Quiz show an early fizzer
DARREN McMullen is standing by his new comedy quiz show, despite it being slammed by viewers.
Behave Yourself, which premiered on Channel 7 on Tuesday, was slammed by some viewers as an “unfunny” version of Network Ten’s Have You Been Paying Attention.
While Have You Been Paying Attention quizzes panellists about topical news events, Behave Yourself’s questions are all about irrational human behaviour.
The show features a rotating line-up of six celebrity panellists, which included Shane Warne, Lawrence Mooney, Kate Langbroek and Ben Mingay in the debut episode.
During the hour-long show, the panellists also took part in a number of different games, including one which saw Kate Langbroek and Shane Warne standing with their backs facing a ball machine that fired tennis balls at them.
Some viewers took to social media to lament Seven’s choice to lead with Behave Yourself in prime time rather than the tennis action of Wimbledon, which aired on 7TWO.
Others posted scathing reviews branding it the “worst show I have watched in years” and “it’s a horse that was left tied to a pier and hit by a cargo ship”.
It should be noted though that Have You Been Paying Attention wasn’t exactly a hit with viewers either when it debuted back in 2013.
It’s now one of the most popular shows on Aussie TV and this year picked up Logie awards for Best Entertainment Program and Most Outstanding Entertainment Program. But it was a very different story back in early 2014, when it was struggling with less than 200,000 viewers nationally.
Behave Yourself managed to draw just more than half a million metro viewers (510,000) for its debut, making it the 18th most-watched show of Tuesday night behind Love Child, The Chase and Hot Seat.
McMullen, who also fronted The Big Music Quiz for Seven last year, said he wasn’t worried about hosting two quiz shows in a row.
“That’s just how it worked out,” he told Weekend. “I know Behave Yourself is a quiz show per se, but really it’s just a platform for comedians to roam wild with the material.
“There are so many times I left that studio when your cheeks hurt because you’ve been laughing so much.”
If only viewers were doing the same. Only time will tell if Seven is willing to give Behave Yourself a chance.