I’m not going to be able to comment further on this until this evening and I’ll be at a computer with sound but thanks to Youtube’s Geek Week, here’s that new episode of Knightmare!
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I’m not going to be able to comment further on this until this evening and I’ll be at a computer with sound but thanks to Youtube’s Geek Week, here’s that new episode of Knightmare!
Broadly feels right to me, though there are a couple of wobbles in it, but I’ll withhold further comment until more people get the chance to see it.
As a pilot for how this could be made on the (relative) cheap, mission accomplished – Challenge may be keen on a late night thing, given how well it pulls in the punters apparently.
It left me with a big smile on my face, though I was predisposed towards liking it going in. Part of me would be satisfied with nothing less than an almost shot-for-shot, effect-for-effect remake, but this was not unworthy. (I’d be fascinated to know how much the budget for this sort of thing has come down over time…)
Well, that was enjoyable. The only member of the team I recognised was the dungeoneer, Stuart (otherwise known as Dr Ashen), but everything felt like Knightmare. I wonder if they’ll end up making more with Treguard signing off like that, saying ‘join us again’.
As a fan of the original series and of the four YouTuber’s, I REALLY enjoyed this.
Only thing I didn’t like was the CG room the helpers were in…
Never could bear Knightmare, only ever saw it waiting for Blockbusters, but this sort of thing is great to see and it’s nice that Treguard himself came back for it.
Now all someone’s got to do is prove Interceptor can be done equally cheaply.
Sad to say, I think 9/11 and 7/7 has put paid to anyone running around in public places ‘shooting’ at things.
It’s not a bad effort all told, though the puzzles seem slightly random at times.
As for ‘where now?’, the main issue will be the cost. If they’ve managed to do it for 50k or less, it could seriously open up the cable channel route. Otherwise, unless YT will commission more as part of their rival-to-TV strategy, there’s not really any other route.
Ten hours in, the YouTube counter claims to have had about 13,000 views and about 4,000 thumbs up. Granted I suspect peak viewing time will probably be the evening, but I suspect that that’s a factor of ten below what might be required for it to get traction; it doesn’t need to get Gangnam Style numbers, but a quarter of a million views within 24 hours is certainly possible for a viral video, and it’s not as if it hadn’t had publicity. The thumbs-up-to-views ratio is tremendous but this points to a fandom that due to the specific nature of its age and nationality will probably not pull its weight in the world at large. Or perhaps we’re of the right demographics to have the disposable attention to attract advertisers; who knows?
I would be delighted to learn that it’s unwise to make assumptions based on the figures claimed by the YouTube counter and perhaps the truth is ten times more impressive, but… :-/
Well, there was a long period earlier on when the counter was showing fewer views than thumbs-up, which is pretty much impossible!
Also, when I type “Knightmare” into the YouTube search box, the results I get in order are:
1) Knightmare Series 1 Episode 1
2) Knightmare Series 1 (playlist)
3) Knightmare: 25th Anniversary Documentary
4) Knightmare Series 4 Episode 1
5) Knightmare Third Winning Team (Complete, Abridged)
6) Knightmare First Winning Team (Complete, Abridged)
7) Knightmare TV Show Remake | YouTube Geek Week
Why the hell it’s as low as that I don’t know. Now, Google might be “personalising results” (I’m not logged in, that said), but if that’s even vaguely reflective of general viewing, how many people don’t actually look beyond the first five or so results?
Youtube’s algorithm relies on views, likes and the length of time people watch a video, so if people tune in, watch it for a bit and do something else, that doesn’t count as much.
Opening skit with the Theoden bit was… not good (seriously, if you manage to arrange matters such that Treguard doesn’t get to address the “watchers”, then say “Enter, Stranger”, you’re doing it wrong!).
Past that, it was, well, Knightmare! Some definite wobbles (and the odd technical error, like jump cuts!), but I’d watch a series.
Yes that was OK, although the first five minutes were a bit embarrassing, and it was better when the hipsters stopped trying to be amusing and got into it, although yes – no ‘enter stranger’? Wha? Also amused by Isy’s reaction to the swinging axes.
The graphics managed to look really cheap, but I did get a kick out of seeing the reversioned old rooms. Suspect it took place in the equivilent of one of the smaller blue screen studios, certainly I remember that first clue room feeling a lot bigger back in the day. Didn’t like the new life force graphic that much, pity they had to recreate it rather than be able to use the original.
