Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: Amrou Al-Khadi, bameshow, bbc, desitree burch, Glamrou., Kemah Bob, Ken Cheng, radio 4, thena Kugblenu

BBC Radio 4 Launches Bameshow, a Panel Show With A Difference

Published Tue, 10 Nov 2020 08:45:16 -0600

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Tue, 10 Nov 2020 10:23:30 -0600

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For decades, British TV and radio panel shows managed with completely white, and often mostly male, participants. BBC Radio 4 is recording Bameshow, a new panel game twists that the other way.

BBC Radio 4 Launches Bameshow, a Panel Show With A Difference — Bameshow logo from BBC Radio.

"Welcome to the only BBC Radio 4 panel show featuring exclusively people of colour! But how in an age of entertainment tokenism has this been made possible? This is audio. No-one knows we're not white." says Desiree Burch, the host of Bameshow, a new format that parodies traditional game shows that have too often overlooked comedians of colour. The BBC states that Bameshow will be "Poking fun at tokenism, unconscious bias and just plain old racism, Desiree and the cast intend to go bravely (and mischievously) where others fear to tread."

The pilot episode will be recorded at noon this Thursday, with a virtual Zoom audience who can apply for tickets here. Participants in the pilot will include comedians Athena Kugblenu, Ken Cheng, Kemah Bob and Amrou Al-Khadi – also known as drag performer Glamrou.

Desiree Burch is best known for hosting the gameshow Flinch as well as narrating the dating show Too Hot To Handle, both on Netflix She has also appeared on comedy panel shows Have I Got News for You, QI and Mock the Week.

The free tickets are handed out, first come, first served. In order for the BBC to be able to record your reactions throughout, you will also be given access to their Virtual Audience Recording system, which will need to be opened in an up-to-date version of Google Chrome on a PC or Mac (tablets and phones are not currently supported). Audience members will be able to hear reaction from all other audience members live, so to try and recreate the feeling of being part of a live audience.

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