I have watched these old game shows and often thought what have they done with either the setting or the equipment of the stage? I thought that about the metal stairs of Strike It Lucky.
Slightly off topic lol what do they do with iconic sets like Bullseye's Bully or Dusty Bin does someone own them were they destroyed?
I am sure I heard years ago Dusty Bin was sat in a cupboard at Kirkstall Road.
Crystal Maze was never a hit outside the UK though, so trying to sell it to other broadcasters and companies would technically be no different to selling a brand new format - so would involve a huge risk to anyone taking it on.
The Crystal Maze was a MASSIVE hit outside the UK, it was shown in many countries and translated into quite a few languages. It was also quite successful when shown in America. There's a German fan site devoted to it.
The set was left in the air hangar for a few years, but sadly now has been destroyed, not dismantled and stored somewhere. If it ever came back, the entire thing would have to be reconstructed from scratch. The layout of the maze was exactly like it was on the map used on TV with the 4 zones connected in a rectangle with the Dome in the middle.
Bob Lishman, a contestant on Series 6, has a website where he details his time filming an epsidoe as well as lots of other info on the show.
I have watched these old game shows and often thought what have they done with either the setting or the equipment of the stage? I thought that about the metal stairs of Strike It Lucky.
Bear in mind that apart from the exterior shots of the hotel, the entire of The Shining is filmed in studio sets. That's a tremendous amount of labour when you look at the complexity of the "building" the film is set in. Presumably all torn down at the end.
The Crystal Maze was a MASSIVE hit outside the UK, it was shown in many countries and translated into quite a few languages. It was also quite successful when shown in America. There's a German fan site devoted to it.
Really? I honestly never knew that - I've never seen a version in another language or even heard about one!
Watching The Crystal Maze at the moment on Challenge. Really used to enjy this when it was on C4 back in the early 1990s.
Having a bit of a smirk over the contestants' hairstyles and uniforms. Richard O Brien, of course, looks timeless in his black outfit with leopardskin touches and bald head. :cool:
I really think they should bring the Crystal Maze back - it was a brilliant game show! I've watched the odd repeat on whatever channel is showing it at the moment, and I really think it stands the test of time (apart from the very obviously 80s hairstyles! Even the jumpsuits wouldn't look out of place).
Mind you, I'm not sure who should present it now - it was never the same when Ed Tudor Pole took over! Nothing against him, just that I love Richard O'Brien - The Rocky Horror Show is one of my all time top 10 films!
I heard on the grapevine that C4 wanted to bring it back, but as a 30 minute show and having kids play instead.
I was never aware until I spoke to someone on the production that the teams never actually knew each other. I always thought they had signed up together as a team
It's a shame it hasn't come back as it's the perfect show to do so, and with the level of merchandising it could now have thanks to technology I'm surprised it hasn't.
I can confirm that the teams were just random people put together - they put you all up in a hotel the night before and you spend a fair while getting hammered until you get to the point where you feel that you've known them forever and you'd lay down your life for them (ie: 4-5 pints )
The Crystal Maze was a MASSIVE hit outside the UK, it was shown in many countries and translated into quite a few languages. It was also quite successful when shown in America. There's a German fan site devoted to it.
The set was left in the air hangar for a few years, but sadly now has been destroyed, not dismantled and stored somewhere. If it ever came back, the entire thing would have to be reconstructed from scratch. The layout of the maze was exactly like it was on the map used on TV with the 4 zones connected in a rectangle with the Dome in the middle.
Bob Lishman, a contestant on Series 6, has a website where he details his time filming an epsidoe as well as lots of other info on the show.
Watching The Crystal Maze at the moment on Challenge. Really used to enjy this when it was on C4 back in the early 1990s.
Having a bit of a smirk over the contestants' hairstyles and uniforms. Richard O Brien, of course, looks timeless in his black outfit with leopardskin touches and bald head. :cool:
Not my fault! My permed hair was of its time!
And the outfits were all recycled, even the black boots were second hand...
Every now and again a thread pops up on Digital Spy about CM and it's always great to hear that people would welcome it back - nice to have been part of something that turned out so iconic (I was also on Jeopardy back in the day, a UK remake that has been deservedly forgotten about)
Every now and again a thread pops up on Digital Spy about CM and it's always great to hear that people would welcome it back - nice to have been part of something that turned out so iconic (I was also on Jeopardy back in the day, a UK remake that has been deservedly forgotten about)
I used to run my own Crystal Maze website and at one point got talking to another series 4 contestant, Dave Murphy who was in Episode 3. He is the one who put the behind the scenes videos up on YouTube where he filmed the meeting of the contestants with Richard the night before as well as some footage on the set as well. He was part of the infamous group who got to the dome with just 1 crystal after buying everyone else out.
