The 1% Club? 99% of its appeal is presenter Lee Mack
WITHOUT much warning, the glorious concept of “personal responsibility” was reintroduced to the public on TV this week.
Not by the news, a documentary or television drama, which have all had the idea throttled out of them by 30 years of Government molly-coddling.
But by ITV’s quiz show, The 1% Club, where its brilliant host Lee Mack was doing his best to give a toss about a debt-ridden and unsuccessful contestant called Mariella by asking her where she’d spaffed the money.
“On festivals,” she beamed.
At which point, Lee’s 53-year-old face contorted itself into an expression of contempt and he snapped: “Well, I’ve no sympathy then.
“Shall we have a whip round? No, we’ll move on.”
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A response that’ll probably give anyone under 35 a fit of the vapours, it’s far from the first time this refreshing approach has been taken, though, on The 1% Club, a series I hadn’t expected to like nearly as much as I do.
But then, on the very first episode seven weeks ago, one smartly dressed old dear called Angela told Lee the only reason she’d put on her best frock was because “I thought I was going to see Jane McDonald & Friends” and I muttered: “We might just have a TV show here.”
I stand by that claim, although it’s more of an IQ test than a quiz, where the 100 contestants have to solve puzzles and riddles, in ascending order of difficulty, from the frankly p*** easy to the infuriatingly hard, until they reach a question only 1% of the British public can solve.
There are issues with the production, particularly with the baffling “prize pot” rule, and the studio lighting, which never comes close to telling me who’s been eliminated.
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What sets it apart and turns The 1% Club into something enjoyable, though, is Lee Mack, one of those increasingly rare television creatures.
A comedian who’s actually funny and knows how to work an audience.
To the point that I’m not entirely sure whether this is really a game show or a comedy and the people in the studio are contestants or just foils who can expect no mercy if they: Try to come up with an excuse, wear a jumper bearing a stupid slogan (“What’s done cannot be undone”), admit they’re a student, have a funny name, a bald head or just make the mistake of telling Lee their job title after getting a question wrong.
“I’m a smart meter engineer.”
“Not any more you’re not.
“Let’s just go with ‘meter engineer’.”
It’s the exact opposite of a safe space and all those smarmy quiz shows where the pampered little lambs get told: “You played brilliantly,” even when they haven’t and expect a round of applause just for saying: “I work in the NHS.”
If anyone’s thinking of feigning concern for the “mental health” of The 1% Clubbers, though? Don’t you dare. They love Lee’s brutal approach even more than I do.
In fact, I suspect they’ve been carefully selected for the purpose of having fun, given the contestant roster has already included Attila Annus, Tracey Topliss, PC Allcock and Gary Dumbell, who most certainly lived up to his billing. Quite often they’ll also try to have a dig back at Lee, which always ends badly, either immediately or when they get a question wrong.
“Oh Junaid! What’s done cannot be undone. Well, you started it, mate.”
If there have been occasions when Lee has gone in too hard, I certainly haven’t noticed, nor would I flag them up either.
Because the moment people laugh at any truth-telling comedian, whether it’s Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle or Lee Mack, the fun police now arrive and try to shut it down.
Netflix has the backbone to resist the cultural busybodies.
ITV, however, is run by woke jellyfish who’d probably crumble as soon as the professionally offended few shouted “hurt feelings”, then reel Lee in and ruin their hit show which has provided much more solid Saturday night entertainment than the current run of Britain’s Got Talent.
In saying this I realise, of course, one TV quiz cannot hope to undo the damage three decades of molly-coddling have done to Britain or change the course of TV.
But if you want to see a bad tempered 53-year-old man swimming against the sycophantic tide, watch The 1% Club, Saturday, ITV, 9.05pm, with Lee Mack: “For people who enjoy stupid and annoying puzzles, this show is the fourth emergency service.”
A fanny matter for Sue
BBC1’S once unmissable genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? is another show that’s suffered from the passing of time, copycat formats and the encroachment of a woke agenda since it started back in 2004.
From featuring random celebrities with truly remarkable and moving family histories, like Jerry Springer and Natasha Kaplinsky, it’s more recently become filled with those famous faces the Beeb thinks we should like, who lecture us about the evils of sexism, racism, the class system, slavery and say “Wow” a lot.
