{{Short description|2016 British comedy panel game show}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Use British English|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox television | image = Insert Name Here.png | alt_name = | genre = [[Comedy]] [[panel game]] | creator = | developer = | writer = Will Ing<br />[[Paul Powell (writer)|Paul Powell]] | director = Geraldine Dowd | creative_director = | presenter = [[Sue Perkins]] | starring = [[Josh Widdicombe]]<br />[[Richard Osman]] | judges = | voices = | narrator = | theme_music_composer = Will Slater | open_theme = | end_theme = | composer = | country = United Kingdom | language = English | num_series = 4 | num_episodes = 28 | list_episodes = List of Insert Name Here episodes | executive_producer = Paul McGettigan<br />Dan Gaster<br />Michael Mannes | producer = Margaret Anne Docherty | editor = Jon Ellis<br />Rob Mansell | location = [[Pinewood Studios]] | cinematography = | camera = | runtime = 30 minutes | company = [[12 Yard]]<br>Black Dog Television | channel = [[BBC Two]] | first_aired = {{Start date|2016|1|4|df=y}} | last_aired = {{End date|2019|2|27|df=y}} | related = }} '''''Insert Name Here''''' is a [[Television in the United Kingdom|British]] [[comedy]] [[panel game]] show presented by [[Sue Perkins]]. The programme made its debut on [[BBC Two]] on 4 January 2016. In each episode two teams of three compete to answer questions about famous people, past and present, who have just one thing in common: they share the same name.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/insert-name-here |title=BBC Two Commissions 'Insert Name Here' |work=BBC Media Centre |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=26 November 2015}}</ref> The team captains are [[Josh Widdicombe]] and [[Richard Osman]].<ref name="hertsandessexobserver">{{cite news |url=http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/s-TV-tonight-7-including-Griff-s-Great-Britain/story-28377689-detail/story.html |title=Griff's Great Britain, Silent Witness and Immortal Egypt with Joann Fletcher...tonight's TV highlights |newspaper=Herts & Essex Observer }}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> The show was cancelled on 26 February 2020<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shakhnazarova|first=Nika|date=2020-02-26|title=Sue Perkins' game show Insert Name Here axed by BBC Two|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sue-perkins-waves-goodbye-game-21580763|access-date=2021-04-28|website=mirror|language=en}}</ref> due to low viewership.
==Background== ''Insert Name Here'' had four pilots: one called "Britain's Favourite", recorded on the theme of [[Steve]]s and due to be broadcast in February 2011, but pulled out of the broadcast schedule at short notice; one in July 2012 discussing [[David (given name)|David]]s and called "And You Are..." (both of these were fronted by [[Miranda Hart]]);<ref name="comedy">{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/867/miranda_hart_and_you_are_panel_show_pilot/ |title=BBC re-pilots panel show hosted by Miranda Hart |date=18 July 2012 |publisher=Comedy.co.uk}}</ref> one in March 2013 as "Name Droppers"; and one in April 2015 with its current title (both fronted by [[Sue Perkins]]).<ref name="comedy2">{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/1779/insert_name_here_bbc2_panel_show_sue_perkins/ |title=Sue Perkins to film BBC panel show pilot Insert Name Here |date=3 April 2015 |publisher=Comedy.co.uk}}</ref>
The first series went out on Monday nights<ref name="daa">{{cite web|url=http://www.daamanagement.co.uk/news.asp|title=News|publisher=Debi Allen Associates|access-date=10 February 2016|archive-date=3 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203004608/http://daamanagement.co.uk/news.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the slot that the final series of ''[[Never Mind the Buzzcocks]]'' occupied.<ref name="guardiannmtb">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/may/26/bbc-axes-never-mind-the-buzzcocks-phill-jupitus|title=BBC axes Never Mind the Buzzcocks after 20 years |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London }}</ref> ''[[The Times]]'' announced that Perkins's appointment as host made her the first female presenter of a mainstream British comedy TV panel show, a distinction that some commentators had previously assumed would belong to [[Sandi Toksvig]] when she began hosting ''[[QI]]'' later the same year.