We're in a weird time, aren't we? We can't really have the level of socialization that we used to have (I've never been social but I know people like interacting) and yet thanks to modern technology we can still communicate in ways that the human race could never have imagined even 50 years ago. If you've ever used Twitch, you'll know that whatever people can do for a live-stream, they'll do happily and build up an audience. It's certainly been a way for people to fill their time under present circumstances.
Performers have turned to Twitch to generate some additional income in these times where they can't be booking gigs and getting on stage for audiences. Comedian and podcaster Richard Herring can't do his podcasts or shows from Leicester Square Theatre anymore so he's doing them live-streamed on Twitch. Likewise for Limmy, instead of being able to tell jokes on stage, he's taken to playing truck driving simulators for hundreds of viewers. Even as I'm typing this, Love Island narrator and Taskmaster alumnus Iain Stirling is playing FIFA 21 for 800 viewers.
TV presenters, wrestlers, singers, writers, people from all areas of entertainment have been creating content on Twitch including many who've already built up a following on YouTube.
When the first lockdown hit, I discovered Ashens' Twitch channel. A Youtuber who's known for reviewing items of utter tat, tech and occasionally eating and drinking things he definitely shouldn't, Ashens was steaming old TV shows on his channel on Sundays. Old sitcoms, game shows and ads that have been long forgotten, it was nice just sat streaming these on my TV through the PS4 Twitch app while chatting with other viewers through twitch.tv. He got through shows such as Keeping Up Appearances, Kickstart and even an episode of Scavengers and it was fun being able to interact with others being reminded of such shows for the first time in a long time, as well as international viewers being on the receiving end of certain shows for the first time.
Eventually, Ashens old TV streams came to an end but when that happened I found several other streamers who would show old programs, sourced from YouTube. One such channel being Cultaholic, a group of wrestling based YouTubers branching out with their content. YouTube revenue at a time where nobody has anything to advertise isn't the moneyspinner it once was.
Adam Pacitti is a bloke some may remember the actions of while not remembering the name. In 2013 he made national news for taking out a billboard ad while trying to find work. Since then he's produced content for WhatCulture before he and several others stepped away to form their own company, Cultaholic. Whilst their output focuses mostly on wrestling, the Tuesday Twitch streams hosted by Adam have seen hundreds of users watching old British shows, both enjoying them and being utterly merciless in their remarks towards the kids taking part in Raven or Trapped.
As gameshows are all I know, I made some suggestions for shows and it's been interesting seeing how different age groups have responded to certain shows. For instance, I put forward an episode of Knightmare (I went looking for one that had a corridor of blades death. The problem with quests possibly taking over 50 minutes each is that you can easily go 2 or 3 episodes without an end to a journey and, let's be honest, the deaths were the most interesting bit). Older viewers were excited to watch while others found it dull, slow, and cheap looking.
Kids shows, Knightmare aside, have proved popular. Given Cultaholic's international viewership there's a lot of people around the world that got introduced to Neil Buchanan's Finders Keepers, and as such discovered Jet from Gladiators when she co-presented series 6. Even over 25 years after she was first on TV, EVERYONE likes Jet from Gladiators.
Last Tuesday it was Fort Boyard, the version with Tom Baker. I remembered an episode with a few British wrestlers before they were well known and that seemed to go down well. I've sent over a fair few suggestions so I hope there's a few that find Interceptor or X-Fire a good use of an hour.
If you're ever watching a stream, Crystal Maze comes on and someone won't shut up about it, feel free to say hello then tell me to shut up. Anyone ever streaming it, chances are I'll find it like a really niche, and a little bit sad, bloodhound. I know I go on about game shows far too often, but it's my really crap superpower.
Go give Cultaholic a subscribe. Even if you aren't a fan of wrestling there's always something that anyone can find funny, like someone being thrown out of a plane because they're no good at prediction contests. And they can also get serious such as with this chat about mental health.
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