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The Crystal Maze

New series... and a new zone (May 2019)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
GE
thegeek Founding member
Neil Jones posted:

It's probably safe to assume the original show was totally unique, nothing else was like it at the time, it came about by accident because it was basically Fort Boyard in different colours but the original fort wasn't available for whatever reason, I forget why, so all the changes they had to make to the format helped to make a unique show.

That's more or less the reason. It's no doubt been posted before, but BuzzFeed's history of the original show is well worth a read.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/to-the-crystal-dome posted:
I [Producer David G Croft] remember Channel 4 coming to me and saying, “David, would you like to make a celebrity version of Crystal Maze?” And I said, “Not on your life!” What a terrible idea. We worked very hard to keep an air of mystery around the series and to have integrity and back in 1990 to 1995 you just wouldn’t have done that. Now there would be a celebrity version – but there would also be a massive web presence which we didn’t have.
KE
kernow
Jon posted:
Lou Scannon posted:
iloveTV2304 posted:

That’s correct, I presume there are no plans to air them.


I've always felt very sorry for any member of the public who participates in a gameshow etc, and then never actually gets to see themself on the telly because it doesn't bloody well get aired.

It’s the fact they usually don’t receive their prize money if isn’t, I’d be more concerned about.

I don’t think that’s a problem with The Crystal Maze, I doubt they hold their prizes back.

I think they're highly unlikely to be aired now (on Channel 4 at least, in a primetime slot), given the format changes which have taken place since the first series, e.g. the Mega Crystal.
JA
JAS84
And the replacement of one of the zone themes.
BR
Brekkie
Interesting reading that Buzzfeed article and them slamming the idea of celebrity specials. They are of course right.

Talking of the three unaired episodes it is the sort of thing which gets tagged into a repeat run, but actually - and maybe tellingly - they've not really repeated the show that much in comparison to other formats like Gogglebox and 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown, which seem to air weekly on C4, E4 or More4. When the original revival run was commissioned for 20 episodes it was as if they had a daily repeat run in mind, but they've been quite sparing with the repeats.

158 days later

IN
Interceptor
Have Channel 4 completely given up with The Maze then? Almost a year since the last very short run... you'd think the last few months would have been a great chance to get a repeat run going, maybe featuring the scattering of unaired civilian episodes?

I'm beginning to think Challenge will offer the first chance to see them... if it lives long enough itself.
SuperSajuuk and bilky asko gave kudos
JO
Jon
There is still half a celebrity series from last year to air too.

The Crystal Maze Fan Blog seemed convinced there was going to be another Channel 4 series before Covid, along with a US second US series. I can’t see the Americans coming over here to film any time soon, so I really can’t see them making another a UK series considering the US production was probably the only thing making it viable to keep the set up.
BR
Brekkie
Have to wonder too if the fan experience sites will be financially secure enough to survive all this.
FL
Flux
Brekkie posted:
Have to wonder too if the fan experience sites will be financially secure enough to survive all this.


They’re opening on July 4th apparently. I just can’t imagine it being the same experience with all the COVID safety measures in place sadly.
XI
Xilla
Apparently it's only bookable in groups of 4 and above for now, so if there's just one or two of you popping along then you're outta luck!
Last edited by Xilla on 28 June 2020 10:38am
JA
JAS84
That doesn't make sense. Less people, easier to distance.
IN
Interceptor
JAS84 posted:
That doesn't make sense. Less people, easier to distance.

Less groups allowed simultaneously, so they need the groups to be big enough to make it viable, I guess.

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