<ref name="times"/> However, the online column [[UKGameshows.com|Weaver's Week]] argued that [[Sue Barker]], [[Jo Brand]], and [[Gabby Logan]] had all beaten Perkins to the post, with ''[[A Question of Sport]]'', ''[[Jo Brand's Hot Potatoes]]'', and ''[[I Love My Country (UK TV series)|I Love My Country]]'', respectively.<ref name="ukgameshows">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Weaver%27s_Week_2016-02-21|title=Weaver's Week 2016-02-21|publisher=[[UKGameshows.com]]}}</ref>
A name is picked before the show, and the aim of the game is to find out the best possessor of that name. This may be somebody either using that name or having been born with that name or its variants – for example, Frank discussions would also address Francises, Frankies and Fannys – and the name is divulged at the start of the show.<ref name="Episode One">{{cite episode|title=Episode One|publisher=[[BBC Online]]|network=[[BBC Two]]|airdate=4 January 2016|series=Insert Name Here|series-no=1|number=1}}</ref>
===Round 1=== Four owners of that name are listed as characteristics (for example, Secret Frank). Four facts are revealed about said owner, and then free discussion takes place. After a few minutes, Sue asks a question about the owner and whoever's guess is closest gets that owner. Three of the owners are discussed in this way.<ref name="Episode One"/>
===Round 2=== The second round involves three owners being laid out and then a related question asked. Whoever gets that question right gets that owner, while whoever doesn't gets a bonus – a comparatively useless owner. Three sets of three are discussed in this way.<ref name="Episode One"/>
===Round 3=== This round is on the buzzer, and a half-finished question is asked. Teams are asked to finish the question. Three of these are asked. Afterwards, the winners are the team with the most owners; the winning team captain gets the privilege of declaring who they think is the best owner. In addition, booby prizes are awarded to both teams.<ref name="Episode One"/>
==Transmissions== {{Main|List of Insert Name Here episodes}} The coloured backgrounds denote the result of each of the series: :{{Color box|#ffdddd|border=darkgray}} – indicates Josh's team won the series. :{{Color box|#ddffdd|border=darkgray}} – indicates Richard's team won the series. :{{Color box|#ffffdd|border=darkgray}} – indicates the series ended in a draw.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:1000px" |- ! Series !! Start date !! End date !! Christmas Special !! Episodes !! Names covered |- style="background:#ffd;" | '''1''' || 4 January 2016 || 8 February 2016 || {{n/a}} || 6 |{{hlist|[[Frank (given name)|Frank]]|[[William (given name)|William]]|[[Kate (given name)|Kate]]|[[Jo (given name)|Jo]]|[[Dave (given name)|Dave]]|[[Chris]]}} |- style="background:#ffd;" | '''2''' || 9 January 2017 || 6 February 2017 || 21 December 2016 || 6 |{{hlist|[[Alex]]|[[Mary (name)|Mary]]|[[Ben]]|[[Charlie (given name)|Charlie]]|[[Steve]]}} |-style="background:#dfd;" | '''3''' || 20 November 2017 || 22 January 2018 || 21 December 2017 || 8 |{{hlist|[[Tom (given name)|Tom]]|[[Lou (given name)|Lou]]|[[Anne]]|[[Paul (name)|Paul]]|[[John (given name)|John]]|[[Jane (given name)|Jane]]|[[Jack (given name)|Jack]]}} |-style="background:#ffd;" | '''4''' ||2 January 2019 || 27 February 2019 || 19 December 2018 || 8 |{{hlist|[[Mo (given name)|Mo]]|[[Mark (given name)|Mark]]|[[Emma (given name)|Emma]]|[[Harry (given name)|Harry]]|[[Liz]]|[[Jules]]|[[Rob (given name)|Rob]]}} |}
==Guest appearances== [[File:Kate Williams 2014.jpg|thumb|[[Kate Williams (historian)|Kate Williams]] has made fifteen guest appearances making her the most frequent guest on the programme.]] The following all appeared multiple times as one of the guest panellists on the show:
{{Col-begin|width=600px}} {{Col-break}} '''15 appearances''' * [[Kate Williams (historian)|Kate Williams]] '''11 appearances''' * [[Suzannah Lipscomb]] '''3 appearances''' * [[James Acaster]] * [[Danny Baker]] * [[Nish Kumar]] * [[Gabby Logan]] * [[Stephen Mangan]] * [[Sara Pascoe]] * [[Lucy Porter]] * [[Jon Richardson]] {{Col-break}} '''2 appearances''' * [[Aisling Bea]] * [[Rob Beckett]] * [[Katy Brand]] * [[Roisin Conaty]] * [[Tom Davis (British actor)|Tom Davis]] * [[Hugh Dennis]] * [[Paul Feig]] * [[Chris Packham]] * [[Adil Ray]] {{col-end}}
