The Crystal Maze US Episode 1 Review

There's a storied history of UK shows getting remade for international audiences. Occasionally they click, Steptoe and Son was recrafted as Sanford and Son in the States and it worked out pretty well. Unfortunately more often than not, something gets lost in the translation. Red Dwarf had two pilot episodes produced across the pond in the early 90s and neither worked. The IT Crowd had a pilot made in 2006 which had Richard Ayoade reprise his role as Moss alongside Joel McHale as Roy in what was essentially a shot for shot remake of the first UK episode and that exercise in futility led nowhere. Davina McCall's The Million Pound Drop was hugely successful during its run here but The Million Dollar Money Drop hosted by actor Kevin Pollack only lasted 12 episodes.

What's successfully designed, written and crafted for one audience may not resonate with an entirely different target market. We love black pudding but there's some places where fried pigs blood just won't fly. So when I found out that The Crystal Maze was going to be adapted for US TV, I was apprehensive. This is a show I've a had special connection with since I was the grand old age of 1 and a bit. Ask a Whovian how they'd feel if NBC decided they were going to remake Doctor Who and I'd imagine the fear and anxiety levels would skyrocket. We correctly deduced that they'd use the current UK set, flying in contestants Fort Boyard style to make use of existing, and expensive, facilities so at least the zones and dome would look right. We also said it probably won't get past the pilot stage so it's a score draw for predictions. However the show is more than just an elaborate set, it's about having a host who does more than just throw contestants into games, it's about being fun and imaginative, it's about it entertaining us from start to finish and having us shouting at inept contestants on screen.

I'm very happy and rather relieved to say that Nickelodeon's Crystal Maze does not disappoint. However I do have one huge bugbear about the show as a whole and it's going to pain me to say it. 

It's as good as, if not at times a bit better than, the UK version.

For starters the pace is ramped up from the UK version, they've done away the little group task of entering and get straight down to the games. After the introduction, the graphic introducing the team members and introducing them to their first zone, we've got a game underway within 2 minutes of the show starting. Shorter US broadcasting slots thanks to more adverts mean a little less space to cram everything in so there's little time to waste. 

This version sees gameplay reduced to two games a zone which is an understandable loss to the run time but you don't really notice thanks to the pace. It'd be nice to see them do one or two more so we can enjoy just a bit more incompetence but 2 per zone seems like a sensible limit. It's also great to see everything just given a little polish over the UK version, the digital graphics and the set dressing has had a bit of an upgrade.

The real highlight of the show comes in the form of Adam Conover. While UK host Richard Ayoade has a reserved style all his own, Adam has moments reminiscent of Richard O'Brien and Ed Tudor Pole who played along to the fictional world of the The Crystal Maze. Where O'Brien and Tudor-Pole had little moments such as leaving the team to a game whilst going off to play piano or flirt with a computer, Conover has a moment of his own which I'm hoping leads to others for the rest of the series. He embodies the character of a mazemaster, the Willy Wonka type leading people through his creation, he's not just another gameshow host.

I can't be 100% positive, there's a couple of bits I felt a bit jarring such as some of his scripted lines, but once he's settled in and going with the flow I'm sure he'll be absolutely comfortable in the role. I'm not thrilled with bumping up automatic lock in lives from 3 to 5 either. Surely its peak Americana to stick to three strikes and you're out or as the case may be, in. Even if they are kids, we had kids taking part at Christmases and there were lock ins. Although they were always going to get the prize at the end anyway, it being the season of goodwill, and there wasn't $25k at stake.

Finally, that $25k. I'm fine with it, it's American audiences watching American TV, I don't think they'd get along with a show that engrossed them for an hour with the payoff being a weekend spelunking under Arizona. 

It's great seeing some of the early online reaction to the show and I'm hoping it lasts. With some of the games I know that are coming, those who enjoy Ep1 won't want to miss out.

Episode 1 gets its broadcast debut at 7PM ET on Nickelodeon, or can be seen now on Nickelodeon's official Youtube channel or below if you're located in North America.