Review for Jokers Wild: The Complete Series 2

Some things hardly change at all. Despite it being over 40 years since 'Jokers Wild' aired, Barry Cryer looks remarkably unchanged (other than hair colour) and the panel show format looks damned familiar too. Sure - the set is a bit creaky, and let's face it, so are many of the jokes, but Cryer's droll wit as a host set up the template that 'Mock the Week'. 'Have I Got News for You' and '8 out of 10 Cats' ape to this very day. And here's the evidence.


Series 1 of this very entertaining set was released as a 3 DVD set earlier this year, and Series 2 is every bit as entertaining, spread out across just two discs but with 14 full shows of mirth and merriment to enjoy. Now every night is like a Friday night!


'Jokers Wild' was really popular in its day, running for a whopping 8 seasons, but should not be confused with its famous American counterpart, a show which ran on and off for two decades and which was based on a card game. The only cards in this show are the folksy 'topic' cards which Cryer reveals after pressing a button, with the ludicrous suggestion that somehow topics were completely randomised. If that were the case, what are the odds against 'Mother-in-law' coming up as regularly as it did?


The idea was fairly simple. Two teams of two either side of Cryer who compete by responding to the randomised subjects given by telling a joke about that topic. If anyone from the opposing team knows the joke then they can interrupt to get points. And that's pretty much it with the exception of a mid-way break when someone gets selected to do two minutes stand-up on a particular topic where laughs are counted to get points.


It's a nice format that sees old-school (even at that time!) team leaders Ted Ray and Arthur Askey with an array of regular guests including Les Dawson, Kenneth Connor, Eric Sykes, Ray Martine and Ted Rogers. On balance, Dawson is best at delivering quick-fire gags that really raise a belly laugh though there won't be many gags here that you won't have heard at least once in the intervening years.

Unlike Series 1, there is no superfluous glam queen escorting guests on and off the set. They're already sitting when the opening credits start.
In common with Series 1 is a veritable sea of some as virtually all contestants, and Cryer himself, puff away on cigarettes throughout - adding to its unique seventies period 'charm'.


Despite the supposed spontaneity, there is no doubt that topics would have been revealed to the participants in advance, making Arthur Askey' showman-like chin stroking all the more charming though grumpy stand ups like Les Dawson made no such pretence, barely waiting for Cryer to read out the card before launching into a monologue.


This season comes from a long time before stand-up made its way out of working men clubs to University unions. As a result, it's incredibly non-PC. Which means there are lots of humorous Indian accents, jokes about 'poofs' and sexist jokes aplenty. Well, you've been warned.


There is no reason not to start viewing with Season 2. By then the show was getting well settled into its format and is a lot of fun. As an ITV show its half-hour slots (minus ads) go through at an amazing rate of knots, which will have you craving Season 3 before you know it. And if we are ever to see that again, it relies on good sales of Season 2 - so you know what needs to be done.
In the meantime, take my mother in law …well, I wish someone would. There was a Scotsman, and Irishman and an Englishman…