Michael McIntyre spins ‘The Wheel’

Saturday: Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel; (BBC One, 8.30pm)
Michael McIntyreMichael McIntyre
Michael McIntyre

You might think Michael McIntyre has been a bit quiet this year.

Okay, he did appear online on The Late Late Show with James Corden in October, and made another online appearance, helping charity Norwood to raise money at their virtual 225th anniversary dinner last month.

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Nevertheless, it’s been a while since we’ve had any new TV shows from the 44-year-old former Britain’s Got Talent judge, who in 2012, was the highest-grossing stand-up comedian in the world (bringing in around £21million that year alone).

In fact, it’s been nearly a year since the most recent run of popular Saturday night entertainment series Michael McIntyre’s Big Show aired on BBC One.

So what has Michael been up to?

Well the answer seems to be not much, other than doing some writing and spending time with his wife Kitty and their two children, 15-year-old Lucas and 12-year-old Oscar.

However, before lockdown, the Bafta Award-winning comic finished work on his new prime-time TV series, and it makes its debut tonight.

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The Wheel is a fast-paced game show which promises to bring a “brand new spin to Saturday nights”, and sees three contestants doing battle for a life-changing sum of money.

Central to the show is a floor-mounted, giant rotating set, upon which sit seven celebrities – each bringing their own specialist subject to the show.

The basic premise of the game is this: for every question asked, the contestant will get the help of one of the stars.

However, they don’t get to choose who helps them – the Wheel does.

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The contestant sits in the middle of the Wheel which, in turn, rotates, and whoever it lands on is their helper.

This means the contestant could get the perfect person they need, or they could get someone who has absolutely no idea about the subject.

Either way, the duo chat through the multiple-choice options together before the contestant ultimately decides which answer to choose and lock in with Michael.

Of course, the show is not just a quiz or game show – it will be a laughter-filled opportunity for the popular host to do what he does best – having fun talking to big stars about the things they love.

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He just happens to be giving deserving contestants the chance to win big money as well.

“I am thrilled to be hosting this show,” McIntyre said when the show was announced.

“Contestants will be competing to win big money, celebrity experts will have their knowledge put the test, and I will desperately be trying to avoid too many puns.

“I simply can’t wait to get behind the wheel, I’m dizzy with excitement!”

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By the sounds of it, this new series is not exactly original, and borrow elements from a number of other game shows.

Despite what McIntyre says in one of his puns, he isn’t “reinventing the wheel”, but the show promises to be good old-fashioned Saturday night family fun, nonetheless.

As Danny Dyer’s The Wall has proved over the past few weeks, the format of a game show can be somewhat irrelevant, as long as you have the right person in charge.

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