Up until now, we'd only ever seen two seconds of the back of Richard's head, so we knew it existed but it hadn't been seen online in any longer form. However last night, as part of the start of the new series of Fort Boyard in France, footage of the UK pilot appeared.
The UK was the first country to buy the format after seeing the French pilot episode, then titled 'The Keys to Fort Boyard'. Chatsworth Television decided to devise a British version. A non-televised pilot of the British version was filmed with Richard O'Brien as presenter. However, it soon became clear the fort would not available for filming due to its renovations during 1989.
As Channel 4 had commissioned the show for a full series, producer Malcolm Heyworth contacted Fort Boyard's creator Jacques Antoine (also the mind behind 'Treasure Hunt and Interceptor) about developing an alternative format. The concept of The Crystal Maze was developed in just two days, creating a game that although similar to Fort Boyard, is substantially different in terms of presentation and style. Channel 4's The Crystal Maze was first aired on 15 February 1990, five months before the start of Fort Boyard.
As can be seen below, O'Brien is seen leading a team around a mock-up of the fort in a studio. Complete with treasure room, tigers and challenges familiar to Fort Boyard viewers, the pilot proved successful for producers, but circumstances meant that his 'sands of time' line would have to wait until he was in the far more appropriate Aztec Zone. If you watch carefully, you can see that those challenge rooms must be elsewhere on the studio floor. At the start, the studio walls are right up against the set, and when O'Brien goes to open a door, he's only feigning opening it after turning the timer.
The UK was the first country to buy the format after seeing the French pilot episode, then titled 'The Keys to Fort Boyard'. Chatsworth Television decided to devise a British version. A non-televised pilot of the British version was filmed with Richard O'Brien as presenter. However, it soon became clear the fort would not available for filming due to its renovations during 1989.
As Channel 4 had commissioned the show for a full series, producer Malcolm Heyworth contacted Fort Boyard's creator Jacques Antoine (also the mind behind 'Treasure Hunt and Interceptor) about developing an alternative format. The concept of The Crystal Maze was developed in just two days, creating a game that although similar to Fort Boyard, is substantially different in terms of presentation and style. Channel 4's The Crystal Maze was first aired on 15 February 1990, five months before the start of Fort Boyard.
As can be seen below, O'Brien is seen leading a team around a mock-up of the fort in a studio. Complete with treasure room, tigers and challenges familiar to Fort Boyard viewers, the pilot proved successful for producers, but circumstances meant that his 'sands of time' line would have to wait until he was in the far more appropriate Aztec Zone. If you watch carefully, you can see that those challenge rooms must be elsewhere on the studio floor. At the start, the studio walls are right up against the set, and when O'Brien goes to open a door, he's only feigning opening it after turning the timer.
Well done Liam... hope they release the full length pilot episode
ReplyDeleteYeah, because in France, we all want to see this.
Delete(I'm french)
It's very interesting because, the pilot seems like Fort Boyard, but in a Crystal Maze style, and with Richard, God Damn !