We haven’t done this sort of thing for ages, so knock yourselves out:
- Gladiators films in Sheffield the first fortnight in June and at time of writing it looks like there are still tickets available for all filming dates. Most dates start at 1pm, I would expect the filming to be lengthy, but perhaps you have nothing better to do. Applause Store.
- Limited availability for Deal or No Deal up in Salford in July (Applause Store). We’re still not actually 100% sure on whether this is going primetime or as a Chase replacement, and the four dates on offer don’t help.
- Password films end of June in London (Lost in TV), which is a fun novelty that will never catch-on. Two comedy legends and a special guest are promised, whilst I don’t know who the host of the pilot was, the comedy legends in the pilot were Alan Carr and Daisy-May Cooper so there’s that. But what if you wanted to be a contestant? Well you’ve still got time to apply. Unless you’re reading this after the 9th June, then you don’t.
In a bid to try to be nice to those coming into the arena, as a Sheffielder myself a few points. Most of our Park and Ride works around the Tram system, and the arean sits on the “Yellow” line. It essentially sits between Meadowhall Interchange and Sheffield city centre proper – so if you find yourself at Nunnery square for parking, you want to head towards Meadowhall (or even Parkgate, as there’s a light rail that shares the network and also stops there). From Meadowhall, you want to head out the other way, towards Middlewood or the Cathedral.
It does have parking at the arena site as well, but be aware – Arena Centertainment is the dining and leisure complex not in the arena grounds, where you find your Nandos, Frankie and Benny’s and all that stuff that tends to only exist just a bit out of town.
Not sure how many seats they’re selling but the whole area around it is somewhere geared for families and celebrating groups, so you might be able to make a really good day out of it.
I’d tell you where to get lunch in the city, but pretty much everywhere I liked got pandemiced out of existence, and much as a mini Bar hookup in the university refectory might be a nice idea, it’d go down as well with my colleagues as it would if Brig suggested it in his place, I imagine.
I can’t help but think having the filming weeks just after half-term for most of the country might make it a bit limiting.
Apparently they’re advising recordings will take about five hours – they’re filming two eps on the second Saturday so they’re not leaving much room for manoeuvre.
I went to three recordings of Gladiators as a kid and those were among my favourite childhood memories. The whole thing took all day, including travelling from Merseyside to Birmingham and back, but I’ve no idea how long the actual recording took. Resetting between games seemed to take ages, but there were fun off camera games and stuff (and appearances from the gladiators in recording breaks).
I guess series one (which I didn’t go to) might have been different without knowing the games and the glads. All the energy came from the kids, of course, and in 2023 there won’t be any kids who are properly “fans”.
I also suspect/fear that tighter budgets and productions increasingly becoming factories might mean less thought goes in to how to entertain the crowds, and it’s left to one of the usual warm-ups to run through their usual shtick.
P.S. I have been told by several people who should know (albeit nobody actually working on the series) that DOND is for prime time.
*Thumbs up emoji*
Alan and Daisy confirmed for the Password series btw.