Times are hard and we all need a laugh right now. Channel 4 hit show Gogglebox is back on our screens right on time to entertain us with hilarious reviews of the nation's TV offerings.
The show, which became a smash hit from its first series back in 2013, sees families watch TV and provide reactions and commentary on them.
While the concept seems simple enough, there's a lot more to producing the show than sticking people in front of the telly and filming their reactions.
Here are some burning questions, interesting facts and behind-the-scenes secrets about the popular show taking over our Friday nights.
How is Gogglebox filmed?
Gogglebox is filmed using two remote cameras, which are set up in the stars’ houses. One camera is set up for the wide shot while another is meant for close ups, usually pointing at the sofas where the families sit down to watch TV.
No one is ever in the the room with the families. The crew usually take over another room in each house from where they control the cameras.
Producer Tania Alexander told Vice: "We rig a mini gallery, which is set up in a kitchen or bedroom. There’s a small team in the field – a producer, a camera person, and a sound person and a logger – and those four people are squared in whatever room is available for the entire shoot. It's like a mini TV studio."
The producer also revealed that some of the stars even had to change the way their living rooms were set up to film the show.
When do the Gogglebox stars film and how long do they film for?
Gogglebox stars film for the show the same week the episode comes out. Channel 4 starts shooting on Friday and film each house for a few days while assessing the material.
Editing is done over Tuesday, Wednesday and Wednesday night. On Thursday, the voiceover is added and the final cut is sent to Channel 4.
The stars usually shoot for the show in-between their own work or study schedules, filming roughly eight to 12 hours a week split across two days, usually in the evenings and weekends.
Do the Gogglebox stars watch TV shows live?
Gogglebox stars sometimes watch their show live, which may well be played back to them later on. At times, the cast also watch the shows in advance.
According to the producers, they try to include a live show, a couple of news stories, an entertainment show and a documentary or two.
Tania explained to Vice: "We film about five or six things a night, so something that’s an hour long will probably cut down to about 25 minutes."
Are the Gogglebox families paid?
The Gogglebox families are paid £1,500 ‘family allowance’ which gets split between them, according to The Sun. But how much the stars are paid has not been confirmed by Channel 4.
They are apparently also given free takeaways to keep them going throughout the filming.
