Anna Murray: Have You Been Paying Attention? a worthy comedy rival to 7 Days

Pre-launch promos saw series host Hayley Sproull enthusiastically describing HYBPA as 'the fastest show in comedy'. She was not exaggerating. Photo / Supplied

I felt my age creeping up on me last week and not just because I can't get up off the floor without making a noise anymore or because I still don't really know what a Shaaanxo or Lil Nas X is.

The feeling came during the premiere episode of TVNZ's new comedy quiz show, Have You Been Paying Attention?, where I spent most of its hour-long broadcast muttering, "What in the blazes is going on?"

Pre-launch promos saw series host Hayley Sproull enthusiastically describing HYBPA? as "the fastest show in comedy". She was not exaggerating. It is head-spinning television that seldom stops to take a breath. I needed a cup of tea and a lie down by the time its credits rolled.

HYBPA's premise is to poke fun at the week's news and current affairs, so the comparisons to one of the jewels in Three's comedy crown, 7 Days, are inevitable, but the shows are quite different — and not just because of the newcomer's frenetic pacing.

Vaughan Smith and Urzila Carlson feature as the regular panellists on HYBPA, while Sproull has hosting duties. Photo / Supplied

Rather than following the 7 Days format of two teams of comedians battling it out each week, HYBPA is very much every person for themselves, with regular panellists Urzila Carlson and Vaughan Smith joined by three guests all looking to accumulate individual points over several quiz rounds.

Last week's premiere saw Pax Assadi, Brynley Stent and Tom Sainsbury in the hot seats next to Carlson and Smith and the quintet got the show off to a solid start, helped in no small part by Sproull's confidence in running proceedings.

Of the five panellists, it was Carlson who came across as the most assured first up, probably helped by the fact she's been a regular guest on the Australian version of the show. Sainsbury was also a highlight, with a few good zingers around Instagram, Phil Goff and beauty brand Sephora.

HYBPA broke up the quick-fire question rounds with a couple of other segments, including one where the contestants were asked to guess whether a name on their screen was that of a Tour de France cyclist or a shoe from Number One Shoe Warehouse (a task that's much harder than it sounds).

The show's premiere saw Pax Assadi (front left), Brynley Stent (front centre) and Tom Sainsbury (back right) in the hot seats next to Carlson and Smith. Photo / Supplied

Shortland Street's Ben Barrington also joined Sproull as guest quiz master at one point, but was cut off by Carlson and her buzzer when he dared to speak more than one sentence — which brings me back to HYBPA's lightning pace, something that's both a hindrance and a help to the show.

The speed with which HYBPA whips through its questions means there's little time to savour any of the good jokes. Admittedly, that speed also works in the show's favour when a panellist's joke doesn't hit the mark, with no time left to dwell on those bombs.

It's a world away from 7 Days, where their panellists will frequently go off on some chaotic tangent — usually courtesy of team captain Dai Henwood.

He certainly didn't disappoint last week, when he got confused over the difference between a slogan and a mascot, uttered the line "I'm not a rural, I'm a human from the city," and panicked when host Jeremy Corbett asked him to make up a woman's name on the spot and came out with "Silenta Belonte".

Another key difference between 7 Days and HYBPA comes down to their timeslots. With HYBPA sitting in the family-friendly hour of 7.30pm they can't get away with half the bawdy jokes that make the cut over on 7 Days in its later timeslot of 9pm. Even panellist Ben Hurley shamefacedly admitted "That's the worst thing I've ever said" at one point last week.

Sproull's confidence in running proceedings on new show Have you been Paying Attention? helped get things off to a solid start. Photo / Supplied

But given the show's been on air for nearly 10 years, the 7 Days team have learned how close to skate to the line and do so easily, cracking the type of jokes that can only come from working in each other's company for such a long time.

To expand (sort of) on HYBPA's shoe segment, 7 Days is the comfy slipper of comedy quiz shows (an incredibly filthy and sometimes warped slipper, mind), given it's a solid laugh to look forward to of a Friday evening.

HYBPA, meanwhile, is more like that shiny new pair of shoes. They have a little bit of an uncomfortable feel about them, but will likely shape up to be a favourite once they've been worn in.

• Have You Been Paying Attention? airs 7.30pm Wednesdays on TVNZ 2. 7 Days airs 9pm Fridays on Three.