rionaleonhart: final fantasy x-2: the sun is rising, yuna looks to the future. (oh very well)
Riona ([personal profile] rionaleonhart) wrote2010-04-20 10:08 am

'At Least My Shoplifting Was Useful.'

I went to the recording of Would I Lie To You? last night! My companions were [livejournal.com profile] anewcitylife, [livejournal.com profile] causethesounds, [livejournal.com profile] chocolatepeach, [livejournal.com profile] amandapear and [livejournal.com profile] sawnoffcourtney, and the whole thing was tremendous fun.

For those unfamiliar with Would I Lie To You?: the host is Rob Brydon, and the team captains are David Mitchell and Lee Mack. The guest panellists, on this occasion, were John Bishop, Patsy Palmer, Joanna Page and Chris Addison (who is apparently nearly forty, what the hell, he looks about twenty-three). The game: a panellist gives a fact about themselves, and the opposing team have to determine whether it is true or false.

Here is my report!




In the wings, prior to coming on, Mitchell constantly had a biro in his mouth (and not, as I just typed, in his moth). He occasionally removed it, only to restore it immediately afterwards. I just felt the need to record that.



Bishop's first claim was 'I once worked for a company where we started each day with a motivational song' (and also had to 'throw their negative feelings out of the window' with symbolic hand gestures, apparently).

When it came up that he was selling vacuum cleaners, I thought, Hang on...

And then he was asked to give an example song (Mack: What was the song? Bishop: There were actually several songs. Mack: You know, I really hope this is a lie and you've just made it harder for yourself by saying that). The example song, set to this tune, went thus:

'We sell Kirby cleaners!
We sell Kirby cleaners!'

My mother once worked for this company. She tells me that, in their morning meetings, after singing 'Glory, glory to the Kirby!' or whatever the song of the day was, someone would put a cream cake on a table, jump on the cream cake and then vacuum it up as everyone cheered. It sounds absolutely bizarre.

During the cross-examination, Palmer asked Bishop which vacuum cleaner was the most popular when he was selling them.

Bishop: We only had one.
Mack: One vacuum cleaner? They'd been spending years trying to shift one vacuum cleaner? No wonder you needed a motivational song.



Palmer had the claim that she once got the EastEnders dog drunk.

Mitchell: What - what - what -
Mack: (Mitchell-voice) What's EastEnders?

Mitchell's eventual reasoning: 'We think it's true. Because anyone, given enough time in a room with some vodka and a dog...'



Page, having claimed that, ashamed of her poor maths skills, she recited the times tables every night, was called upon to recite the seven-times table.

Page: It's so embarrassing! Especially sitting next to you.
Mitchell: I am a renowned mathematician. My secret identity is Percentage Man! He can divide anything by a hundred.

Brydon, meanwhile, was sceptical about Palmer's attribution of her own mathematical problems to dyscalcula.

Brydon: I've got shortulus.

Later:

Palmer: Remember, kids, if you can't add up it doesn't mean you're thick.
Brydon: Well, you are a bit thick. You're not too bright, put it that way.



At one point, Brydon told a rather nasty joke, then, after a moment's silence, said, 'Applause.' The audience, rather uncertainly, clapped. Mitchell was appalled.

Mitchell: You've just made the audience sad with your horrible jokes, and then you've extorted applause from them! They're just sitting there now, sadly applauding.



In the 'This Is My...' round, Addison claimed that the guest, Mark, was a neighbour to whom he had given his wheelbarrow.

Addison: This is a bit embarrassing, as he's here, but it was one of those moments when you offer a bit more than you meant to.
Bishop: Chris, was getting Mark on here just a ploy to get your wheelbarrow back?
Addison: ...little bit.

Bishop doubted that Addison would have spoken to his neighbour, as he lives in London.

Bishop: People don't talk to each other in London.
Addison: We're in London, and we're having this ridiculous conversation.
Bishop: Yeah, but we're getting paid for it.
Mitchell: (urgently) We're not in London! We are outside the M25. You can't say we're in London; there's a different budget; it was crucial to the show's getting recommissioned. If we say we're in London, we're finished. We are helping the BBC to cover all of this varied and fascinating country by recording this very slightly outside the M25.



Palmer claimed that Mark was the swimming tutor who had helped her overcome her fear of water. In the interrogation, she explained that she used to swim before meeting him.

