Do you know your Casualty from your Coronation Street? Do you remember which comedy character was sacked from their job the most? If you’re obsessed with all things telly (and why wouldn’t you be?), you’ll love the brand-new comedy panel show Rob Beckett’s Smart TV.
From the makers of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Smart TV sees Beckett host as two celebrity teams - captained by This Morning’s Alison Hammond and The Last Leg’s Josh Widdecombe - compete in a series of frantic and funny games designed to test how much they REALLY know about what’s on the box!
Here, Rob reveals what makes Smart TV essential viewing…
How would you describe Smart TV?
"First and foremost, it’s a really good quiz people can play along to at home. There’s some Gogglebox in there, in that we show classic TV clips, a bit of Mastermind, with the teams going head-to-head on a specialist TV subject. There’s even a round where players re-enact iconic scenes from popular TV shows. It’s got everything!"
What do team captains Josh Widdecombe and Alison Hammond bring to the show?
"Josh and I go back years and do our Parenting Hell podcast together, so we've already got great chemistry - and it was nice to see each other without having to talk about our kids! Alison's a good pal of mine and it’s really good getting to see her not in ‘daytime’ mode; she says stuff on this show that she couldn’t possibly say on This Morning!"
Each week, Josh and Alison are joined by comics, actors, presenters and TV personalities…
"I always thought serious actors would be a bit boring but now I reckon they see this show and think: ‘This is my opportunity to go a bit mental’. I thought David Tennant would be quite serious but he’s really up for a laugh. Of course, my mate Romesh [Ranganathan, Beckett’s co-host on Rob & Romesh Vs] is on the show, too. I’ve known Romesh for years. To me, he’s still the mate I work with at a supermarket, except now we’re on the telly."
How does Smart TV compare to other celebrity panel shows?
"I’d say the main difference is that, on this show, the players actually care about winning. Josh especially is such a nerd, he gets annoyed if he's losing. There’s a round called The Showdown, which is like a penalty shoot-out where one player from one team goes up against all three members of the opposing side answering questions about their TV obsession. Josh got really competitive with actor Daniel Mays on Only Fools and Horses."
Did you have any input into creating any of the rounds?
"For The Showdown, I suggested the two teams sit closely facing each other to see if people can handle the pressure - so we might have a massive Doctor Who fan going nose-to-nose with David Tennant! Even if you know the answers, if you've got the actual [10th] Doctor Who in your face it’s quite off-putting!"
If you were to play this round yourself, what would your TV obsession be?
"It would probably be the original series of The Office. I’d happily go up against the show’s creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant - though I’d have to do a bit of homework first!"
What are your all-time favourite TV shows - and why do you love TV so much?
"As well as The Office and Only Fools and Horses, I loved Bottom, even though I was only about eight and, the night before my first day of secondary school, I was up watching the pilot of The Sopranos. I was too young to watch either - but I guess I turned out alright! I wouldn’t let my daughters do that now but we’ll watch entertainment shows like Gladiators together. I might let them watch Smart TV - but I’ll have to check out the swearing first!"
Rob Beckett’s Smart TV starts on Thursday, February 29 at 9pm on Sky Max & Sky Showcase.
