Shooting Stars started as a pilot on BBC Two in 1993 before becoming a full series, and it was created and hosted by comedy double-act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, who used the traditional panel show format but largely ignored or invented rules on a whim.

Original team captain Mark Lamarr left the series in 1997 because he disliked hosting too many quiz shows simultaneously, as he was also presenting Never Mind the Buzzcocks at the time; he was replaced by novelist Will Self in 2002.

Scorekeeper George Dawes, an overgrown ranting baby, was played by Matt Lucas until he quit in the 2010 series due to scheduling conflicts, after which the role passed to Angelos Epithemiou, a character created by comedian Dan Renton Skinner.

For the 2008 15th Anniversary Special and the 2009 series, Jack Dee replaced Will Self as team captain, becoming a permanent fixture, while Matt Lucas briefly reprised George Dawes for the anniversary episode.

One of the most memorable episodes featured Dallas star Larry Hagman, who appeared in a state of constant bemusement at the show's format; Guardian writer Nancy Banks-Smith described him as looking 'like a man in a nightmare'.

George Dawes' entrance was always accompanied by the words 'He's a baby!' sung to the tune of Led Zeppelin's 'Black Dog'.

The costume Matt Lucas wore for George Dawes' 'Peanuts' song later inspired his Little Britain character Andy.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Matt Lucas used a revised version of George Dawes' 'Thank You Baked Potato' song for an NHS fundraising effort.

The show's title is a pun on the fact that much of the humour is at the expense of the celebrity guest stars; in the pilot episode, Vic and Bob literally fired shotguns at the stars during the opening song.