It’s no secret that we believe Foster/Bolam should basically soundtrack all gameshows these days, so last night I was delighted to discover Nick Foster has a Soundcloud with a load of interesting things on it. It’s certainly not exhaustive but there’s some really good stuff on there. I’m particularly taken with his naming convention for The Cube background music and hope to see “mildly intense” make an appearance and more seriously the eggtimer music from 5 Minutes to a Fortune.
In other news Dishonest Friend of the Bar Endemol Joe has popped up with some news for all you old school Bar readers, quoted here a bit like Gerry Adams in the 80s and 90s:
Can I just say if you remember me from a couple of years ago when I said on here I was developing a new show called Ultimate Champion, which involved celebrities mastering different disciplines such as singing, magic, dancing etc. I was telling you how I was pitching these shows to different broadcasters. Well, three months ago I finally got the go ahead with the format which is going to be shown next year. The name has been changed to Get Your Act Together, but it is everything I hoped for and more. Never give up on your dreams!
An inspiration for us all, perhaps there might be hope of a Bar Good Friday agreement yet. I guess we’ll finally find out who he really is (although as was pointed out to me, if it just said “Endemol Joe” in the credits we’d collapse laughing).
Oh, that’s very, very good; thank you for sharing and suddenly I am a major Foster fan. I particularly enjoyed learning that the official name of the tune from Reflex that we were all referring to as the Gunslinger is “Reflex Waiting Game v1”. I quite liked the show, probably more than most, but that was clearly the best bit.
The music for the Cube is indeed tremendous, but the best bit is the way they do ratchet up the intensity and are suitably sparing with “Mega Intense”, so it’s meaningful when it happens. (Bit like the way the questions on Millionaire had slightly different think musics… maybe slightly too slightly.)
I think Mega intense is the one life left music and therefore THE ABSOLUTE LIMIT OF INTENSITY.
And indeed sonically Reflex was very good, especially when it was playing its own stuff.
It was occasionally wheeled out elsewhere (e.g. when making difficult decisions on whether to play) but I recall was mostly for the one life attempt.
When I hear the music, I’m reminded of the Julie Hesmondhalgh Pathfinder game (S04E08). After the trial run, four failed attempts and an emotional rollercoaster… she had the information to crack it but was whether she could hold her nerve on the final life. Mega Intense certainly added to the tension!
For reference, that track only has 32 plays when I look at it. This is a good way to measure the effect that the Bar has. Reckon we can get the number over 9,000?
*GET OUT OF 2005 KLAXON*
Tweet from Nick:
@BothersBar no ‘slightly intense’ but there is an Optimum-Intense and an Unbearably-Intense! Will try to get some more on Soundcloud soon..
Hurrah!
Ha, up already!
I wonder if there’s any chance for the 5MtoF long “Money is draining!” music, it was much more distinctive than the smooth gameplay bed Nick uploaded.
oh endemol joe. back from when i commented more frequently rather when i just lurked. I remember ultimate champion. It sounded bleeding awful.
Ooh, Only Connect pilot gossip (they made two pilots, one with three teams of two and one with two teams of three) AND TWITTER HAS GONE DOWN. Coincidence? I think not.
I still have them on DVD somewhere. Missing vowels used to be 2nd, sequences 3rd and the wall last. Yes, this did mean that you could have already lost before round 4 started.
Did they have three walls?
Yes that’s a bit borked not only from a scoring but pacing standpoint really.
Was it Greek letters at that point or something more menial?
Any memory of the pilot questions?
Thank you thank you thank you!
I’ve been after a clean copy of the 5MTAF title music for…well longer than 5 minutes to use as my ring tone (yes I AM this sad!)
OH WOW, Super-Intense is pretty much my favourite of all the Cube tracks, MAJOR thanks to him for getting that up there.
“a penalty kick was awarded to Juventus”
http://tv.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2014/10/20/tv-spettatrice-del-pubblico-cade-e-bonolis-esclama-rigore-per-juve/303325/
BBC ONE
Bargain Hunt (R) 2.06 (32.6%)
Perfection 0.95 (15.4%)
Pointless 3.26 (23.2%)
Have I Got a Bit More News For You 2.27 (19.3%)
BBC TWO
Flog It! (R) 0.84 (5.9%)
Eggheads 1.14 (6.6%)
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 1.77 (9.4%)
University Challenge 2.70 (11.7%)
Only Connect 2.10 (9.1%)
ITV (INC. +1)
Dickinson’s Real Deal 0.95 (14.9%)
Tipping Point (R) 1.73 (17.9%)
The Chase 3.00 (22.4%)
CHANNEL 4 (INC. +1)
Countdown 0.36 (5.8%)
Fifteen to One 0.34 (4.9%)
Deal or No Deal 0.73 (7.5%)
Four in a Bed 0.80 (6.8%)
Come Dine With Me 0.96 (6.6%)
8 Out of 10 Cats (R) 0.94 (5.8%)
ITV 2 (INC. +1)
Release the Hounds 0.29 (1.3%)
Sad about Release the Hounds, although it’s repeated several times across the week so.
Countdown proving more popular than 15-1, there.
Get Your Act together prerecords 10-11th November: http://www.applausestore.com/book-get-your-act-together – sounds like quite a significant change from the Ultimate Champion format, rather.
I have it on pretty good authority that Joe had precisely nothing to do with GYAT, unless he has a secret alter ego, or something funny is going on. Personally I always suspected Joe was a satirical creation and didn’t actually exist.
A satirical creation (although I’m not quite sure what of) but certainly some sort of insider as his information has tended to be correct. BUT WHO?
Ultimate Entertainer sold to the Dutch IIRC.