E4/All4 Eying A GamesMaster Revival
Way back in Sept 2019, we heard some rumours that a possible revival of beloved video gaming series ‘GamesMaster’ was in the works. Now it seems E4 and All 4 are trying to make that a reality.
For those of you too young to remember the original, back in the days before gaming was everywhere, ‘GamesMaster’ was one of the only tv series to showcase gaming on mainstream tv. Presented by Dominik Diamond, along with help from the disembodied head of Sir Patrick Moore as “the Games Master”, the series featured gaming previews, reviews, and challenges, where contestants could win the coveted “GamesMaster Golden Joystick” trophy. The original series ran from 1992 to 1998.
News of the potential revival appeared online when some eagle-eyed people spotted an advert appear on the Channel 4 Sales website looking for a “brand sponsor” for the series. Whether it actually arrives will rather depend on whether they can find someone to help foot the bill.
The pitch for the show says it will feature “five bold celebrities” who “will embark on a gaming odyssey but only one can go on to become the GamesMaster champion and take home the Golden Joystick. They’ll undergo challenges, races and fights in virtual battle across all genres of gaming under the watchful eye of the all-knowing GamesMaster. Each week at least one celeb will be eliminated… Over the three episodes, five will become one and the winner will be crowned. They’ll play each other at everything from iconic classics to brand new releases. We’ll also be serving tonnes of extra gaming-themed content to our audiences to keep them coming back for more.”
The fact this is a “celebrity” version has rather upset some members of the Twitterati… However, if you remember, this is also what they did when they brought back ‘The Crystal Maze’. Kicking off the show with a “celebrity” version of the series may improve its chances of being made in the first place. They could then potentially do what they did with ‘The Crystal Maze’, and move onto a series featuring the general public.
It does bring up the question, who will take the place of GamesMaster, now that Sir Patrick Moore is sadly no longer with us? Various suggestions have been doing the rounds, including original host Dominik Diamond being “upgraded”, or Patrick Stewart seeming like a popular suggestion. Avid gamer Dara O Briain would be a solid choice (and would also save some budget on special effects due to his already comically round head… sorry Dara, we love you really!)
‘GamesMaster’ is not yet a confirmed pick up, but let’s hope E4 manages to find someone to partner with them on it. It is being described as a “social-first show”, with a 3-episode run on E4 and All 4. We’ll let you know when we hear more.