Incidentally, I remember talking to him years ago and IIRC he said something about living in New York at the time (he may still do) and mentioned that he was in the building opposite the Twin Towers and saw the plane crashing into it up close during the attacks in 2001. Scary stuff.
It was and still is an absolutely fantastic programme.
I remember, many moons ago, reading an interview with Tim Child, creator of Knightmare, who said The Crystal Maze was originally meant to be 30 minutes long, but they went "drastically over budget" on the set and had to compensate by doubling the running time.
If that's true, well, thank goodness they did... more O'Brien is no bad thing.
As for the set, I can't imagine it was hanging around for long after the show ended - surely it must have cost C4 a bomb to store and keep the space? C4 don't do revivals (ehem Fifteen to One ;-) ) so I can't imagine they were planning on bringing it back, either.
Really? I honestly never knew that - I've never seen a version in another language or even heard about one!
It was so big in Dubai (I think- definitely somewhere in the middle east that isn't at war with another bit) that they were able to open one of the CM Experiences, which stayed open for ages after the show finished.
The Adventure Game preceeded it by quite a few years on British TV, from what I remember the vortex at the end was more interesting than the crystal dome in the later show.
It was and still is an absolutely fantastic programme.
I remember, many moons ago, reading an interview with Tim Child, creator of Knightmare, who said The Crystal Maze was originally meant to be 30 minutes long, but they went "drastically over budget" on the set and had to compensate by doubling the running time.
If that's true, well, thank goodness they did... more O'Brien is no bad thing.
As for the set, I can't imagine it was hanging around for long after the show ended - surely it must have cost C4 a bomb to store and keep the space? C4 don't do revivals (ehem Fifteen to One ;-) ) so I can't imagine they were planning on bringing it back, either.
4 weights, 4 pads, the kid has to depress all of the pads to release the crystal, but the 1/2 weight he puts on first doesn't depress the crystal. Kid stands on the 4th when he's ran out of weights (and the suggestion to divide the weights by 4 wouldn't work) and releases the crystal, but can't reach it and when he steps off the pad the crystal goes down again. Rather than messing around with the weights he works out that the best way to solve it is to slide the pad to the crystal then stand on it. Not sure how else he could solve that though since Richard said it wasn't the real solution since putting a weight on each pad wouldn't release the crystal.
Clever lad to work out the solution (and haven't kids grown recently, he was apparently 14, but wouldn't pass for much more than 11/12 now).
Does anyone know who to contact regarding producing merchandise for this show? I'd like to get in touch with someone, anyone but cannot for the life of me find any reference (up to date, that is) or lead to go on.
I really think they should bring the Crystal Maze back - it was a brilliant game show! I've watched the odd repeat on whatever channel is showing it at the moment, and I really think it stands the test of time (apart from the very obviously 80s hairstyles! Even the jumpsuits wouldn't look out of place).
Mind you, I'm not sure who should present it now - it was never the same when Ed Tudor Pole took over! Nothing against him, just that I love Richard O'Brien - The Rocky Horror Show is one of my all time top 10 films!
Is it a coincidence that richard o'brien hosted the crystal maze, and the crystal dome (or something very similar) appears during an outside shot of the castle in rocky horror?
I did google it to see if there were any theories on it but couldnt find anything.
I would love to see crystal maze bought back, but on the other hand i think it would be ruined. Now they tend to shoot a few episodes for each series of a tv show but the crystal maze wouldnt work like that. Once youve seen the games you know how to play them. So if you were on series 2 they would have to have new games to figure out which would be expensive, unless they filmed 50 shows and then showed them as seperate series?
I like to remember it how it was. If they did a new series it would get a crappy presenter and the contestants would be towie wannabes who just want to be on tv. I think using modern technology would ruin the simpleness of it. Plus i think a few of the games probably wouldnt be allowed now for health and safety reasons!
How could the show have worked at 30 mins? 1 game per zone or maybe pick 2 of the 4 zones to use.
Have always said that if I won a few million on the lottery I would have a proper, new Crystal Maze built. Have a show filmed there and allow the public in to have a go.
Comments
Slightly off topic lol what do they do with iconic sets like Bullseye's Bully or Dusty Bin does someone own them were they destroyed?
I am sure I heard years ago Dusty Bin was sat in a cupboard at Kirkstall Road.
Unless the series is recommissioned then the set is torn down, otherwise the pieces are put into storage for the next series.
