Ayoade Returns To Travel Man For One Last Run, And Starts Off With His Predecessor In Tow

It's been a few weeks since a Friday blog, real life's getting in the way. However this Monday saw the return of Travel Man to Channel 4 and Richard Ayoade is taking four last weekend trips before Joe Lycett takes over.

This week saw 48 hours spent in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and this week's travel partner was none other than his TCM predecessor Stephen Merchant.

The episode sees them take in the sights, sounds and tastes of the city; eating oysters by the sea, visiting filming locations from Game of Thrones (despite neither of them having seen the show) and shopping for the clothing item Croatia is apparently known for: cravats.

Merchant sporting his shaved head from the filming of 'Logan' whilst in the TCM Live Experience venue in Angel

Click here to watch the show (UK users only)

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/travel-man-48-hours-in/on-demand/69151-001

The Crystal Maze Board Game Eastern Expansion/Standalone Now Available To Preorder

The Crystal Maze Eastern Mini Game Expansion Pack we revealed in August is now available to preorder on Amazon.

Graphic Designer Julia Siemon and Possible Pitches For TCM US Title Sequence

Just another quick one, something to share with you all

Last night @FrasyBaby on Twitter brought to our attention some graphic design work for a title sequence for Nickelodeon's Crystal Maze created by designer, animator and director Julia Siemon.

Copyright Julia Siemon

Don't Forget Your Toothbrush - No Adventure But Suitcase-fuls of Excitement courtesy of @achrisevans

Saturday night TV is a tricky product to master. Sometimes producers get it right and a format comes along people remember for decades such as Gladiators or Noel's House Party. Then again sometimes they make Scavengers.

Over the years there's been a range of variety shows that have gathered audience participation, games, surprises and excitement in one weekly show to generate some fun on a Saturday night. Noel Edmonds invited us all to a House Party with a surprising amount of gunge and his big pink lodger. Ant and Dec have invited us to win the contents of ad breaks, prank celebrities and win holidays with dozens of other competition winners. Michael McIntyre has even been in on the act luring unsuspecting members of the public on stage, surprising his audience, and hijacking celebrity phones.

One show I rediscovered through the magic of Youtube, however, is Chris Evans' (not the Marvel one) first show post-Big Breakfast: Don't Forget Your Toothbrush.

Missing Fort Boyard? Putin some effort and there's more to watch (sorry, that was terrible)

Just a quick one before today's main Friday blog. Crystal Maze is on a break, Fort Boyard finished a few weeks ago, and we've no idea when Boyard Land is starting, so we've been struggling for something to watch. But without wanting to sound too much like Professor Farnsworth:

Good News Everyone!

It looks like Russian Fort Boyard is getting the official YouTube upload treatment much like it's French counterpart.

Doesn't run as long as the French version, and again it's not in English, but as with the French version you can still follow along easily, you might even pick up some of the language.

EDIT: just seen they've made it private, spoilsports

The Crystal Maze 30th Anniversary

In 1989, around this very time, the first-ever series of The Crystal Maze was recorded at Shepperton Studios, which was transmitted for the first time on 15th February 1990. We are fast approaching the 30th Anniversary of this amazing TV show, one of the UK's most successful entertainment shows of all time.

We are unsure yet what plans are in the pipeline if any to mark this incredible milestone. The Crystal Maze idea came about due to the fact that the studio to Fort Boyard was unavailable at the time. Fort Boyard, TCM's sister show, meanwhile has recently marked its own 30th Anniversary.

Will we see a special show to mark the 30th Anniversary of The Crystal Maze in the UK? Let's all hope so. I would love to see a special C4 episode, featuring all four original Maze Masters. Each Master could take a zone each. Richard O'Brien in Aztec, Edward Tudor-Pole in Futuristic, Stephen Merchant in Eastern and Richard Ayoade in Industrial. They could also bring back Medieval for the occasion.

Richard O'Brien made a Cameo appearance in the 2016 Stand Up to Cancer Special, on a TV screen message. But I think the ultimate delight for fans, would be to see him, and Edward Tudor Pole at the new Maze set in the flesh, present one or two games. This would be the best way to mark the 30th Anniversary of the show. It would be especially cool if us fans were invited on to mark it as well. Some of us have props and outfits from the original Maze hangar set, which could make fantastic fan Easter Eggs in the 30th Anniversary episode.

The Crystal Maze, as original Producer David Croft once described, was a "flag on the TV landscape" - it was such an iconic and innovative show, way ahead of its time. It was fun, fresh, exciting and thrilling. So many items of merchandise have been released from the back of the show, from puzzles, books, games and more. This momentum continued into the 21st Century, with many repeats on Challenge TV of the original series. We then eventually saw the live experience venues open across the UK, which pushed for the revival series to be made. It's now confirmed that The Crystal Maze will definitely reach it's 30th anniversary year, as an American version of the format has just recently been recorded. It's enduring and unrelenting nature is a testament to the format. Let's hope this momentum continues into 2020 and beyond. We have the USA version to look forward to, an Eastern Zone Board game expansion pack that is due to be released, as well as the second half of UK celebrity episodes, including a Christmas Special still to air. Let's hope another civilian series is commissioned for its 30th Anniversary year.

The Crystal Maze is here to stay, and let's hope Channel 4 celebrates it's iconic show in a BIG way next year. Channel 4, get that invite sent out to Richard O'Brien's agent NOW! This chance will never come again.