Return of Blockbusters...

[2cvbloke]

I'm sure it was advertised as the 8th of May, but seems it's now the 14th, ah well...

Anyway, I can't wait to see what they've achieved with this upcoming new series, I grew up watching it with Bob Holness in charge, and always loved it, but the two subsequent attempts at returning it to our screens just didn't work (BBC2, with Michael Aspel, and $ky1 with Liza Tarbuck), so it will be interesting to see how successful they are with a much more sympathetic reboot with Simon Mayo...

They even posted a video with the new titles and a sneak preview of the new set, which looks pretty good, with plenty of homage to the original, just lacking the polystyrene carvings of the gods and historical icons, so I'm pretty anxious to see it all for real...

[video=youtube;ESq1XZJIZZ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=ESq1XZJIZZ4[/video]

Can't wait for Monday 14th May(o), 8PM, Challenge (Channels - S-125, F-46, VM-139)...

 

[Lazarus]

I feel a P coming on .................

 

[2cvbloke]

I feel a P coming on .................

Looking at your avatar, you're already at it...

 

[2cvbloke]

s'on right now, so far so good, shame it's not just for students like it used to be, but oh well...

 

[2cvbloke]

Well, so far, I like it, and I rather liked the fact that they dedicated it to the memory of Bob Holness...

That's definitely Blockbusters...

 

[2cvbloke]

You know, I'm surprised there's not been much said about the return of a false-tension free, quick-thinking, intelligent and entertaining gameshow, even if the audience have been taking the P every time the contestants took a P....

This is the sort of gameshow I like, no long pauses generating false-tension (like WWTBAM, Deal or No deal, or anything on ITV that isn't based on a classic gameshow), the game is simple and fun, no big risks of losing thousands of quids, it's just sit there, press a button, and win a fiver for every right answer...

And it's funny to think, this game never took off over in the states where it actually originated from, but I'm sure we all know why that is....

 

[sonnetpete]

I don't know if you mean a lack of response on here or generally. I'd love to watch it again but it's not FTA sadly.

I've just caught the first five minutes of the launch show on Youtube and was quite impressed. If I have a criticism, couldn't they have kept to the original contestant format of having students? However, I agree that it's a pleasant change not to have the hyped up and overused tension that we see injected into many gameshows and reality 'talent' programmes.

 

[2cvbloke]

I don't know if you mean a lack of response on here or generally. I'd love to watch it again but it's not FTA sadly.

Oh yeah, I forgot that Challenge is a sub. channel via satellite, seeing as it's a $ky-owned channel....

I've gotten so used to it being free on Freeview, haven't dabbled in satellite for a while myself...

I did wonder about the contestant choice too, it seems that they went back to the US version (as they did with the BBC2 version) of having anyone on, unlike the Holness and Tarbuck versions which had only 6th form or college students, but so far it has been pretty interesting as to the mix of contestants and the 1 vs. 2 scenario...

My criticism though is the theme tune, initially I was pleased to hear the Quiz Wizard theme by Ed Welch being played, but, they've fiddled with it so much, snipping off bits and pieces to shorten the title sequence, it's just not the same thing any more...

The 2nd version, in this video, is the best there was, the other later versions ($ky's first attempt, BBC2's completely different theme, $ky's 2nd attempt, and the current "Rage Music" one) just don't give the same cult status feeling...

[video=youtube;49OkMKxQRTw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49OkMKxQRTw[/video]