The British Panel Show Is One Of The Great Comedy Formats And Here Are The Best Of Them

I find so many of my favorite comedians through these shows it's ridiculous.

In the US, the way comedians have a breakthrough on television is usually by a standard five minute set on a late night show.

In the UK, there's not a late night scene like the US, but they do have comedy panel shows.

And I wish the US had them.

The banter! The antics! The chaos!

Here are the best of the best of the British panel shows.

8 Out of 10 Cats

Channel 4 / Via tellymix.co.uk

Comedians try to guess the most popular choices based on surveys of the British public. Sometimes it's based on the week's events, and sometimes it's based on a specific topic.

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

Channel 4 / Via channel4.com

There's this institution of a show called Countdown, and it's basically like the British equivalent of Jeopardy. This show doesn't have to do with facts, but anagrams and math. So Channel 4 decided to do a mash up of Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats for a special episode. And then it kept happening and happening, not it's a regular show. It's fun to see the comedians who are good at the game, and the comedians who are, not.

Big Fat Quiz

Channel 4 / Via imdb.com

Whether it's the year, the decade, or everything, this pub quiz is fun and can explode into full on chaos.

Mock the Week

BBC / Via Twitter: @mocktheweek

It's in the title they mock the week that's been. There's also a bit of standup, and a "Scenes From a Hat" like game to end the show, and it includes some of the funniest and cleverest jokes you'll hear.

QI

BBC / Via bbc.co.uk

The panel show for smart people, or those who pretend to be. The fun thing about this is dispelling common myths we believe about the world we live in.

Taskmaster

Channel 4 / Via channel4.com

Comedians and television presenters are given tasks to complete, and hilarity ensues. Some of the best moments of sport and lateral thinking you'll ever see.

Would I Lie to You?

BBC / Via bbc.co.uk

Comedians have to suss out whether someone is telling the truth or a lie. And if you want to test your own deduction skills, watch this show. Especially whenever Bob Mortimer is on.

What are your favorites?