Audience Pleasures of the QI Episode: Nonsense

Within the QI Episode: Nonsense, familiar audience pleasures are recognised if you are a keen viewer of the program. QI offers a range of audience pleasures which are embedded in the series and stands out to the targeted audience. For example 'familiarity' in the program is an example of audience pleasure as it follows the same format every episode e.g. introducing panelists (comedians) with funny buzzers. This format builds the shows relationship with the viewer as you become more understanding of the panelists personalities.

Another audience pleasure in this episode in 'Superiority' as for example Alan Davies, a panelist on the show  is seen as 'the bloke next door' and tends to go for the obvious answer and gets them wrong. This generates humour to the audience and a running gag is established as we begin to understand the character of Alan Davies.

Banter between panelists is also seen through this episode as when Sandi Toskvig explains to how netball is nonsense. Holly Walsh explains how she never found it fair as it was bias towards taller people. She is therefore sharing humorous anecdotes from her own life. In addition, the male comedian: says "we have brought up previous wounds" expressing banter attempting to branch off into a frivolous conversation. 

In addition the program uses intertextuality as for example Sandi Toskivig (The hostess of the show) uses a picture of the Delphic Oracle and makes a remark "Wow she's got weird legs" as she is positioned on stilts. The female comedian: Holly Walsh hints at intertexuatilty as she says "that's the type of thing you see in Covent Garden, but usually they have a Yoda costume over the top." The audience can relate to this and find it humerus, as for example, I have seen street performers like this and therefore find it funny.

‘Quite interesting’ facts more important to entertain than to get the right answer, therefore, verbal humour is important, QI has stated it follows its own philosophy, which is that everything in the world, even that which appears to be the most boring, is "quite interesting" if looked at in the right way; because of the show's expectation that hardly anyone would be able to give a correct answer without significant prompting, it instead encourages sheer interestingness, which is how points are mainly scored.