TV Game Shows

DeadBankClerk · 10-02-2002 3:49pm #1

Is it too much to ask to have a prime time tv show dedicated to video games?

back in the 16bit days we had gamesmaster, and back then there wasnt even a video game shop on graften street...

video games gross more than cinemas do afaik, and yet we are left with music, games and videos on a saturday morning, showing us the intro to some game,
and a bit of that knacker on denTV (shinji i think his name was?)... no you know the guy... about 18 years old, cant pronounce "th"

"toooom ray-da tree"

GAMESMASTER/BAD INFLUENCE! (early 1990s)
AH, COMPUTERS, eh? Where would we be without them? I'll tell you - watching TV instead of reading about it on silly websites. The 1990s will be known as the decade of the computer, Of That There Is No Doubt. But how did television cover this onslaught? Well, back in the early 80s, when the home computer started its rise to fame, there was a plethora of computer-related programming (MAGIC MICRO MISSION, MICRO LIVE!, THE COMPUTER PROGRAMME, VIDEO & CHIPS), which tended to be rather...specialist in their outlook (and were usually presented by Fred Harris). The 90s, however, saw an explosion in gaming (remember the Megadrive? The SNES? The 3DO?), with better graphics and bigger sales. TV responded amicably with two shows.

Channel 4's Gamesmaster first introduced us to the delights of DOMINIK DIAMOND, starred a digitally-squashed PATRICK MOORE as "The Gamesmaster", and was usually set in some obscure, inaccessible place (oil rig, submarine, dungeon). It combined a healthy dose of game reviews, cheats (dispensed by an oblivious Moore in the Consoletation Chamber), news and the obligitary celebrity contest on some game or other (for the prize of a golden joystick) with Diamond's double-entendres, insulting jokes, piss-takes of kids and filmed bollocks from The Latest Trade Exhibition, usually crammed full of irony. The show lasted a surprisingly long time in the ultra-fast-moving arena of computer games, although much criticism was heaped on after the hiring of punchable Cock-er-ney and one-time Press Ganger DEXTER FLETCHER in place of Diamond after he left in a storm over the show's decision to receive sponsorship from McDonalds. Our sarky Scottish friend came back for the last series, and it died. Now he can be found in the Daily Star, ferrchrissakes!

Bad Influence! occupied the more traditional 4:45 slot on ITV. Generally acknowledged as "****e", it took pretty much the same route as GM - full of reviews, cheats, news etc., but set in a boring Going Live!-sized studio. Presenters were the fabled ANDY CRANE (now to be heard on tinpot local radio in the North-West) and VIOLET BERLIN, who we assume was a, erm, "cyberbabe", on account of the fact that she had spiky hair and wore tight tops. BI! was much more pedestrian than GM, and almost had a "motherly" approach with frequent items about the "serious" application of computing - of course this led to mass switching-over. Game reviews were performed by "the kids", and never got more complex than "Yeah, I think this game is great!", and in a failed attempt to attain cool-dom, the tips and cheats were brought to us by a stupid mad skinhead character called "Nam Rood". He shouted and gesticulated, had those bizarre "cheat codes" written on a piece of card which he stuck to his head ("ABCBCAB START" etc), and always referred to the viewers as "furtlers". Extensive research tells us that "furtling" is a synonym of "masturbation", thus he was calling all of you "****". Every time Violet linked back from him she said "Oh, he's bonkers, he is", obviously indicating to us the viewers that he was rather contrived, in fact. Easily forgettable, except for the innovative "Datablast", which compressed all of the information from the show onto a rapidly-changing display above the credits. You had to record it ("Get your video recorder ready!" quoth ver Crane) and freeze-frame through it to glean addresses, phone numbers etc. It was dead exciting first time round, but once you'd read through the forty pages of useless rubbish you didn't bother again.

REASON FOR INCLUSION - Neither show had an associated website where you can find the latest news, reviews and cheats, at the click of a mouse!
TO BE EXHUMED WHEN - Andy Crane is on This Is Your Life.

Littletinyman · 10-02-2002 3:56pm

and a bit of that knacker on denTV (shinji i think his name was?)... no you know the guy... about 18 years old, cant pronounce "th"

"toooom ray-da tree"

Oh dear god the MEMORIES! Rob sitting there getting abused by Dustin and waving a copy of G4 around enthusiastically.

orangerooster · 10-02-2002 4:06pm

The stream show on network two is ****e but all we have apart from 4'0 clock in the morning ****e on utv or in irish on TG4.I hear that channel 4 have some kind of new games show presented by the chap of the 11 o clock show and one of the people from bits.

Dont be at yourself · 10-02-2002 4:18pm

Make sure any TV programme on the subject of games is aired between the hours of three to five in the morning. Furthermore, make sure the programme is aimed at 8 year olds. Alternatively, have a show featuring the most sociably-inept gamers playing games. Under no circumstances should you do a computer game show in the vien of Film '02. Actually telling people about games in an intelligent manner won't work. Furthermore, never, under any circumstance, should a TV programme be aired before midnight. Unless of course, its a special report highlighting how games are evil and killed your cat.

Shinji · 11-02-2002 1:22am

Oh dear god the MEMORIES! Rob sitting there getting abused by Dustin and waving a copy of G4 around enthusiastically.

Christ.