Mitchell: ...so you could actually swim before you met this swimming tutor?
Palmer: (perfectly matter-of-fact) Yes.

He later questioned how she could have managed to not realise she had a fear of water when swimming earlier.

Mitchell: So you started the swimming lessons, you got in the water and realised (wild flailing) 'Oh, God, I hate it! I thought I just wasn't much good at swimming, but it turns out I'm terrified of water and I hate it!'

Later:

Palmer: I'm not a good swimmer. I can't breathe underwater...
Mack: Well, nobody can do that.
Palmer: (earnestly) No, you can breathe underwater!
Entire Studio: ...



Mack claimed that he was once beaten at swingball by a chimpanzee whilst drunk. Mitchell became VERY SHOUTY about the idea that a zoo might let a group of drunkards into a chimpanzee enclosure.

Mack: Well, there were only four of us, 'cause the stag week had started to break up a bit, so -
Mitchell: Oh, and four drunk men was fine, was it? Seven drunk men, they might have had a problem, but four drunk men is fine.

Mitchell and Mack are great to watch arguing. Their interactions were probably my favourite part of the recording.

When Mitchell's team were trying to establish whether the chimpanzee story was true:

Page: It does seem like something he would do.
Mack: (rising from his seat, affronted) Why? Why? ...I mean, it's true, but why?



Brydon aided Mack's team by pointing out that Bishop's story of being thrown out of the cinema for crying too loudly at Rocky didn't add up, as he'd said he was crying at the ending; why throw him out?

Mitchell was furious.

Mitchell: I want to lodge a complaint! You can't just help them!
Brydon: Complaint duly lodged.

His reason, Brydon explained, was that Bishop was so terrible at lying that he deserved to be thoroughly shamed.



Mitchell had a possession claim: 'This is my special travel dressing gown. It is the one thing I always take with me when I go away'. He modelled it for us on-set.

Mitchell: (pulls the dressing gown on) ...the cord's missing.
Mack: Don't cry!

Mitchell wanted a pipe so he could feel more like an anachronistic detective in his purplish-red paisley dressing gown.

Palmer: What do you wear with it? Do you wear anything underneath, or...?
Mack: I think I'm going to be sick.
Mitchell: Well, I don't generally wear it over my normal clothes, like I am now, but...
Mack: This is the least sexy chat-up ever. 'Well, let me tell you, I'm not wearing my normal clothes under here...'
Mitchell: To be honest, Lee, I don't know why you enter so many situations with me expecting arousal.

Later, Mack painted a picture of Mitchell shopping in the dressing gown whilst Mack stood in the corner, tutting, 'Well, that's not very arousing.'

Palmer: Do you always wear it when you're away, or does it depend on whether you're alone or you have someone with you, or...?
Mack: (stage whisper) David's always alone.
Mitchell: Erm.
Mack: We don't like to talk about it on here, but David's always alone.
Mitchell: Erm, well, yes, I am usually... you know, I feel so much of my life has been exposed by this programme. It's completely ruined my reputation. Before, I was this cool guy who liked music and fashion, and then this came along and destroyed all that with my dressing as an eighteenth-century nobleman and my little bell.
Mack: Sixth series of Would I Lie To You?: 'My cock stinks!'
Mitchell: 'Since Would I Lie To You? began, I have started to self-harm.'
Mack: 'I have been having sex with my nan for four years.'

Afterwards, Mitchell was asked to demonstrate how he would pack his dressing gown. He just sort of scrunched it up. NEW, PERHAPS SURPRISING CANON: David Mitchell is a messy packer.

When the time came to decide on whether the claim was true or not:

Addison: Considering the appearance of the dressing gown and his demeanour, I think it must be true.
Mitchell: Fuck you!

It was true, in the end, which pleased us. As [livejournal.com profile] chocolatepeach said, 'It's such a waste when they do David Mitchell and it's a lie.'




You'll be getting another of these quite soon, because I appear, ridiculously, to be going to the recording on Wednesday as well. Oh, dear.

[identity profile] amy-wolf.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
My secret identity is Percentage Man! He can divide anything by a hundred.

Someone really needs to do fic about this. Not me, someone who's actually good at math. Percentage Man getting the percentages wrong would be a bit rubbish.

