The Gadget Show (2004–2023) User Reviews

Fun But Frivolous

[screenman · 7/10 · 8 August 2009]

Crikey, where's all the nerds, then?

I can't believe that a technophobe like me is the first to comment here. And has it really been going since 2004?

Well I enjoy it anyway. There's a fair mixture of the latest essential ephemera to occupy busy fingers and shallow intellects. Presentation often entails some kind of 'shoot-out' comparisons, which may even lead to a demolition derby. Putting bombs under laptops seems needlessly extreme.

The presenters are a good mix of attitudes. Jon Bentley, Jason Bradbury, and Suzi Perry provide a middle-aged but up-to-date duffer, a youthful whizz-kid type, and the techno-girl.

Mostly it's funny and entertaining, but very much tongue-in-cheek. 'Which' magazine it certainly isn't. And that's my particular criticism. It's taken-over pretty well from where 'Tomorrow's World' left off. I would have like a more detailed evaluation of the stuff they feature, with less emphasis on 'fun' and 'personalities'. But maybe that's my age showing.

Each week ends with a 'competition' to win a shed-load of stuff. Which is pretty pointless because there just isn't enough time in the day to play around with it all. However.

It's good for a laff, but not much more. Funny but dumbed-down.

Craig Charles is a Distraction

[samkely · 6/10 · 9 March 2022]

The content is entertaining, useful and informative and the three regular presenters are excellent, as indeed they were before Craig Charles was parachuted into the show a couple of years ago. He seems to be the Boss, sitting at a desk while the others line up to pay homage to him for some unexplained reason. He's a well-known face on British TV but he seems to positively revel in knowing less than most about, well, gadgets. If the idea is that he is the Everyman figure among the experts, well the idea doesn't work. The show was, and would be, better without him.

Impressive

[10086cn · 10/10 · 13 October 2021]

There's a lot of these types of shows that follow the same topic area released around the time of when The Gadget Show was first released and they've all seemed to have since died out. In that respect, I find it incredibly impressive that this show is still ongoing to this present day (especially since it's rare to find another show like this still on TV). Obviously they're doing something right... and they are, which is apparent once you start watching it!

Good show

[KingMushCharva · 9/10 · 4 September 2019]

How can a show that's been around for so long have such little attention?

I personally really enjoy the show

Awful show without a lead presenter

[burtondavidr · 1/10 · 10 November 2022]

With the departure of Craig Charles this has gone from structured, controllled and enjoyably informative to dismal. No lead presenter/compère leaves it meandering aimlessly. The best presenter is Jon Bentley...but there's no intro to him or what he will be reviewing at the start of the show. The early part led by Ortis and Georgie is so dumbed down that for me it's not watchable. They both presented well before but clearly need a different framework to present as well as they can. I can't watch any more, such a shame for the programme, the presenters and the viewing customers. I realise that Craig won't be back but surely there is someone else that could bring it back to life?

Meh

[sourfig · 2/10 · 8 December 2019]

The banter is contrived and cringeworthy. I'm not impressed.

No journalism just TV shopping show

[frenchgooner · 2/10 · 2 August 2010]

This is going really bad. Was half good before but now they are just advertising apple products with no real test. Do they really think we are so stupid. This is just a big advert with presenters trying to hard to be funny. The test of the Iphone 4 was really bad: An Iphone fan doing a speed test against a presenter who was clearly not familiar with the HTC phone. No mention of flash player or other phone like the evo4g or Samsung galaxy s. oh yes they mention a "small" problem with the antenna but quickly concluded it is the best smart phone in the world. A disgrace they must be on apple payroll. Hopefully they will change or another TV show will take over with good tech review.

Really Peaked

[georgehumphreys-85702 · 1/10 · 18 May 2019]

The show really peaked a while ago and is no longer good, would not recommend

A Shadow Of Its Former Self

[madcap7 · 5/10 · 20 July 2023]

The Gadget Show used to be very informative showing you the latest gadgets from A-Z of the Gadget world, giving you the specs, they'd also tell you the good points and bad. I hadn't watched the show for a few years and I've watched two episodes recently and am so disappointed at how much it has been dumbed done. All the show does now is get the average Joe; mum, dad and child and an 'expert 'to test the cheap, medium, and expensive version of a product and ask them which one is best. Items like toasters, steam cleaners and electric bbqs with no in depth spec or description like the show used to do.

The Gadget Show is no more.

[zacharyjamesdavidson · 1/10 · 5 April 2024]

The Gadget Show used to be one of the more high-budget shows on Channel 5, from its interception in 2004 to the early 2020s. Watching Craig, Otis, Sam and John reviewing tech, breaking records and generally having a good time while eating some juicy burgers on Fridays (then Wednesdays) were some of the best moments I had.

That was a few years ago now.

Ever since Craig left the show, and the production crew decided to shake up the format and rename the show to The Gadget Show: Shop Smart, Save Money, the show has taken a big turn - and not for the good. Ok, helping families out is a kind gesture, but removing that warm, friendly 2016 environment just wasn't the same anymore.

But it got WORSE.

The production crew, to 'maximise profits' decided to cancel the whole show and create a new one called Shop Smart, Save Money. What pisses the daylights out of me, however, is they still review tech, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IN THE NAME!!!

What has happened. Why did it have to be this way, Channel 5.

Getting worse week on week

[leerevell-69549 · 2/10 · 23 May 2021]

Going down hill rapidly Used to be a good watch but now it's the same old gadgets virtually every week in one form or another. Reviewing gadgets that have been around for years... Clearly sponsored and despite bad tests still rate the poor equipment in some cases.