THE BOOTH - I'd like to thank...

Well, that’s it. The Booth is no more. Not only is it literally burnt to the ground, it in another sense is over because I will not be producing any further editions. I made twelve episodes – that’s a run to match Fawlty Towers (and we bettered them by not mentioning The War at all). You’ve had four hundred and eighteen minutes of free entertainment from me. That’s almost seven hours (or, to put it another way, almost two whole Lord of the Rings films).

Only one of these people made it out alive.

Anyway, that’s your lot. I’ll start releasing something brand new soon but you can rest assured it won’t see me trapped in a studio trying to think of punning questions based on an ever-decreasing supply of themes. Until then though, there’s the mandatory acceptance speech-type list of thanks you…

Ah, Antosh, Dan, Sam, Scott, Chris, James, Mark, Davis, Kora, Charlie, Clare, Indy, Connor, and Milli.

Between them they’ve been accused of being racist, almost suffocated during a production of Macbeth, accidentally punched a customer, invented a game involving nudity, played Ready Steady Cook at a house party, scared me with their Weird Thought, lived in a caravan, gone into a random old man’s car, adopted a gnome, been tricked by gypsies, met Tim Minchin, smoked e-cigarettes, quacked at strangers, and took part in a water fight that resulted in one participant suffering a bloody injury. They’ve certainly led exciting lives which is fortunate or else they would have had nothing to talk about. To them, I extend a big Thank You. There literally wouldn’t be a show without you lot.

Thanks to Tim Berners-Lee for giving us the internet - I particularly love the ease with which I can instantly access pictures of kittens.

Thanks to anyone who listened to the show or even read this blog*.

Thanks to Mark for some sound advice.

I’ve been Brendan Way. This has been The Booth. Goodbye!


*Microsoft Word wants me to believe this sentence is a question. It isn’t. I am positive I want to thank you.

THE BOOTH - 2.6. - Best Story Ever Special

THE BOOTH - 2.6.

THEME: Best Story Ever.

WHO'S IN?: The first ever pair of contestants and the last held inmate.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOTH?: There's no water in The Booth. Clare is fenced off in a corner. I pass time by writing statistics in my diary and walking around whilst imagining I have a pedometer.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Not everyone gets a Weird Thought (Antosh's ended up cut for time).

SIX DEGREES OF THE BOOTH: 

• Last week Indy joked she'd return to set the Booth alight. Now it turns out she wasn't kidding.
• I say I have previously given points for a second story before - the first instance of this was in Episode 3.
• Kora previously said I needed to get a vicar on. In this episode, Clare reveals she put her name on the ministry database.
• There's a callback to the pilot.

NEXT WEEK: Well, nothing. The Booth, both the show and the titular studio, is over. It was such a blast to do. Thanks to everyone involved and to anyone who took the time to listen. Without you, it would just be me on my own talking to myself to no end. And I can do that at home!

This episode can be found here. It is available for a few weeks to download for free here.

THE BOOTH - 2.5. - University Special

THE BOOTH - 2.5.

THEME: University.

WHO'S IN?: Millie, Indy, and Connor Way.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOTH?: There's no medicine in the room. We have an aftershow party. All of us were naked in this recording. Connor has drawn nobs on the wall.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: There's three guests.

SIX DEGREES OF THE BOOTH: During Chris' Weird Thought about colour blindness, I referred to a flatmate who does Psychology. Millie is that flatmate and it is she who told me she was taught nothing is real and that it's all just assigned labels. Then again she also said that I am my brain so maybe she's just trying to confuse me.

NEXT WEEK: In a move Dan described as throwing away the show's format completely, I invite panelists to tell their BEST STORY EVER.

This episode can be found here. It is available for a few weeks to download for free here.

THE BOOTH - 2.4. - Festive Days

THE BOOTH - 2.4.

THEME: Festive Days.

WHO'S IN?: Clarrisa and Charles.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOTH?: There's no food except for my personal supply. The series and the contributors are all products of my imagination. This whole series has been a dream.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: I find the original Weird Thoughts so distinctly, well, unweird, that I eventually award the point for best contribution in the round.

SIX DEGREES OF THE BOOTH: I refer to the time that Charlie played God, an incident Dan previously detailed in episode 2. I reprise my Sports Day story. Dan gets his third consecutive mention of the series. Plus, in the space of two weeks, Charlie's play has changed from Measure to Measure to Hamlet. That's show business!

NEXT WEEK: In a University Special, I am joined by my housemates. Well, I say 'housemates', I don't have a house. I live in The Booth.

This episode can be found here.

THE BOOTH - 2.3. - Employment

THE BOOTH - 2.3.

THEME: Employment.

WHO'S IN?: A ninja and a dancer.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOTH?: I don't get to leave The Booth that often, but when I do, I go see dancing ladies.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Due to a contestant unwisely telling stories about their current work, for the only time in the series' run, I had to recapture panelists in order to get a new set of anecdotes. The eventual result of the episode did not change.

SIX DEGREES OF THE BOOTH: My (joke) marriage to Dan once again gets a mention, as does Finding Nemo.

NEXT WEEK: Some people think every day is a special day. This episode however is only devoted to those specifically mentioned in calendars.

This episode can be found here.

THE BOOTH - 2.2. - Family and Home Life

THE BOOTH - 2.2.

THEME: Family and Home life.

WHO'S IN?: German Kora talks about sausages and British Mark has a story involving holidaying in Brighton. No stereotypes being reinforced there then.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOTH?: There's no shower. There is however a potty. All the ex-panelists are still here including Dan who is feeling me under the table. I don't know who's in charge of The Booth.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: This is the first (and only) time you "hear" a very naughty word. It was Dan (he of Being Under The Table fame) who inspired the use of the tambourine to cover it - he'd previously written it into a sketch for us about Chris Brown.  This episode is also the first time I award points for both stories, the first example of the panellists making animal noises, and the first suggestion that Dan and I are getting married.

SIX DEGREES OF THE BOOTH: In what would turn into somewhat of a theme in this second series, the BOOTH's most recurring panellist, Dan, gets his first mention.

NEXT WEEK: As we've heard in this episode, some people have jobs. In next week's edition, we'll hear stories from them.

This episode can be found here.

THE BOOTH - 2.1. - Sixth Form and Secondary School

THE BOOTH - 2.1

THEME: Sixth Form and Secondary School.

WHO'S IN?: It's an all-new lineup! Mark and Davis are the guests. What a pair of sporting legends!

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOOTH?: The panelists all have more important things to do.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Showing we're the cutting edge of (admittedly belated) satire, this is the first time we've ever had vaguely topical references, thus ensuring people stumbling across this episode in decades to come will be bewildered by the concept of Justin Bieber.

SIX DEGREES OF THE BOOTH: Mark was previously credited in the Christmas Special for "some sound advice". See, that's funny because he gave me advice about how to improve the sound so it's... Ah, forget it.

NEXT WEEK: We're keeping it in the family with an episode all about home life.

This episode can be found here. It is available for a few weeks to download for free here.