Although my math skills do improve when I'm 30 meters under water, so if I can just get an underwater laptop to write fic on, I could have something.

Mitchell: 'Since Would I Lie To You? began, I have started to self-harm.'

Down, angst muse! Down! No sniffing around the melodramatic and cliche plot bunny in a fandom you're not even in!

Although it's not like I have anything to worry about. I barely write any fic these days (side effect of proper steady employment - way less fic gets written).
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[identity profile] mythtaken.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 09:34 am (UTC)(link)
Someone really needs to do fic about this. Not me, someone who's actually good at math.
If you write it, I'll do the sums. FINALLY A USE FOR MY MATHS DEGREE.

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[identity profile] dracothelizard.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 11:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Someone really needs to do fic about this. Not me, someone who's actually good at math. Percentage Man getting the percentages wrong would be a bit rubbish."

Oh oh, Percentage Man could team up with Richard Hammond, who, after all, has now become good at remembering numbers! Together, they fight crime!

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[identity profile] newbie1990.livejournal.com 2010-04-23 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
No no no, you must write it! You could make it non-awful and terrible and wrong! And possibly horrifyingly realistic. Hmm, reconsidering. PLEASE WRITE IT WITHOUT MAKING IT SOUL-CRUSHINGLY DEPRESSING.

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[identity profile] thinkpink20.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
Hee! This made me giggle lots, especially David saying 'Fuck you' to Chris Addison at the end. XD

So glad you had such a nice time! Can't wait to see these on telly.

[identity profile] anewcitylife.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 09:29 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, thank fuck! I haven't got some of the same stuff in the entry I'm writing!
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[identity profile] mythtaken.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 10:36 am (UTC)(link)
Hey, I noticed you snagged one of [livejournal.com profile] ruthi's spare YHBW tickets - do you happen to know if there's a plan for meeting up this evening?

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loz: (Default)

[personal profile] loz 2010-04-20 09:31 am (UTC)(link)
Oh my God, this is brilliant.

Also, David Mitchell/Lee Mack! ♥ My shipping-DM -with-everyone-ever continues.
adelate: Min Yoongi with his eyes closed on an orangey yellow background about to take a sip out of a yellow Teema coffee mug (Default)

[personal profile] adelate 2010-04-20 09:33 am (UTC)(link)
I feel this weird kinship when it comes to David Mitchell even though I don't know that much about him, because whenever I see him argue things anywhere it seems kind of similar to how I argue. Ahahaha. (He's just so much funnier with it than I am.)

I very much enjoyed reading this! Thanks for the write-up :D
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[identity profile] mythtaken.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 09:38 am (UTC)(link)
Yay! Another lovely write-up!

To be honest, Lee, I don't know why you enter so many situations with me expecting arousal.
I love him SO much.

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[identity profile] amandapear.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 09:55 am (UTC)(link)
"To be honest, Lee, I don't know why you enter so many situations with me expecting arousal."

TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE *ahem* I am a child :D

Great seeing you all yesterday and very much looking forward to tomorrow too!!

[identity profile] thrennion.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 10:08 am (UTC)(link)
Huzzah, write-up! Also, HOW IS CHRIS ADDISON NEARLY FORTY?

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[identity profile] th-esaurus.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 10:23 am (UTC)(link)
RIONA STOP THIS MADNESS.

(Do...do you take notes during the show, or is your memory just CRAZY?)

[identity profile] dracothelizard.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 11:05 am (UTC)(link)
"She tells me that, in their morning meetings, after singing 'Glory, glory to the Kirby!' or whatever the song of the day was, someone would put a cream cake on a table, jump on the cream cake and then vacuum it up as everyone cheered. It sounds absolutely bizarre."

Are you SURE it wasn't a cult? Because that sounds daft and a waste of a good cake.

"there's a different budget; it was crucial to the show's getting recommissioned. If we say we're in London, we're finished. We are helping the BBC to cover all of this varied and fascinating country by recording this very slightly outside the M25."

LOL BBC rules for commissioning.

"To be honest, Lee, I don't know why you enter so many situations with me expecting arousal."

O RLY.

