''The Book Quiz'' is a

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

quiz programme. The first series, first broadcast in 2007, was hosted by

David Baddiel David Lionel Baddiel (; born 28 May 1964) is an English comedian, presenter, screenwriter, and author. He is known for his work alongside Rob Newman in ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and his comedy partnership with Frank Skinner. He has al ...

with a second 2008 series hosted by

Kirsty Wark Kirsteen Anne "Kirsty" Wark FRSE (born 3 February 1955) is a Scottish television presenter with a long career at the BBC. Starting on Radio Scotland, where she became a producer, Wark switched to television, presenting The Late Show and Newsnig ...

Critical reception

Rupert Christiansen Rupert Christiansen (born 1954) is an English writer, journalist and critic. Life and career Born in London, Christiansen is the grandson of Arthur Christiansen (former editor of the ''Daily Express'') and son of Kay and Michael Christiansen (forme ...

, writing for

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

, offered The Book Quiz as an example of the BBC's "dumbed-down arts coverage", calling it "breezy drivel" that does "little more than twitter." Alex Larman's review on

guardian.co.uk TheGuardian.com, formerly known as Guardian.co.uk and ''Guardian Unlimited'', is a British news and media website owned by the Guardian Media Group. It contains nearly all of the content of the newspapers ''The Guardian'' and ''The Observer'', ...

said it was "hard to think of a more misconceived programme", "a very poor thing indeed" that seems to be "designed for, and by, people who don't read books."

Guest appearances

References

External links

* * * 2000s British game shows 2007 British television series debuts 2009 British television series endings BBC television game shows BBC panel games British panel games English-language television shows {{BBC-tv-prog-stub