The fifth series of QI; all of its episodes involve a topic beginning with E. This series began on 21 September 2007 and ended on 14 December 2007; it featured the "Elephant in the Room" bonus.
# | Title | Guests | Winner(s) | Original Air Date | Notes |
1 | Engineering | Bill Bailey Rob Brydon Jimmy Carr |
Rob Brydon | 21 Sep. 2007 | |
2 | Electricity | Jo Brand Rich Hall Sean Lock |
Jo Brand | 21 Sep. 2007 | |
3 | Eating | Jimmy Carr Phill Jupitus Johnny Vegas |
Alan Davies | 28 Sep. 2007 | This episode marks Johnny Vegas' first appearance on the show. |
4 | Exploration | Bill Bailey Rich Hall Sean Lock |
Rich Hall | 5 Oct. 2007 | |
5 | Europe | Phill Jupitus David Mitchell Dara Ó Briain |
Phill Jupitus | 12 Oct. 2007 | |
6 | Everything, Etc. | Clive Anderson Jeremy Clarkson Vic Reeves |
Vic Reeves | 19 Oct. 2007 | |
7 | Espionage | Clive Anderson Jo Brand Vic Reeves |
(Tied) Clive Anderson and Vic Reeves | 26 Oct. 2007 | |
8 | Eyes & Ears | Jimmy Carr Phill Jupitus David Mitchell |
Alan Davies | 2 Nov. 2007 | |
9 | Entertainment | Bill Bailey Jo Brand Jeremy Clarkson |
Jeremy Clarkson | 9 Nov. 2007 | Children in Need special. |
10 | England | Charlie Higson Phill Jupitus Sean Lock |
The Audience | 16 Nov. 2007 | |
11 | Endings | Jimmy Carr Doon Mackichan Dara Ó Briain Pudsey Bear |
(Tied) Jimmy Carr and Dara Ó Briain | 23 Nov. 2007 | |
12 | Empire | Bill Bailey Jo Brand Sean Lock |
Alan Davies | 7 Dec. 2007 | Christmas special |
13 | Elephants | All E Series guests except for Doon Mackichan and Pudsey Bear. | N/A | 14 Dec. 2007 | This is a compilation video and not a true episode. |
Episode breakdowns[]
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia's article "QI (E series)" (view authors here or here). |
The E series currently holds the record, in the show's history, for the fewest number of debutantes; both Charlie Higson and Johnny Vegas had not appeared on the programme before. The series was the first to contain an extra edition of outtakes and extra footage that had been recorded, but not shown within any of the other episodes in the series (these all featured in episode 13), as well as also being the first to contained a single recurring theme within the series. In this instance, it was a special bonus task:
- "Elephant in the Room": Within an episode, one (or more) of the answers would involve elephants. Whoever played their joker card (which was an elephant on a stick) at the correct time, would score bonus points.
A video podcast (featuring the best moments with some out-takes) was planned to accompany this series, but this was instead turned into a set of "Quickies" featured on the QI homepage of the BBC's website. As this decision was not reached until after recording though, they are still referred to as "vodcasts" by whoever is introducing them (usually Fry but occasionally a panellist or even the audience).[1]
Episode 1 "Engineering"[]
- Broadcast date
21 and 22 September 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
18 May 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (4 points)
- Bill Bailey (-18 points) 12th appearance
- Rob Brydon (winner with 11 points) 3rd appearance
- Jimmy Carr (-2 points) 6th appearance
- Theme
To connect with the topic of Engineering, Stephen offered to deliver a sweet bonus by toy train; a model railway line had been laid upon the set, which Stephen used to send the train along, and deliver a sweet to any panellist who gave a particularly interesting (and correct) answer.
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Bill Bailey
- Note
This was QI's 50th Episode.
Episode 2 "Electricity"[]
- Broadcast dates
- 21 September 2007 (BBC Four)
- 28 and 29 September 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
10 May 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-21 points)
- Jo Brand (winner with 10 points) 15th appearance
- Rich Hall (1 point) 15th appearance
- Sean Lock (-12 points) 11th appearance
(This is the first instance of a complete panel appearing twice, as Brand, Hall and Lock all appeared together with Alan in episode 5 of series C)
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry
Episode 3 "Eating"[]
- Broadcast dates
- 28 September 2007 (BBC Four)
- 5 October 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
31 May 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (winner with -2 points) 4th win
- Jimmy Carr (-6 points) 7th appearance
- Phill Jupitus (-21 points) 13th appearance
- Johnny Vegas (-3 points) 1st appearance
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry (imitating Johnny Vegas)
Episode 4 "Exploration"[]
- Broadcast dates
- 5 October 2007 (BBC Four)
- 12 October 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
11 May 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-8 points)
- Bill Bailey (3 points) 13th appearance
- Rich Hall (winner with 8 points) 16th appearance
- Sean Lock (-16 points) 12th appearance
- Theme
As to match with the, both the host and the panellists wore jungle exploration gear, and had a Fly-whisk each. Next to Stephen Fry was a large encyclopaedic-like book, whilst behind him was an old fashioned globe. Finally, lying upon the magnifying glass of the set was a Buddha-like bronze.
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry, through a thicket of jungle plants.
