's presumably due to Brydon's standing in the industry that he can command such stellar talent.

The actual quiz format – basically a straightforward fusion of Family Fortunes and Blankety Blank – takes a back seat to Brydon's genial joshing with the panellists and contestants. And that's why, despite its populist front, The Guess List finds itself in a post-watershed slot.

While I'm sure he's more than capable of fronting a family-friendly light entertainment show, the default nature of his wit – that winning barrage of barbed insults softened with a butter-wouldn't-melt veneer – is slightly too dark for the Doctor Who and Strictly audience. 

While hardly shocking, his quips about autopsies and caesareans wouldn't sit comfortably at 7pm. This is a man, lest we forget, who was responsible for Marion and Geoff and Human Remains, two of the bleakest TV comedies of the last fifteen years. That contrast between the affable mainstream entertainer and the cult character comedian with a penchant for darkness creates an interesting tension.

Ultimately, however, The Guess List is good, silly, harmless fun. As a quiz show host, Brydon has learned from the best. His aghast looks to camera are pure Brucie – he even threw in a brief impersonation, which were otherwise sparingly used – and his occasional gags at the expense of “Mrs Brydon” would've delighted Les Dawson. As host of Would I Lie to You? he often intrudes to the detriment of the game, whereas here the whole point is his cheeky dominance of the format.

It helps that his guests happily throw themselves into the spirit of the show. Callow was an endearing tumult of good-natured mirth as he endured countless barbs about his age. And even James Corden – who's obviously learned a few valuable lessons in humility – was content to let his old Gavin & Stacey colleague hog the spotlight. 

If your tolerance for Brydon is limited, then The Guess List will quickly outstay its welcome. But if, like me, you're a fan of his work, then it's just another welcome excuse to spend time in his company.

ITV's new Saturday night rival, Amazing Greys, is by comparison a turgid bore. Together at last, Paddy McGuinness and Angela Rippon pit various young pretenders against a team of older experts. The point is presumably to show that - hey! - old people can achieve things too. How enlightening.

Interminably padded – just five tedious rounds were played over the space of an hour – it's an inherently patronising misfire that encourages a kind of cloying faux-rivalry between the generations. It also begs the unanswerable question: why is Paddy McGuinness? You could drive yourself mad pondering that one.