The set was left in the air hangar for a few years, but sadly now has been destroyed, not dismantled and stored somewhere. If it ever came back, the entire thing would have to be reconstructed from scratch. The layout of the maze was exactly like it was on the map used on TV with the 4 zones connected in a rectangle with the Dome in the middle.
Bob Lishman, a contestant on Series 6, has a website where he details his time filming an epsidoe as well as lots of other info on the show.
http://www.boblishman.freeserve.co.uk/
Bear in mind that apart from the exterior shots of the hotel, the entire of The Shining is filmed in studio sets. That's a tremendous amount of labour when you look at the complexity of the "building" the film is set in. Presumably all torn down at the end.
Really? I honestly never knew that - I've never seen a version in another language or even heard about one!
No Idea. But I bet if I Googled it I could find out within 60 seconds.
Jungle Run was shot at a disused air base - RAF Newton, near Nottingham.
I win!
Having a bit of a smirk over the contestants' hairstyles and uniforms.
Pip Torrens for presenter?
Co-incidently - The Crystal Maze was concieved because it was meant to be... Fort Boyard!
Only the fort wasn't available for fliming at the time they wanted to produce it!!!
I can confirm that the teams were just random people put together - they put you all up in a hotel the night before and you spend a fair while getting hammered until you get to the point where you feel that you've known them forever and you'd lay down your life for them (ie: 4-5 pints
I think it was originally a French concept?
I was on Series 4, episode 5 - I never made a website on it though!
Not my fault! My permed hair was of its time!
And the outfits were all recycled, even the black boots were second hand...
Every now and again a thread pops up on Digital Spy about CM and it's always great to hear that people would welcome it back - nice to have been part of something that turned out so iconic (I was also on Jeopardy back in the day, a UK remake that has been deservedly forgotten about)
Nice to hear from someone who was a contestant.
Incidentally, I remember talking to him years ago and IIRC he said something about living in New York at the time (he may still do) and mentioned that he was in the building opposite the Twin Towers and saw the plane crashing into it up close during the attacks in 2001. Scary stuff.
They did make a couple of programmes where all the contestants were teenagers, Michael Underwood appeared on one!
I remember, many moons ago, reading an interview with Tim Child, creator of Knightmare, who said The Crystal Maze was originally meant to be 30 minutes long, but they went "drastically over budget" on the set and had to compensate by doubling the running time.
If that's true, well, thank goodness they did... more O'Brien is no bad thing.
As for the set, I can't imagine it was hanging around for long after the show ended - surely it must have cost C4 a bomb to store and keep the space? C4 don't do revivals (ehem Fifteen to One ;-) ) so I can't imagine they were planning on bringing it back, either.
In seriousness:
It was so big in Dubai (I think- definitely somewhere in the middle east that isn't at war with another bit) that they were able to open one of the CM Experiences, which stayed open for ages after the show finished.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNxQpv3JDVA&feature=youtu.be&t=30m55s
4 weights, 4 pads, the kid has to depress all of the pads to release the crystal, but the 1/2 weight he puts on first doesn't depress the crystal. Kid stands on the 4th when he's ran out of weights (and the suggestion to divide the weights by 4 wouldn't work) and releases the crystal, but can't reach it and when he steps off the pad the crystal goes down again. Rather than messing around with the weights he works out that the best way to solve it is to slide the pad to the crystal then stand on it. Not sure how else he could solve that though since Richard said it wasn't the real solution since putting a weight on each pad wouldn't release the crystal.
Clever lad to work out the solution (and haven't kids grown recently, he was apparently 14, but wouldn't pass for much more than 11/12 now).
Is it a coincidence that richard o'brien hosted the crystal maze, and the crystal dome (or something very similar) appears during an outside shot of the castle in rocky horror?
I did google it to see if there were any theories on it but couldnt find anything.
I would love to see crystal maze bought back, but on the other hand i think it would be ruined. Now they tend to shoot a few episodes for each series of a tv show but the crystal maze wouldnt work like that. Once youve seen the games you know how to play them. So if you were on series 2 they would have to have new games to figure out which would be expensive, unless they filmed 50 shows and then showed them as seperate series?
I like to remember it how it was. If they did a new series it would get a crappy presenter and the contestants would be towie wannabes who just want to be on tv. I think using modern technology would ruin the simpleness of it. Plus i think a few of the games probably wouldnt be allowed now for health and safety reasons!
Have always said that if I won a few million on the lottery I would have a proper, new Crystal Maze built. Have a show filmed there and allow the public in to have a go.