Quite Interesting Limited
Encyclopedia
Quite Interesting Limited is a British
research company, most notable for providing the research for the television
panel game
QI
(itself an abbreviation of Quite Interesting), as well as other QI related programmes and products. The company founder and chairman is John Lloyd
, the creator and producer
of QI, and host of the radio
panel game The Museum of Curiosity
, which also uses Quite Interesting Limited for its research. John Mitchinson
is the company's director
and also works as head of research for QI.
The philosophy of the company is that it claims that there are four primal drives: food
, sex
, shelter and curiosity
. Out of these, curiosity is supposedly the most important because, "unlike the other three drives, it is what makes us uniquely human." The company claims that, "Whatever is interesting we are interested in. Whatever is not interesting, we are even more interested in. Everything is interesting if looked at in the right way."
Those who carry out research are known as the "QI Elves". Notable elves include Justin Pollard
and Vitali Vitaliev
. They are also responsible for helping to write the questions used on QI. People wishing to become elves are recommended to start by commenting on the forums of the QI website.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
research company, most notable for providing the research for the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
(itself an abbreviation of Quite Interesting), as well as other QI related programmes and products. The company founder and chairman is John Lloyd
John Lloyd (writer)
John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd CBE is a British comedy writer and television producer. He is the great nephew of John Hardress Lloyd.-Early life and career:...
, the creator and producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
of QI, and host of the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
panel game The Museum of Curiosity
The Museum of Curiosity
The Museum of Curiosity, formerly titled The Professor of Curiosity, is a comedy panel game on BBC Radio 4 that was first broadcast on 20 February 2008. It stars John Lloyd as "The Professor of Ignorance at the University of Buckingham" and owner of the fictional "Museum of Curiosity"...
, which also uses Quite Interesting Limited for its research. John Mitchinson
John Mitchinson
For the English tenor, see John Mitchinson .For the Bishop, see John Mitchinson .John Mitchinson is the head of research for the British television panel game QI, and is also the managing director of Quite Interesting Limited. He is co-writer of the QI series of books with the show's creator John...
is the company's director
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and also works as head of research for QI.
About
Lloyd founded Quite Interesting Limited in 1999. It is claimed that the idea of founding the company came on Christmas Eve 1993. According to his profile on QI.com, "he came to the sudden and alarming realisation that he didn't really know anything. Changing gear again, he started reading books for the first time since he was 17. To his horror, he discovered that he hadn't been paying attention and, with painful slowness, unearthed the closely guarded secret that the universe is astoundingly quite interesting."The philosophy of the company is that it claims that there are four primal drives: food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, shelter and curiosity
Curiosity
Curiosity is an emotion related to natural inquisitive behavior such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in human and many animal species. The term can also be used to denote the behavior itself being caused by the emotion of curiosity...
. Out of these, curiosity is supposedly the most important because, "unlike the other three drives, it is what makes us uniquely human." The company claims that, "Whatever is interesting we are interested in. Whatever is not interesting, we are even more interested in. Everything is interesting if looked at in the right way."
Those who carry out research are known as the "QI Elves". Notable elves include Justin Pollard
Justin Pollard
Justin David Pollard is a British historian, television producer and writer.-Biography:Pollard is a popular historian and screenwriter working in the field of feature films, television and print...
and Vitali Vitaliev
Vitali Vitaliev
Vitali Vitaliev is a Ukrainian-born journalist and writer who has worked in Russia, England, Scotland, Australia and Ireland.-Biography:...
. They are also responsible for helping to write the questions used on QI. People wishing to become elves are recommended to start by commenting on the forums of the QI website.
DVDs
| Name | Region 2 release |
|---|---|
| QI: A Quite Interesting Game | 2004-11-04 |
| QI: The Complete First Series | 2006-11-06 |
| QI Presents: Strictly Come Duncing | 2007-11-26 |
| QI: The B Series | 2008-03-17 |
| QI: The C Series | 2008-09-01 |
Books
| Name | Released | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| The Book of General Ignorance The Book of General Ignorance The Book of General Ignorance is the first in a series of books based on the final round in the intellectual British panel game QI, written by series-creator John Lloyd and head-researcher John Mitchinson, to help spread the QI philosophy of curiosity to the reading public... |
2006-10-05 | ISBN 0571233686 |
| The Book of Animal Ignorance The Book of Animal Ignorance The Book of Animal Ignorance is the second title in a series of books based on the intellectual British panel game QI, written by series-creator John Lloyd and head-researcher John Mitchinson... |
2007-10-04 | ISBN 0571233708 |
| The QI Annual 2008 | 2007-11-01 | ISBN 0571237797 |