Comedy panel shows are judged almost entirely on how many laughs they can conjure up. Dave's Argumental, now returning for its third series, is inconsistent in that respect. This Tuesday's episode (10pm, Dave) has some genuinely funny moments, but sometimes you may have to wait several minutes before the next real laugh.
Argumental is a debating game that sees team captains Marcus Brigstocke and Rufus Hound joined by two guests each episode--this week, Jimmy Carr and Will Smith--as they debate statements like "kids working in sweatshops are the lucky ones" and "everyone should be allowed a face transplant". While it's a decent idea, the mileage varies; it's noticeable that certain topics lend themselves far better to comedy than others. Smith ranting against "reality show stars are real stars" is much more entertaining than him arguing the validity of Derek Acorah's psychic powers, despite both statements being just as absurd as each other.
The rounds, too, are rather hit-or-miss. 'Slideshow' forces the person in the spotlight to debate a stance using a slideshow of photos that he's not seen previously. The randomness of these images--sometimes they're not even related to the topic on hand--leads to amusing spontaneity. On the flipside, the final round consists of a series of pictures that the comedians must suggest arguments the photos might be proving. It's unfocused, never flows, and just has people trying to get in a quick, cheap laugh.
Sprinkled in between rounds are odd jokes from host John Sergeant. The jokes themselves shouldn't have much reason to be funny, but Sergeant--who we usually perceive to be quite a serious man, being a former politics journalist--and his attempts at relatively deadpan delivery make some of them work. Sergeant's casual comment that he's willing to have a threesome with the Minogue sisters, for instance, wouldn't have been as effective if it were Russell Brand or Ricky Gervais speaking, but his delivery is often quite forced.
Argumental is still very much a watchable show, but it's not as frequently funny as some of the better panel series out there. The problem certainly doesn't lie with the calibre of the guests; other than Carr, the series has attracted plenty of other high-profile comedians, including Katy Brand and Johnny Vegas. It's more that the show is too reliant on the quality of what's presented to the contestants.
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