Luckily nobody watches any of the other things I've been on... Although for a chance to see "When Rob's Hair Attacks (Aided By High Winds)", check out the last episode of Thumb Bandits on March 8...

amp · 11-02-2002 3:27am

Ok people, I want frame grabs, I want mpegs! Set your genlocks to stun!

chernobyl · 11-02-2002 3:32am

I wanna to see that, im one the phone to RTE tomorrow morning to get the tape at any cost, cus thats sounds priceless.

Kairo · 11-02-2002 11:19am

I thought Cybernet was quite good, and I think its still showing on Sci-Fi channel now and again.

Anyone remember Gamesworld? Heh, Watch out for them Videators or Big Boy Barry will eat you.

If you value your sanity, don't go near Game-Network (Channel 223 on Sky Digi)

I remember picking up my first and only copy of G4 and how they were bleeting about Tribes being the BESTEST GAYME EVAR!

Used you work for them Rob?

DeadBankClerk · 11-02-2002 12:36pm

Originally posted by Kyro
I remember picking up my first and only copy of G4 and how they were bleeting about Tribes being the BESTEST GAYME EVAR!
Used you work for them Rob?

uh-oh

Kairo · 11-02-2002 12:58pm

Originally posted by DeadBankClerk

uh-oh

Great..what did I do now?

Shinji · 11-02-2002 1:07pm

I worked on G4, yes. A gang of people who used to write the games stuff for Hot Press, myself included, were the G4 crew.

It was a really fun mag to work on, and it did pretty damn well for an Irish dedicated games mag. I think the Tribes review was mine actually, and I probably spooged over it a lot. Damn I loved Tribes

SheroN · 11-02-2002 1:29pm

I have 3 issues of G4 here, which i'll sell to the highest bidder.....

Cake Fiend · 11-02-2002 5:30pm

I've every issue of G4, which I'm holding onto for comic value.

EvilGeorge · 11-02-2002 5:52pm

Might be waiting a while.

chernobyl · 11-02-2002 6:50pm

Wasnt G4 only like 15 pages and still cost as much as the english mags?

Shinji · 11-02-2002 9:38pm

Nah - it was usually fairly decently sized, and it cost £1.50. Wasn't any point in trying to charge more than that for a mag with no CD on it, and besides, half the price of the english mags was just sheer greed.

chernobyl · 11-02-2002 9:41pm

I do remember an Irish gaming mag that was really skimpy, i think it had MGS one of its first reviews...i gotta go luck through my magazines in the garage.

Pepe LeFrits · 11-02-2002 10:00pm

lol, rob was on denTV? This i have to see

Shinji · 11-02-2002 10:48pm

Thankfully I don't think any tapes of it exist

chernobyl - are you thinking of The Player perhaps?

chernobyl · 11-02-2002 10:57pm

I dunno man, quite possible.

As for Dustin showing Shinji who ruled the roost on the Den, i phone RTE but i had no specifics, like year and day and date.

For €100 they can give you the segment in which Shinji appeared...any chance Shinji you could all let us laugh at your expense and tell us the day and date you appeared?

Shinji · 12-02-2002 12:43am

I don't actually know to be honest. We're talking a bloody long time ago... I think it was just before Christmas 1998, or possibly even 1997.

Kairo · 12-02-2002 6:18pm

Anyone on boards work for RTE by any chance? Could go poking around the archives

Da Bounca · 12-02-2002 6:30pm

I think Nev (Nevermind) has a connection in RTE. He doesn't post much anymore though.

12-02-2002 10:28pm

I'll ask him in school tomorrow

][Spoof Jesus][ · 12-02-2002 10:59pm

Apparently Channel 4 were supposed to start up a new prog called "Bleeding Thumbs" showing Unreal Tournament/Quake 3 and Counter Strike being played live on a tv show...where you have the perspective of various players and all that...

Obviously it didnt appear...it seemed an ok idea...but it isnt like CHannel 4 to bring good ideas into action...though i feel that if Britain dont show that kind of stuff on tv then what hope does Ireland have??????????????

Dont be at yourself · 12-02-2002 11:16pm

That was the BBC afaik, using a modified UT along with various other flavour of the week games. Sounded terrible and thankfully got canned.

Shinji · 13-02-2002 12:16am

Bleeding Thumbs was a somewhat disastrous idea. Gaming on television doesn't work, yet - it just isn't a spectator sport. Bravo's Mercenaries show proved that one - it was diabolical.

I'm a bit disappointed with how Thumb Bandits has turned out overall; I thought that Iain Lee's involvement gave it a chance of being the best games show yet, but it comes across pretty strongly that he doesn't really care about games and can't be bothered pretending he does.

adnans · 13-02-2002 12:28am

video games tv shows have always been dodgy, cheap and unfunny. for the exception of gamesmaster when patrick moore was on, big boy barry and the bits girls, that was the highlight of the video games tv shows.

all the current shows are either intended for retarded children or just an extra advertising space for those corporate ****ers. and there's always Kev. - "DA GRAFFIX ARE BLEEDIN RAPIH"

adnans

Stephen · 13-02-2002 1:05am

My work here is done.

Stephen · 13-02-2002 1:13am

Dont be at yourself · 13-02-2002 2:02am

LOL munch.

*falls over*

TV Game Shows

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