==Reception== Tim Dowling of ''[[The Guardian]]'' noted the show's "breezy contempt for its own formalities", saying that the show echoed ''[[8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown]]'' in that respect, though stated that "the latter has the distinct advantage of a well-understood and much-loved set of actual rules. Here, there was nothing established to undermine, unless it was the very notion of the panel show". He summarised by calling the show "an amiable enough half hour" and noted that "no one will ever accuse ''Insert Name Here'' of taking itself too seriously".<ref>{{cite news |last=Dowling |first=Tim |date=5 January 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jan/05/silent-witness-review-insert-name-here-immortal-egypt |title=Silent Witness review – this pathology procedural has held up remarkably well |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |access-date=5 January 2016}}</ref>
''The Times''{{'}} Alex Hardy was more positive, saying that while Sandi Toksvig hugged each of her guests before hosting episodes of ''[[The News Quiz]]'', "in the best possible way, this feels like a show where everyone has been hugged.<ref name="times"/> It’s partly that the concept is so loose that the conversation can spin off anywhere. … It's partly that the chemistry really worked, with everyone contributing intelligently and amusingly. It is funny and it is (fairly) clever, which is pretty close to the panel-show holy grail."<ref name="times">{{cite web |last=Hardy |first=Alex |date=5 January 2016 |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/tv-radio/reviews/article4656239.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105014849/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/tv-radio/reviews/article4656239.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 January 2016 |title=TV review: When Ant & Dec Met the Prince |newspaper=[[The Times]]|location=London |url-access=subscription|access-date=5 January 2016|quote=Sandi Toksvig, on her recent Desert Island Discs, revealed that before each recording of The News Quiz, she gives each panellist a hug — all part of making the show more friendly. She was due to become the first female host of a mainstream comedy TV panel show, when she takes over the reins of QI later this year, but Sue Perkins last night pipped her to it on Insert Name Here. In the best possible way, this feels like a show where everyone has been hugged. It’s partly that the concept is so loose that the conversation can spin off anywhere (it’s about a different moniker every week, so last night’s “Frank” episode covered everything from Drake to Lampard). It’s partly that the chemistry really worked, with everyone contributing intelligently and amusingly. It is funny and it is (fairly) clever, which is pretty close to the panel-show holy grail.}}</ref>
==International broadcasters== Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on [[BBC UKTV]] on 8 November 2016.<ref name="Nov7Fox">{{cite web |publisher=The Green Room |first=Charles |last=Purcell |url=http://community.foxtel.com.au/t5/Foxtel-Blog/New-This-Week-Nov-7-Vampire-Diaries-Lucifer-Mars-World-Cup/ba-p/160494 |title=New This Week (Nov 7): Vampire Diaries, Lucifer, Mars, World Cup, Wallabies and live sport |date=3 November 2016 |access-date=4 November 2016 |archive-date=4 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104034434/http://community.foxtel.com.au/t5/Foxtel-Blog/New-This-Week-Nov-7-Vampire-Diaries-Lucifer-Mars-World-Cup/ba-p/160494 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{BBC programme}} * {{IMDb title}} * {{British Comedy Guide|tv|insert_name_here}} * {{UKGameshow|Insert_Name_Here}}
[[Category:2010s British comedy television series]] [[Category:2010s British game shows]] [[Category:2016 British television series debuts]] [[Category:2019 British television series endings]] [[Category:BBC panel games]] [[Category:BBC television comedy]] [[Category:English-language British television shows]] [[Category:Television series by ITV Studios]]