Episode 5 "Europe"[]
- Broadcast dates
- 12 October 2007 (BBC Four)
- 19 October 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
25 May 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-26 points)
- Phill Jupitus (winner with -5 points) 14th appearance
- David Mitchell (-7 points) 3rd appearance
- Dara Ó Briain (-27 points) 5th appearance
- The Audience (-100 points)
- Theme
- Each panellist had a flag, representing a different European country. Alan had Wales (due to his surname), David had England, Dara had the Republic of Ireland and Phill had Lithuania (his paternal grandparents derive from there). However, Alan and David swapped theirs, because Alan has no connections with Wales and David's mother does not like calling herself English (David has both Welsh and Scottish ancestry). Several European flags had also been placed around Stephen, as well as the flag of the European Union.
- During this recording Alan Davies filmed part of the show on his mobile phone. Those videos have been placed on YouTube and can be viewed here and here.
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry.
Episode 6 "Everything, Etc."[]
- Broadcast dates
- 19 October 2007 (BBC Four)
- 26 October 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
8 June 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-24 points)
- Clive Anderson (-25 points) 9th appearance
- Jeremy Clarkson (-30 points) 5th appearance
- Vic Reeves (winner with -6 points) 3rd appearance
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry and every panellist on the show that night.
Episode 7 "Espionage"[]
- Broadcast dates
- 26 October 2007 (BBC Four)
- 2 November 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
7 June 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-8 points)
- Clive Anderson (joint winner with 5 points) 10th appearance
- Jo Brand (4 points) 16th appearance
- Vic Reeves (joint winner with 5 points) 4th appearance
- Theme
- Stephen and the panellists were dressed in sunglasses, hats, trench coats and moustaches (where appropriate), and had magnifying glasses, binoculars, a hearing horn and a toy periscope on their desks.
- Alan once again filmed part of the show on his mobile phone, which can now be seen on YouTube here and here.
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry and every panellist on the show that night.
Episode 8 "Eyes & Ears"[]
- Broadcast date
- 2 November 2007 (BBC Four)
- 9 November 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
1 June 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (winner with 13 points) 5th win
- Jimmy Carr (-10 points) 8th appearance
- Phill Jupitus (3 points) 15th appearance
- David Mitchell (-11 points) 4th appearance
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: The Audience.
Episode 9 "Entertainment" (Children in Need Special)[]
- Broadcast date
- 9 November 2007 (BBC Four)
- 16 November 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
14 June 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-6 points)
- Bill Bailey (-6 points) 14th appearance
- Jo Brand (2 points) 17th appearance
- Jeremy Clarkson (winner with 4 points) 6th appearance
- Theme
- The show initially began with Pudsey Bear, the Children in Need mascot, in the place of Alan Davies, but then Pudsey used his "Elephant in the Room" card to pick out Alan from the audience, who was wearing an elephant head costume. Alan walked out of the audience and took his seat to the tune of Nellie the Elephant. Everyone's elephant card was a picture of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, rather than the usual grey elephant.
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Pudsey Bear holding up a signboard reading "Hello & welcome to the QI vodcast".
Episode 10 "England"[]
- Broadcast date
- 16 November 2007 (BBC Four)
- 23 November 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
24 May 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-59 points)
- Charlie Higson (-15 points) 1st appearance
- Phill Jupitus (technical winner with -8 points) 16th appearance
- Sean Lock (-29 points) 13th appearance
- The Audience (winners with 10 points) Second victory
- Themes
Stephen and the panel have miniature flags of England in front of them, although Alan swaps his English flag for the Welsh flag, (note that in the earlier episode 5 of this series, Alan had swapped his Welsh flag for David Mitchell's flag of England).
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry
Episode 11 "Endings"[]
- Broadcast date
- 23 November 2007 (BBC Four)
- 30 November 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
17 May 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (-17 points)
- Jimmy Carr (joint winner with 5 points) 9th appearance
- Doon Mackichan (-17 points) 2nd appearance
- Dara Ó Briain (joint winner with 5 points) 6th appearance
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen Fry
Episode 12 "Empire" (Christmas Special)[]
- Broadcast date
- 7 December 2007 (BBC Four)
- 14 December 2007 (BBC Two)
- Recording date
15 June 2007
- Panellists
- Alan Davies (winner with 10 points) 6th win
- Bill Bailey (8 points) 15th appearance
- Jo Brand (-33 points) 18th appearance
- Sean Lock (-8 points) 14th appearance
- This is the second instance of a complete panel appearing twice. Bailey, Brand and Lock all appeared together in episode 1 of series B.
- Theme
- Stephen and the panel dressed in Victorian style clothes. Fry is dressed as Oscar Wilde, Brand as Queen Victoria, Davies in an Indian costume, Bailey an Edwardian croquet player and Lock is the Duke of Wellington.
- Topics
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: Stephen, the panel, and the entire QI production team, in the style of a pantomime with the audience shouting back.
Episode 13 "Elephants"[]
- Broadcast date
- 14 December 2007 (BBC Four)
- 26 and 29 December 2007 (BBC Two)
- Theme
- A clip show using unbroadcast material from Series E.
- The beginning and ending of the show has Stephen playing Father Christmas and Alan sitting on his lap (shrunk down in size).
- Vodcast/Quickie
- Presenter: A shrunken Alan Davies. There is no new material; all clips are taken from the episode.