Discover the Wild World of Panel Shows with BritBox’s Panel Channel

When it comes to panel shows, the English and Anglophiles all over the globe have already made them an essential part of their entertainment diet. These delightful and sometimes insightful chat shows are viewed by the pound across the pond, but the shows themselves and their few American counterparts have not become an essential part of our daily life Stateside. The closest we have is the glut of late night talk shows and political programs, but none of them have the same snarky whimsy as the UK’s best panel shows. Are panel shows just not gonna happen in the States?
One streaming service, BritBox, is aiming to change that by offering up plenty of panel-based content, including archives of recent faves and new episodes dropping weekly. Together, this content forms its own mini-service on BritBox called the Panel Channel.
“We always say we are unapologetically British at BritBox,” BritBox president Soumya Sriraman told Decider via email. “While the panel format originated in the US, it flourished in the UK. The charm and wit that has come to define the format is quintessentially British. Moreover, since panel shows are very common in the UK but are rare here in the US, we saw an opening. Many of us at BritBox happen to love panel shows. But it was our viewers’ overwhelming, positive response to panel shows that led us to really make an increased push in this area.”

Currently, BritBox offers a variety of panel content including Insert Name Here (presented by Sue Perkins), Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, Mock the Week (presented by Dara Ó Briain), The Last Leg (presented by Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe, and Alex Brooker), QI (presented by Sandi Toksvig, previously presented by Stephen Fry), and Would I Lie to You? (presented by Rob Brydon and starring David Mitchell and Lee Mack).

Unlike American talk shows, which generally follow the same monologue/sketches/guests format, panel shows offer a wider variety of content. “The formats are wider-ranging because each panel show has a unique twist that helps draw in viewers every week,” said Sriraman. “However, what often leads to a greater diversity of talent and tone is that, unlike American late night, panel shows understand a charming host is not enough. They have to be charismatic enough to not just carry the show but bring out the best in their guests so they shine as well.”
If all this makes you want to explore the Panel Channel, know that you’ll be able to get new episodes of selected shows as soon as possible. Generally, new episodes of currently running shows tend to hit BritBox just a few hours after they air in the UK. For example, The Last Leg adds new episodes every week.
“One of the biggest goals of BritBox was the ability to bring UK TV to US viewers in a more timely manner and we have a whole ‘Now’ section comprised entirely of that near-simultaneous content,” said Sriraman. “For a panel show though, which usually tackles some form of current events, it was very important for us to get it to US audiences as quick as possible. What we are doing is trying to get a new panel channel addition every month, whether that’s new episodes of a series currently running or past seasons of a show, we are going to continue building it out over 2018 and beyond.”

Diving in to a new genre of TV can be daunting, especially when there’s so much content begging to be streamed already. Fortunately, Sriraman offered up a few suggestions to newbies looking for a place to break in.

“One is QI, which is a straight question and answer format, but the appeal is the questions are really challenging so not only is it fun to watch the answers the panelists come up with, but you come away learning some fascinating things you didn’t know before. The other is Would I Lie To You?, which is exactly as it sounds: one team makes a statement and the other team asks questions to determine if it’s the truth or a lie. Some of the statements are so bizarre your genuinely shocked when you learn they are true.”
Here’s one statement that is absolutely true: BritBox’s Panel Channel is offering up content that you can’t find anywhere else in the US.

Explore the Panel Channel on BritBox