My name is Neil Robinson, I am 29 and I would describe myself as a Crystal Maze "Superfan". I am also one of the admin's for this group. My fascination, enjoyment and obsession of this programme is through the roof. I've always enjoyed the programme, it is good innocent family fun - TCM involves your brain - you get to shout at the screen, laugh at the misfortune of contestants, feel suspense at the prospect of the contestant getting an automatic lock-in, get absorbed into the fantasy of the incredible zone sets, and enjoy the individual characters of every presenter. Every Crystal Maze Presenter, Past and Present have their own enjoyable traits. Richard O'Brien, witty and comical, Edward Tudor-Pole, dark and imaginative, Richard Ayoade - highly satirical.
I have long campaigned for this programme to be brought back, and I was delighted when it finally returned in 2017. I was even more excited when an old school friend of mine, Robert Griffin, became a contestant with his twin brother on the new series. He was in my Maths Class at School. He is now the infamous legendary Crystal Maze Presenter who got stuck on a Spinning Planet in the Futuristic Zone. I would never of thought this. I replayed it so many times and laughed my head off when they showed it on "GOGGLEBOX". I am now hoping to also get a place on the programme. I am ready, I even have the jacket for it! I have also done the Live Experiences in London and Manchester several times, and they are awesome.
I'd say I know an awful lot of trivia about TCM, from its conception, to its design, to its legacy and it's revival. I have emailed Producers and Crew past and present and have been able to understand how the show was put together, and brought back. It has always amazed me how intricate and detailed the sets are, and how big they are. This is and was a TV show on a huge scale. The original TCM Producer, David G Croft sold me an original contestant jacket from Series 6 of The Crystal Maze. The new Producer, Neale Simpson, has also kept in regular contact with this group and provided us with fascinating insights into how they brought the maze back. He has listened to our feedback and has even responded to us. He is aware of this blog and has given it his support, he's also supplied some graphics and images for us to use, and that we are very grateful for. We respect and admire your work.
Honest constructive feedback so far about the new series, really like the new games and the maze's new image, but for Series 2 a few minor tweaks are needed. I was slightly confused at first when there were no zone transitions in order of the map. This is due to the constraints of the layout of the set. They no longer have a giant aircraft hangar to house the set as per the layout of the maze. The Zones are no longer interconnected. For me, the best part was when they travelled a lengthy journey around from zone to zone, after all it is a time travelling adventure show. Secondly, I wish they would ban celebrities, as they undermine the Integrity of what The Crystal Maze is. Let's not forget, originally you had to pass a MENSA test to get on the show! I feel that the new maze is missing The Aztec River, and Moat/drawbridge around the dome. These added a bit of drama to the beginning and end of the show. For a show that has been constantly repeated on Challenge for twenty years, I think people are easily going to pick up what is missing.
Richard Ayoade is a great host and is funny, I just wish he would absorb us into the fantasy of the zones, rather than taking the mickey out of the set. Richard O'Brien and Edward Tudor-Pole, for me, did a good job of placing us into the worlds they were travelling through. Maybe we will see some tweaks for Series 2. They now also play backing suspense music within the games, this took a bit of getting used to but now I like it and I think that it works. Regarding the theme, The Original Forcefield tune will always be the best, in my opinion. I don't think it is used for the revival as I think they want to keep the original separate as its own entity, and that is perfectly understandable. If I was in charge, I would also change the map graphic to a more classic look.
The new games, however are superb and are exactly how I envisaged a Crystal Maze comeback to be, which is why I want to go on Series 2. They are modern, yet in keeping with the spirit of the original series. That is just genius. The Zones look vivid and almost an exact replica of the original. (Except for Futuristic obviously). The Producer, Neale Simpson also lives and breathes TCM like us all here, so that's a bonus as well. It is amazing to see TCM back in the Social Media and digital era. Instant comments and tweets about contestants epic fails. I do believe the Maze will continue to evolve, just like the original and be even bigger and better over time. It has stood the test of time. We are here in 2018 still talking about an iconic TV show which started in 1990.
To this date I have a massive collection of props and items from The Crystal Maze, past and present. These include: Original Crystal from the 90s Crystal Maze, sold to me by Anita Stubbs, TCM Production Secretary; Original green Contestant Jacket from Series 6, sold to me by David G Croft, New Crystal from the new series, SU2C shirt, Crew T Shirt, Signed photo from David G Croft, Futuristic Timer Clock from the Futuristic Zone, (it still works) - I sourced this from a Prop Company. My collection is getting bigger and bigger! My ultimate dream now would be to appear on the new series of The Crystal Maze. I submitted a team this week, so fingers crossed. I met Edward Tudor-Pole in 2016, and would love to meet Richard O'Brien and Richard Ayoade.
Some of my YouTube Videos can be found below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCKIvM3vsCY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlGN1tBYmuE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gB65czcWmg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFt3x2FQQDA
My Campaign to bring back TCM video, made in 2009: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3vTDz9a7Gk
My application submitted! Enjoy this forum, please contribute, comment, and build upon the magic of The Crystal Maze!
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