It’s made for some grindingly dull and worthy episodes, with Alex Scott’s 2021 WDYTYA being the most arse-achingly tedious of the lot.
Sue Perkins’ delve into her family’s past, last night, wasn’t nearly that bad, but it did still play out a bit like a game of BBC bingo: War, poverty, the workhouse, tuberculosis, fascism, death, the NHS . . . “HOUSE!”.
Yet Sue also uncovered a birth certificate detail which gave meaning, impact and powerful resonance to the whole documentary, but which wasn’t mentioned out loud, for some reason.
And that was the maiden name of her great grandmother, Fanny King.
Something for us all to ponder there, I think.
COMEDIANS Giving Lectures, everyday sexism, Kiri Pritchard-McLean: “I’ve turned up at comedy gigs and people have incorrectly assumed I’m an audience member, bar staff and a comedian’s wife.”
They’ve seen your act before then?
Unexpected morons in the bagging area
THE Weakest Link, Romesh Ranganathan: “In the geologic timescale what J is the name of a period on earth when there was an abundance of dinosaurs?”
Anton Du Beke: “Germanic.”
The Chase, Bradley Walsh: “What dog breed gives its name to a strong metal clip?”
Paul Sinha: “Labrador.”
Beat the Chasers, Bradley Walsh: “What Irish city has the airport code ORK?”
Warren: “Pass.”
And Tipping Point, Ben Shephard: “Richard The Lionheart was the King of England in which century?”
Anj: “20th.”
(All contributions gratefully received)
Random irritations
THE sure and certain knowledge Ian Hislop will blame the eventual demise of Have I Got News For You on political decision making rather than the fact it’s just not funny any more.
Hunted contestant Abi Elliott actually asking out loud: “What’s a hovercraft?”.
The terminally woke Football Focus getting so wrapped up in women’s football it forgot all about Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final.
A particularly grim episode of EastEnders taking a turn for the “Deliverance” on Monday.
And Pointless Celebrities’ winner Chloe Petts rather grandly declaring: “I’m going to quit stand-up comedy after this.” Because, right up until the moment, I wasn’t aware she’d ever started.
TV mysteries: When does Rosie Jones’ Channel 4 work experience stint end? Why the hell hasn’t the great comedian Duncan “Chase me” Norvelle ever been booked for Celebrity Hunted?
And if ITV2 commissioned something called Judi Love Island, would it be the worst show of the decade? Or would that still be Romeo And Duet?
Great sporting insights
JAYDEE DYER: “Havertz has scored easier goals this season. But none easier than this.”
Gareth Ainsworth: “I can’t sit here and stand and say we deserved to win.”
Michael Dawson: “Ashley Barnes scored the penalty but Nick Pope single-handedly got Burnley a point.”
(Compiled by Graham Wray)
ROMEO And Duet, Oti Mabuse: “This is Rachael. She’s Britain’s youngest undertaker. How do you feel about that?” I feel like she’s on exactly the right show.
TV Gold
RICKY GERVAIS slaughtering all sorts of sacred cows at the start of Netflix’ SuperNature, including Eddie Izzard: “She was brilliant in that thing . . . as a man.”
Bill Maher’s brilliant straight- to-camera piece “New rule: Along for the pride,” on Real Time.
Panorama’s Hunting Putin’s War Criminals documentary, which could’ve done with being at least 30 minutes longer.
And the exasperated response of helpful cousin Anil when Hunted manchild Amarinder squealed: “Oh look, the countryside!”
“That’s a cemetery. I can drop you off there if you want.”
Oh please do.
Self-awareness
THE self-awareness award 2022 goes to . . . ITVBe’s First Time Mum and irony free zone Ferne McCann for boldly declaring: “Obviously I’m a very, very busy working mum,” while sat on a yacht in the Maldives with her latest boyfriend.
FOR all those viewers trying to work out why Channel 4 chose the 11 new Hunted contestants, one possibility was immediately dismissed as a local good Samaritan tried to help Amarinder and Shoba Sehda escape the Isle of Wight dropping-off point.
“There’s a way through Cowes, with a couple of the local ferries.”
Amarinder: “What? Like they transfer cattle and you go with cows?”
It wasn’t their towering intellect.
Lookalike of the week
THIS week’s winner is Jason Manford and one of The Handersons puppets from Britain’s Got Talent.
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Sent in by Mrs Emerson.
Picture research: Amy Reading