I Literally Just Told You
| I Literally Just Told You | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Jimmy Carr's I Literally Just Told You |
| Genre | Game show |
| Presented by | Jimmy Carr |
| Starring | Maggie Aderin-Pocock |
| Narrated by | Judi Love (season 2) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 14 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 47 minutes |
| Production company | Expectation Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 16 December 2021 – present |
I Literally Just Told You is a British game show that first aired on Channel 4 on 16 December 2021. The programme is hosted by Jimmy Carr. Some questions are multiple choice general knowledge questions, while the majority are memory-based questions about facts and events from earlier in the episode.
Format
Each episode starts with four contestants, and two are eliminated at points within the show, leaving the two finalists to face off against each other. Questions steadily increase in value from £250 to £2,000. Only the winner receives the prize money they have accumulated. The rounds are:
- Candidate Introduction: All candidates of the show are asked a question about one of the other candidates.
- Money Maker Questions: contestants are given five multiple choice statements with the same set of three possible answers.
- Memory Round 1: contestants are asked a question about anything that has happened or was mentioned during the show's recording. Elimination of one contestant
- Fake Ad Break: The show producers fake an ad break which the candidates may be asked questions about in a later Memory Round.
- Memory Round 2: contestants are asked a question about anything that has happened or was mentioned during the show's recording. Elimination of another contestant
- Final Shoot Out: The two finalists ask each other self-written questions similar to the Memory Round questions. The rules in this round are similar to a penalty shoot-out.
Episodes also incorporate segments such as celebrities appearing on-set and prerecorded clips being played, to be used in memory questions. Science educators Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Emy Adamson have the role of writing questions during the episode. Members of the production crew sometimes feature, and questions can be asked about them. At least half of the questions are written during the filming of the episode.[1]
Season 2 changed the format slightly, with contestants being asked 3 Money Maker questions for each money maker round, a segment in which Jimmy will participate in a non-sequencer sequence after he briefly exits the studio via the sets blue door and with 2 Memory Questions which all players answer vid tablet computer (one before the second money maker and one after Jimmy returns from the blue door).
Production
The show was conceived by Richard Bacon, who is an executive producer: he expected that "most people's short-term memory is so bad you could just give contestants and the audience all the answers in a game show, and they'd still get most of them wrong". Bacon said that Channel 4 was a "perfect fit" for the show and that its "irreverent nature" reminded him of his work on The Big Breakfast.[2]
Host Jimmy Carr said the programme's pitch was the best he had ever heard, believing that the show "will stay crazy for years".[2] He said that unlike most quiz shows, there is "an enormous play-at-home factor", and that the misredirects are comedic. Carr believed he would be good as a contestant, as he uses his memory on stage to remember hundreds of one-liners and audience member names to make callback jokes. He said his "dream" lineup would be other game show hosts.[3]
Following a non-broadcast pilot in autumn 2020, the programme was commissioned by Channel 4 for six hour-long episodes, broadcast in December 2021 and January 2022.[1][4] The first series was filmed with a small, socially distanced audience, with two episodes recorded per day.[5] A celebrity episode featured contestants Aisling Bea, Alex Horne, Asim Chaudhry and Lorraine Kelly playing for charity.
A U.S. version under NBC with Adam DeVine and Ron Funches is in development.[1]
The fourth episode saw two contestants walk away with prize money, due to an error with a memory question written by a contestant where the answer had not been previously discussed. These questions, in the Final Shoot Out round, are supposed to be verified by production before the contestant asks them. Eddy was asked Ariana Grande's age and gave an incorrect answer, so his opponent won £18,000. Grande's specific age had not been stated earlier in the show, only being compared as younger or older than other celebrities. Shortly after filming, the mistake was discovered and Eddy was presented with a cheque for £18,000 onstage during one of Carr's performances of his tour Terribly Funny at indigo at The O2.[6][7][8]
Reception
In a three-star review, The Daily Telegraph's Anita Singh called it "surprisingly watchable" and praised that Carr "gently mocks the contestants without being remotely cruel", but was sceptical that the show could remain interesting across multiple series.[9] Carol Midgley of The Times gave it four stars.[10]
References
- ^ a b c Richardson, Jay (13 July 2021). "Jimmy Carr to host frenetic Channel 4 quiz I Literally Just Told You". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ a b Jeffery, Morgan (28 December 2021). "Who sets the questions on Channel 4's I Literally Just Told You?". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Comedian Jimmy Carr on his hilarious new show". The Herald. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "I Literally Just Told You". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Interview with Jimmy Carr for his brand new quiz show, I Literally Just Told You". Channel 4. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (7 January 2022). "Jimmy Carr mistake sees losing game show contestant given £18,000 by Channel 4". The Independent. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ Morris, Lauren (6 January 2022). "Jimmy Carr gives I Literally Just Told You contestant £18K after mistake". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ Desouza, Danielle (6 January 2022). "Jimmy Carr gives Glasgow game show contestant £18,000 following blunder on 'I Literally Just Told You'". The Scotsman. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ Singh, Anita (16 December 2021). "I Literally Just Told You, review: can't remember where you put your glasses? This quiz is not for you". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Midgley, Carol (17 December 2021). "I Literally Just Told You review — Jimmy Carr's new quiz show isn't half bad". The Times. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
