There are several reasons for putting the spotlight on TV panel shows this week - first, Have I Got News For You and QI are currently bringing some much-needed laughs back to Friday nights; second, this Friday sees Channel 4 celebrating its 25th birthday with The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz (preview coming soon); and third, Never Mind The Buzzcocks returns to our screens next month.

At its best, the panel show is an absolute joy - witty geniuses (genii?) zing banter and jokes back and forth and the laughs are constant. At their worst, they're derivative tosh. Here TVScoop guides you through the good, the bad and the ugly.

Have I Got News For You: Can you believe it: HIGNFY has been going for 17 years, and has been signed up for a massive 38 series. Actually, you probably can, because it has been a consistent schedules highlight for all that time. The magic, as with *all* panel shows, is in the casting. Private Eye's Ian Hislop is the nearest thing we've got to The Daily Show's Jon Stewart (left-leaning, but able to see the failings and ridiculousness in all politicians) and Paul Merton puts the surreal into satire. Angus Deayton was a great host, but in fact the guest hosts have proved a bigger hit with viewers. Over seventeen years, HIGNFY has built up its own mythology and in-jokes (any reference to 'Boris' will be to Mr. Johnson, not Yeltsin...) and pretty much remains the panel show by which all others are judged.

They Think It's All Over: Presented by Nick Hancock (and Lee Mack for the final series), this long-running sports-related panel show has a bit of a bad rep. Undoubtedly it went on for far too long, and one might suggest that when the original team captains - Dave Gower and Gary Lineker - left it should have been put to bed. Having sportophobe (that may not be the actual term) Jonathan Ross on the panel gave it a lift for a while, but the struggle of the later years remains in our minds. Nevertheless, this started off as a pretty decent show, and proved that not all sportsmen and women are unintelligent and humourless...

Call My Bluff: This might be very wrong, but I *loved* Call My Bluff. Being the young whippersnapper I am, I didn't see the original series, aired for a massive 23 years between 1965 and 1988, but when it returned with Bob Holness at the helm (that's His Royal Bobness to you) it was always something I looked forward to when I was off school ill. I know, I'm weird, but basically I love words and weird words especially. Who doesn't want to find out what borborygmus and strikhedonia mean (the rumbling sound of gas passing through the intestine and the pleasure of being able to say 'to hell with it', respectively*)? I'd welcome it back with open arms.

Best Of The Worst: Really, I should have used 8 Out Of 10 Cats as an example of a terrible derivative panel show. (Mof certainly would have done!) But the fact is I can't stand to lambast anything with the fabulous Sean Lock in, so I'll have to pick on this little tiddler. Hosted by Alexander Armstrong, with team leaders David Mitchell and Johnny Vaughn this show turned up in the Autumn of last year and hasn't surfaced since. Perhaps wisely. Yes, Mitchell is always good value but this show felt tired after a single episode. It's the sort of programme that Annually Retentive is making fun of.

QI: QI is one of the few shows that I actively look forward to when it's on, and miss when it's not. Hosted by TVScoop favourite Stephen Fry, it's not just funny, but also incredibly fascinating. Who knew that we had more than one moon? Or that an object can be thrown further if thrown west because of the Earth's rotation? Alan Davies reacts to the barrage of facts just as we do (with incredulity, generally) and the rapport he has built up with Fry is as brilliant as that between Merton and Hislop. Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Sean Lock and Vic Reeves are among the fabulous guests who get to show that they're much more than just gagsters.

School's Out: You might remember me talking about this show, and suggesting that it's rather better than it has any right to be. It's just lots of fun - answering questions about the Roman Empire, or outer space, or meanders and ox-bow lakes is strangely comforting. And as I said in my review, they often get decent guests, and French tutor Mademoiselle Virginie is a complete genius. A surprising hit.

Shooting Stars: Ok, so this isn't a *pure* panel show, because you can't really answer the questions properly, but then you can't do that on QI, either. The fact is, when Shooting Stars began, with the classic line-up of hosts Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and team captains Mark Lamarr and Ulrika Johnson, it was must-see television. Thoroughly weird and thoroughly wonderful - and it brought George Dawes (and therefore Matt Lucas) to our attention. Like They Think It's All Over, though, Shooting Stars probably went on for too long, but who knows, maybe it's time for a revival? I'd watch.

It's Only TV But I Like It: Do you remember this? I have only vague memories, but as it's a panel show about TV presented by Jonathan Ross (ie. something I should, in any normal set of circumstances, love) that suggests that it wasn't that great. Basically, they were aiming for the modest heights of They Think It's All Over and didn't even manage that. Disappointing.

Never Mind The Buzzcocks: Music quiz NMTB has endured mixed fortunes over its eleven years on BBC Two. With Phil Jupitus, Sean Hughes and Mark Lamarr it was described, aptly I'd say, as the harshest show on TV, but it was brilliant nonetheless. Then Sean left, and Bill Bailey filled his chair, bringing a softer, more whimsical element to the show (I'll always vote for that, to be honest). During the last few series hosted by Lamarr, it was clear that he was bored to death - and the show floundered. Even Lamarr's replacement by guest hosts failed to give it the shot in the arm it needed; no, that job was left to Simon Amstell. And he is *excellent*. So quick, so knowledgable, and easily as funny as the team captains: he's given this programme the kiss of life, and long may it continue.

Never Mind The Full Stops: Oh dear. Just, oh dear.

*Thanks to Unusual Words