Panel game

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A panel game is a game show, particularly popular in the United Kingdom, in which a panel of celebrities compete — either in teams or individually. It is usually chaired by another celebrity. The genre has a lengthy history on both radio and television. Unlike most game shows, the panels will often have the same members (panelists) for every show. This can lead to the development of in-jokes and running gags.

Some games such as Just a Minute are humorous, others such as Face the Music are more serious. All share the common theme that entertainment is more important than points.

Most panel games often have a theme. Some are satirical such as Have I Got News for You or The News Quiz. 8 Out of 10 Cats is based on statistics. Quote... Unquote is about quotations. A more bizarre panel game is QI, where the questions are so hard, points are given for answers that are interesting, regardless of whether they are right or even relevant.

At one point the panel game was sufficiently common on British radio that the comedy I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue was created in response. Ironically, this is now one of the longest-running panel games broadcast. It satirises many common elements of game shows, not least the unimportance of scoring. Another example of a panel game parody is Shooting Stars, which often had questions that were normally impossible to answer.

Many panel games are variants on classic parlour games, for example Give Us a Clue is based on Charades. Others have become parlour games, or at least new variants, themselves. Examples include Call My Bluff, in which players try to guess the correct meanings of obscure words. Another The Unbelievable Truth features players giving a mostly erroneous lecture while trying to smuggle past true information past the other competitors.

Many panel games are recorded, either in full or in part (such as Through the Keyhole), in front of a studio audience. Others, (such as Puzzle Panel), are recorded without one.

The same personalities often appear on multiple panel games.