If they intend to take it to series, I hope they edit it a bit better, suspect they ran out of time towards the end, there.
Still much better than anticipated even if it felt like it was made on a budget of 20p.
Isy is protesting that she said “what the heck” on Twitter, no matter how it may sound. I don’t think the accidental (or not) controversy does any harm whatsoever.
In any case, a few evening hours have got the hit count up to 55,000+ views and 7,000 likes! Still not pulling up roots, but that’s definitely rather more respectable.
The whole thing basically needs more Tom Scott. *shrug*
For the record, over 200,000 views quoted in the first 48 hours. That’s pretty respectable, even if only watching – say – six secconds counts as a view.
Tim Child posted some notes at knightmare.com:
1) He blames the opening on trying to conceal the virtual antechamber’s deficiencies (not that spending five solid minutes in it is be an odd way to do so!)
2) Isy Suttie & Jessie Cave were hired by Google “at no small expense”, not the KM crew, and he tried to “to take full advantage” (I suspect this has more to do with the interminable opening than trying to “conceal deficiencies”. Also suggests any new series wouldn’t involve them.)
3) If “Slice Me Dice Me” hadn’t got them, they were about to have a temporal disruption and “give them an honourable draw” – given that, I wonder if they even *had* a Level 3.
4) Apparently, the room from the credits was used in Level 1 and cut due to time, with around seven minutes of adventure snipped (which will apparently show up in an extended version next month…)
5) He was trying to work to a “nostalgia” brief from Google – this isn’t how he would have played it with free choice.
I’ve been pondering whether they’d be any mileage ITV trying it out on Sunday afternoons opposite Songs of Praise. It’d be a massive punt, but if you made them 45 minutes (say) and featured teams of all ages, it could be A Thing to look forward to before the weekend ends.
You just know that if ITV did so, it would be as “All-Star Knightmare”, with D-list celebs as dungeoneer and advisers.
Played straight, I’m sure it would work as a 45/60 minute show with adults – even on primetime ITV. The question is just “who has both the money and motive to give it a ‘proper’ revival.”
I think primetime would be a step too far, I wonder how much it cost to make?
Primetime… maybe too far, but ITV don’t make programmes for early evening Sunday, do they?
I would have thought this but their decent fist of Catchphrase has made me a bit less apprehensive of their revivals, and a Celebrity edition might do well (They missed a trick by not doing Celebrity Interceptor, or Crystal Maze for that matter, they could have been fun.)
Knightmare could work on Sundays but I think I’d rather it went Saturday. Anything to take at least one flippin’ episode of You’ve Been Framed off their Sat night lineup.
I just think anything past 6:30pm would be too late for it. Knightmare in the heart of primetime would feel very out of place. It also needs a regular timeslot.
And here is a not quite perfect version of the life force clock:
http://youtu.be/nyOE00E5K40
To change the topic a little-
I don’t know which question was nastier in the OC Final- The Cheddar question or the Sequence one…
I’m hoping for a sequence based on Wadde Hadde Dudde Da? next series.
Was this David B’s last series as question editor, or is that next series? Can’t remember…
Still me till the end of the year. Series 8 begins late September.
You know when the wall is just out of your league and your mind wanders (part 94)
Very geeky question(s) whilst watching last night..
1 – Does the team going first at the wall, watch the team up second – or is that when they are let into the green room for cake and sticky buns, and only know how they’ve got on when the scores are revealed just before THM SSNGV WLS round?
2 – Where in relation to the desks is the wall projection screen in the studio – for some reason I’ve always though it’s to the right of the main set?
Ta muchly.
1. No they don’t see the other team, nor do they get told the scores. Though, if the teams do talk before VC tells them on screen it’s not a disaster.
2. The main studio set is pointing to the North-East corner. The B-stage is to the left. The contestants are on the far West, looking East. If the black curtain behind the wall was raised, you’d be looking back to the main set.
Quite pleased I got the Sequence sequence, the cheddar one was definitely nastier.
I enjoyed the new Knightmare. I was worried the introduction dragged on a little but on the flip side was glad it paid reference to the twenty or so year gap (and there was also the reference to Folly and Motley later). Past that, it was classic Knightmare with the differences obviously the older contestants and it was interesting it seemed the helpers – unlike the old days – were now not permitted to make notes making it more of a memory test. I agree with Kieran regarding the CG helpers room but if that’s the difference between a new series or not it is a sacrifice I would be willing to make.