Let’s round up some stuff I posted on Twitter recently.
- Debatable is returning for a second series and is currently looking for contestants. I thought it was alright comfort viewing although didn’t set the world alight numbers wise as far as I know.
- Noel’s Sell or Swap, a live auction show pilot (?), will be happening on December 30th on Channel 4. You can be in the audience if you can make it to Bristol.
- Blankety Blank with David Walliams is filming on December 7th at ITV Towers. Logo looks a bit art deco. Is that art deco? Art deco. Blurb features acceptable use of the word “iconic”.
- BE ON AN EXCITING BBC QUIZ SHOW that’s a bit No Brainer/Speed King, a bit Greed, a bit Weakest Link.
- The lottery might be going iPlayer only but Who Dares Wins is looking for contestants.
- It was the Junior Eurovision Song Contest at the weekend. The new scoring system again leading to an exciting finish, or it would have done if one of the hosts hadn’t slipped up.
- Time Commanders is back December 12th on BBC4 and here is a promo.
- The first episode of The $64,000 Question with Bob Monkhouse, one of Ed Welch’s finest hours. There’s a lot of good stuff on this guy’s channel.
Finally after The Money Pump yesterday we’ve found a new and exciting diversion for quiet weeks at the Bar – pilots and pitch tapes that have made it to Youtube. See if you can work out precisely how The 7th Player works from this three minute clip. I hope you can buy Stratphones in shops.
Are those Drogna shapes above the final seven doors or am i having “Adventure Game” flashbacks again?
Gronda, Gronda, Rangdo!
Was there a five pointed star on The Adventure Game?
This is something I’d have been able to tell you off the bat five years ago, probably.
The other exciting news comes from the BBC Christmas press release, which confirms something I read in Broadcast last week… Pop Quiz is coming back! With Mike Read!
OK, so Pop Quiz has come back a million times on umpteen tiny channels, but this is back on the Beeb, specifically BBC4. It says it “will once again pit two teams of pop stars from the 80s against each other”, so surely this means we’re finally going to get that Duran vs Spandau rematch.
I’m really excited about this, because I love a pop quiz. Actually one of my very earliest telly memories is of Pop Quiz, it originally ended in 1984 when I was five and I vividly remember watching it (around the same time I also remember watching one of the very last episodes of Crackerjack).
Of course, let’s hope it keeps the original theme tune, which is ace. Or at least the bit where they shout “POP QUIZ!”
https://youtu.be/YDrTSm6cork
That should be fun, for some reason I had it in my head they were just going to repeat Pop Quiz a la Top Of The Pops.
Robot Wars is having a couple of Xmas episodes too, explaining the celebrity recordings
Also Deal on Tour looks to start Monday 12th December at 4pm
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/deal-or-no-deal-on-tour
That 7th player looks awful.
The new Crystal Maze experience is sounding really good
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a814866/the-crystal-maze-experience-manchester-first-look/
The Future Zone set on Mars with an outdoor bit sounds very interesting.
If it’s half as good as the proofs of concept it could be very exciting indeed.
To fill in the gaps, there – The 7th Player is a pitch tape from a show shot at the NFTS (the National Film and Television School) which is in Beaconsfield, some miles north-west of London. I lecture there occasionally on game design, and David G. Croft of Crystal Maze fame is the head of TV Entertainment (basically, chief lecturer) there.
The students have to come up with their own formats as part of the two-year MA course. The ideas have to go through a certain amount of initial pitching and idea testing, but ultimately what they produce is up to them. So, the ideas can range from actually quite good to sometimes very avant-garde.
If you’re interested in the NFTS course, details are here: https://nfts.co.uk/our-courses/masters/directing-producing-television-entertainment
I’m fascinated by student gameshow concept ideas, they’re usually technically competent but not very interesting.
This one features arrows. We were trying to work out how movement worked and what the yellow squares were for.
Did a quick search for the tv school after David’s post. There seems to be a few from them about online in either trailer or full pilot form:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZZt_i_SznQ
http://screeningroom.nfts.co.uk/videos/nightdare-trailer/
http://screeningroom.nfts.co.uk/videos/flip-side-trailer/
Mmm, I think we looked at Clued Up some time ago.
I would actually watch Night Dare.
Must say I did *not* expect to see Roland Rivron in Flip Side
Yeah, I wonder how they managed to get him?
They have very good relations with people in the industry. It is not unknown for students being able to pitch to luminaries like Michael Grade or current commissioning editors.
They have a roster of people they can call on to help with productions, both technical staff and on-screen talent. They will get paid a small fee, but I presume they either do it to help out or to work with people who are the producers of tomorrow.
Some very early and very provisional Yuletide highlights on the big four channels.
All-Star Mr and Mrs on 18 Dec, opposite BBC Sports Personality.
Celebrity Mastermind begins on 19 Dec, and University Challenge has the usual celeb series – perhaps from 20 Dec.
Pointless is down for 6.30 on 24 Dec. Don’t know if this is a new episode.
The Great Christmas Bake Off gets 4.40 on 25 Dec, between Frozen and Dr Who.
ITV’s Blankety Blank goes out 6.30 on 25 Dec, opposite Strictly at 6.40.
Second and final Christmas Bake Off at 7pm on 26 Dec.
As ever, expect most of these times to change, and I don’t know what’s behind “to be confirmed”.
If you’re placing bets, be careful.
Yeah, I think this is a tricky year. Don’t really have a frame of reference for how Bake-Off might do, and Frozen was a juggernaut, but whether it still is… we’ll have to see.
Don’t know if it makes a difference, but everyone I’ve spoken with (myself included) seems to think that Doctor Who special looks pretty terrible, and nobody seems too excited for it after a year of no episodes.
Doctor Who hasn’t been close to topping the day for years, everybody watches it on catch up.
The Betfair market is historically settled on overnight figures. always check the rules with your choice of bookie!
I’ve had a gut feeling to what might top the day for a while, but Frozen puts a spanner in the works. I won’t be predicting anything until the final schedules are done anyway, and even then I want to bet for value.
Every parent and 6-year-old has seen Frozen 200 times. It wouldn’t be where I’d put my money.
That’s my thinking and it’s probably not where I’d put my money either but it will perform.
In fact if people want to pile onto it to push the odds of my selected thing higher then more power to them.
I think there are two or three things with a serious shout, one of them may surprise you but I think it’s where my money is going.
Christmas on Benefits on C5 then.
Bored of the same old same old on Christmas Day and for that reason I wouldn’t be betting on Mrs Browns Boys. Frozen also on too early to get huge ratings and as off putting to many as it is appealing to others, mainly 8 year old girls.
Anyone know what’s going on with Weaver’s Week at the moment? By this point any other week, it’ll have been out for about four hours.
It’s up now.
Thanks for your concern, it’s one of those rare times when I have a life. Plans to post the Week while coming back from a Thanksgiving meal were scuppered because the on-train wifi remained resolutely off. And then I may have got distracted by various sports.
Yes, it was a marvellous meal, thank you for asking. Excellent food, atmospheric surroundings, superlative company, and enough shouts of “Georgia!” to bring Junior Eurovision to mind.