You Have Been Watching

Host

Broadcast

Zeppotron for Channel 4, 7 July 2009 to 5 August 2010 (16 episodes in 2 series)

Synopsis

Notoriously foul-mouthed television critic Charlie Brooker invites three of his friends round to sit in oversized chairs, watch television, and they all take the mick out of it. For instance, Deal or No Deal is derided as "a guessing game", Golden Balls ridiculed as ludicrously complicated, and Total Wipeout summarised as "he fell in the water". Like Tarrant on TV and Loves Like a Dog, a chunk of the show is taken up laughing at ludicrous foreign shows.

Each discussion ends with one or more questions to the panel, for which points are awarded. In the final quick-fire round, there are buzzers and a suitable (ie disconcertingly jaunty) game show noise. At the end, a winner is determined, and we reckon that's enough to make it a game show.

Key moments

Brooker's potty-mouthed rants at television programmes, celebrity culture, and Piers Morgan.

Victoria Coren demolishing Brooker's claim that You Bet! demonstrated skills that would help to re-populate the world in the event of a nuclear attack.

Catchphrases

"End of the show!"

****, ****, ******, ****, *****, *******. (and other expletive-filled contributions.)

Theme music

Mat Osman and Alex Lee

Trivia

The phrase "You Have Been Watching" appears at the start of the end credits on every sitcom written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry; the most famous appearance is on Dad's Army.

After Deadliest Warrior was gawped at on the first show, Bravo bought the rights and screened its acquisition opposite the last episodes in the series.

The episode shown on 6 May 2010 aired in three segments, as part of Channel 4's Alternative Election Night.

The very last episode, a crime special, had been recorded for transmission on 3 June 2010. The day before, a spree shooting in Cumbria took place, and the scheduled programme was replaced by a repeat. It eventually aired on E4, at the end of a repeat run.