So, basically, the press pack with details of the new games has come out. In the main it looks brill, and also quite I’m a Celeb/Fear Factor inspired i.e. involving lots of creepy crawlies. The show practically invented fear based testing, fell behind the curve, and now seems to have caught up a bit. The Stretcher is the new spiders and scorpions game, and sounds suitably unpleasant.
I’m very excited about the possibilities of the high-tech room, they basically have carte-blanche to make any game they want involving the touch screens.
I’m also very very excited about the prospect of Judge White and the Hall of Judgement – no longer are prisoners automatically released, they must win a game to earn their freedom. Whatsmore for every key the players need to make up the seven required they must win a game or permanently lose a team member. The sense of danger is what we’ve been wanting for years, it’s nice to have it bought back. I understand the argument that we’ve paid the celebs so we want to use them, but even so. I hope they aren’t going to start meddling with the tests to ensure they have at least one prisoner or one key to make up.
There are, of course, question marks. How will fans react to Pere Fouras’ new home? And the show is more than the games, if the music and graphics aren’t up to scratch then it will turn a lot of people off. It feels like the show has had a kick up the backside, I’m really excited to see how this all plays out, and it begins to play out July 2nd on France 2.
The other question mark is how will be the new things affect the proposed kid’s show? We don’t even know the format for the kid’s show yet, but I probably wouldn’t be subjecting 13-15 year olds to half the new stuff.
Edit: Changed the link to Fortboyard.net, as they’ve got different and exciting pictures, including Pere Fouras’ library! Fans of recycling will spot a load of old Boyard things in there. The original link has the two videos.
I am really liking the idea that Pere Fouras has a bigger role to play. Not only doing the riddles, but also overseeing the duels (like in Canada ’97, I think), and he’s also supposedly picking who plays what game. They’ve given him a proper “Master of the Fort” feel.
Also the time gambling of the duels is back. The player picks a wager of either 10, 15 or 20 seconds. A win gains the time, a loss loses it. (I haven’t seen this part in the press release, but I remember talk of this happening so I’m just adding two and two together here). As it says the treasure room can be anything from 2-4 mins, I assume there are thre duels.
Oh, and the adventure stage is 25 minutes instead of 20. Épreuve stage is 45 minutes as usual.
They’ve given him a proper “Master of the Fort” feel.
Yes, and as a tedious Fort Fanboy I find this very exciting because this is the thing he was always meant to be doing in the first place – Pere Fouras is the Guardian of Fort Boyard, but he’s become much more of a bit part (especially) of late. The messages he sends this year telling the team where to go is really a throwback to the map supposedly telling host and team the supposed route through the fort the team used to have to collect back in the early days of the show.
This year is being produced by someone who hasn’t produced the show before and I really like the noises I’m hearing. I just hope it a) doesn’t end up being rubbish and b) takes off again in France, because I don’t know how many last chances the show can have, really.
I still think it’s shame they haven’t cut back the broadcast time a bit.
Incidentally I don’t think they ever had the duels in Quebec did they? But Pere Fouras usually did his clue riddle from the Council, for some reason.
I’ve heard that the broadcast time is now 1h45. Although I don’t have proof so take it with a pinch of salt.
Nope, no duels in Quebec. Room 1, Riddle 1/Swim for it, Room 2, break, Riddle 2/swim for it, Room 3, Room 4, break, room 5, room 6, (need 5/8 to avoid forfeiture), recap at treasure doors, pere fouras’ adventure riddle (later in salle des conseils), adventures 1, 2, 3, head to the treasure room, break, treasure room.
At least if memory serves.
It’s four duels- 10, 15, 15, and 20 seconds.
And Whoever came up with Judge White must be a big X-Men fan- I’m getting a huge Emma Frost vibe there.
With regards to the UK show, I suspect the reason why they wanted youngish looking 18 year old captains is so they can take on some of the challenges that younger teens aren’t allowed to.
I like the fact that La Ventouse (the game where you have to burgle an alarmed room) now has a big “museum” sign on the front of it!
Also incidentally, the original spiders and scorpions game isn’t gone as I had thought (the room hasn’t been repurposed), they’re just not using it on the French show this year.
On a completely different subject (…Though, it does contain Paul McCartney’s Spies Like Us, so, I suppose there’s a torture connection there…) – http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2011/06/the-matt-lucas-awards.shtml …Is this a game show or not?
Given that three people argue and there’s a defined winner I’d suggest technically yes, but not the sort that’s going to get anyone excited about the fact it’s a gameshow.
I wasn’t asking if it was good as a game show, there’s certainly no game to speak of, for example.
?
The wireless version was no more a game show than It’s Been a Bad Week; the prize was a simple prop to move the show along.