[identity profile] saaski-moql.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I too, was wondering about this tragic use of cream cake.
marginaliana: Buddy the dog carries Bobo the toy (David Mitchell - the sound of my own voi)

[personal profile] marginaliana 2010-04-20 11:39 am (UTC)(link)
:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Yay, write-up! Sounds like this one's going to have lots of lovely ranting, which I am immensely looking forward to. Also, David saying "Fuck you!" is one of my favorite things.

Also, why is there not more David/Lee fic?!?

[identity profile] nixwilliams.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 12:00 pm (UTC)(link)
NEW, PERHAPS SURPRISING CANON: David Mitchell is a messy packer.

and now i really find myself thinking of david mitchell as a trans guy...

... actually ...

[identity profile] apiphile.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 01:10 pm (UTC)(link)
... YES.

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[identity profile] apiphile.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 01:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Mitchell: 'Since Would I Lie To You? began, I have started to self-harm.'

WHY DO I WANT THAT FIC. WHAT IS *WRONG* WITH ME? AUGH.

Also I love when David says "Fuck". :)

[identity profile] amy-wolf.livejournal.com 2010-04-21 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
It's angst-fic. It's horribly addictive and leads to wrongness. Even worse, cliche wrongness.

[identity profile] saaski-moql.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
How do you even manage to go to recordings? Is it some super secret special fan thing you have entered?

And oh dear, I laughed much too hard at the swimming escapades. Also the math bits, as I do have dyscalcula, and that was pretty much my school math life. I still can't do percentages (nor can I get my times tables straight).

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ext_20916: (DM: sex penguin)

[identity profile] rhosyndu.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
In the 'This Is My...' round, Addison claimed that the guest, Mark, was a neighbour to whom he had given his wheelbarrow.
Addison: This is a bit embarrassing, as he's here, but it was one of those moments when you offer a bit more than you meant to.
Bishop: Chris, was getting Mark on here just a ploy to get your wheelbarrow back?
Addison: ...little bit.

Aahahahahahahahaha. I do hope that turns out to be true.

Mack: This is the least sexy chat-up ever. 'Well, let me tell you, I'm not wearing my normal clothes under here...'
Mitchell: To be honest, Lee, I don't know why you enter so many situations with me expecting arousal.

*cracks up*
David and Lee flirt so much! (You hussy, Mitchell.)

Thank you so much for this Riona. :)

[identity profile] bubbles-san.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Chris Addison is the actor we got to play 21-year-old Matt Osborne on my roleplay, so I'm quite surprised to find out that he's almost forty.

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[identity profile] make-a-move.livejournal.com 2010-04-20 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I adore Chris Addison. He's in one of my favourite TV shows ever, The Thick of It.

[identity profile] fallsaddles.livejournal.com 2010-04-21 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
Erm, well, yes, I am usually... you know, I feel so much of my life has been exposed by this programme. It's completely ruined my reputation. Before, I was this cool guy who liked music and fashion, and then this came along and destroyed all that with my dressing as an eighteenth-century nobleman and my little bell.

I love this man. I can't even. I love him.

[identity profile] clo.livejournal.com 2010-04-21 09:53 am (UTC)(link)
Oooh, Rob Brydon's just said who the guests are for tonight's recording (http://twitter.com/RobBrydon/statuses/12567615271) (no Mitchell, sorry :( ) and I am super!envious of you for getting to be there with Brian Cox (my new and sudden adoration for him is rather embarrassing. But he's so smart and at the same time so lovely, oh).

I love your write-ups by the way. :D They never stop being awesome. Enjoy tonight!


eta: It occurs to one that Mitchell is a team captain and will be there anyway. Commiserations cancelled! Have an amazing time (oh I am so envious ^_^)
Edited 2010-04-21 10:16 (UTC)

[identity profile] urawrd.livejournal.com 2010-04-21 10:06 am (UTC)(link)
I'm so jealous! And I'm going to be more jealous about tonight's recording, because I've seen the tweet that [livejournal.com profile] clo just posted, and you get David Mitchell and Keeley Hawes. So freaking jealous!

[identity profile] newbie1990.livejournal.com 2010-04-23 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, at least you are benefiting others with your marvellous reports? Thank you so much for thisss.

To be honest, Lee, I don't know why you enter so many situations with me expecting arousal.

♥ BEST OF ALL THE COMEBACKS. Why is this not on a wall somewhere? IT NEEDS RECORDING FOR THE AGES.