Who Are The Final Set of Contestants For This Series (New Years Eve, 8pm)

 Almost as suddenly as it started, this series is almost over. However, we've still got one last episode to enjoy. So for the last time this series, who are they? Where've you seen them before? Which one's been on Strictly or I'm a Celeb? Keep reading after the photo.

Who Are Next Week's (Monday 21st December) Crystal Maze Contestants?

 Next week is bringing Christmas (sort of) and however we're each spending it, at least we still have some Crystal Maze to enjoy. Don't forget to go looking for the old Christmas specials online, they're all there if you look hard enough, and you don't have to look that hard. But who's taking part? Where do you know them from? And Why? When? How? If?.... Enough rubbish, here's who's who.

A Reminder of New Civilian Crystal Maze, and News of New Celeb Specials

 Just a reminder that this Sunday sees some new episodes of The Crystal Maze starting to air on E4 at 4:55pm followed immediately by the family-friendly PG edit of all new Taskmaster.

Ever heard Roman numerals decoded in a Bristol accent?

No?

You haven't lived people!

Let's right that wrong on Sunday

4:55pm on @E4Tweets #CrystalMaze pic.twitter.com/ouA5w11UnO

— The Crystal Maze (@TheCrystalMaze) November 11, 2020

However that's just 3 new episodes, whatever will we do with ourselves when the third is shown in just over a fortnight?

At Long Last, 3 Forgotten Crystal Maze Episodes Get To Broadcast

 In 2017, 20 episodes were commissioned for a revived series of 'The Crystal Maze' hot on the heels of a successful one-off hosted by Stephen Merchant. Richard Ayoade took the helm for the series and everyone was enjoying themselves. However, as time wore on everyone was commenting that the games were becoming a bit samey, and viewing figures dropped as we'd all seen the Totem Mastermind Dragon game just a little too often. After 17 episodes, Channel 4 seemingly gave up with the run leaving three unaired.

These episodes still aired in other markets the show was sold to so they weren't forgotten completely, but last night @UndeniablyAlex alerted me to an ad airing on Channel 4 after they aired 'The Bridge' showing they were going to be airing these 3 shows on E4. "Coming Soon" says the ad so expect them within the month. 

@maze_blog @BothersBar here is that trailer confirming indeed S1 will finally be completed in the UK pic.twitter.com/qORcKK8PkO

— Danny Lee Kerner (@Danny_L_Kerner) November 1, 2020

About time too, with Lockdown 2 steaming into view on the horizon, I'm going to need something to watch. You'll be able to see The Ali family, The Midwives, and the Sasani Family and Friends at some point soon on E4.

The Midwives

Also, don't forget that The Crystal Maze USA will be back on Nickelodeon UK this week after a two-week hiatus. Friday, at 7pm.

My Trip Last Year to Test Out Games For The Crystal Maze

I've been sat around pretty bored of late. I keep ending up on eBay buying Crystal Maze related paraphernalia (more on that lot in another post for another day) so I thought I'd distract myself by recounting my travel last year from the North East to the South West to test games for The Crystal Maze.

I'll start by saying I don't drive, but thankfully we've got pretty good public transport covering the length and breadth of Great Britain. 

So...

Step 1 - Home to Middlesbrough: ~15 Miles. 

This stage is the easy bit. It's a trip I make not uncommonly. I went to Uni over there so it's somewhere I'm familiar with. At this time, McDonalds was doing Grand Big Macs so naturally, I had to go gorge myself on one in my usual combo - large meal, Big Mac, Fries, Strawberry milkshake. They should do GBMs more often because that meal kept me fed for the rest of what would be a long day. The meal in bag in hand, I head back to the bus station to wait for my first coach. I didn't take it on the coach, food in my possession rarely stays uneaten for long.

Step 2 - Middlesbrough to Leeds: ~65 miles

Crystal Maze Games That Were Too Hard 2: 2 Hard 2 Crystal

Ok, I admit it, that title is terrible. I apologize and I promise I'll never do anything that atrocious again until the next time I do it.

Following on from my last post covering all the '90s games that nobody won, I just wanted to have a quick look at all the games that have been used since Richard Ayoade took over which saw nobody walking out one crystal heavier than how they walked in.

Before I start, for reference and photos I'm using David Newton's website www.crystalmazedatabase.com. Much like if you want '90s show details you use Marc Gerrish, David Newton is who you can rely on for revival stats. Marc and David are to adventure game show fans as Stanley Gibbons is to stamp collectors. I only know that thanks to The New Statesman, I've been really ploughing through the boxsets lately.

Who's Who in the Christmas Special Line Up

As reported by The Sun this week, we may have a line up for this year's Christmas Special.

Returning for a second adventure is captain Scarlet Moffatt, alongside Strictly judge Shirley Ballas, choir leader Gareth Malone, Coronation Street alumni and Strictly contestant Catherine Tyldesley, and Mash Report host and comedian Nish Kumar. Also featuring is a cameo from One Foot in the Grave's Richard Wilson

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but for the uninitiated, let's see who they are:

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

Tomorrow, 8PM, Channel 4. Let's meet the celebrity contestants.

1 day to go so, for those unfamiliar with the names, let's introduce tomorrows celebs:

Gemma Collins

Featured on reality show 'The Only Way Is Essex' (and I'm using 'reality' in it's loosest form), self-confessed diva (Professionally self centered) Gemma has featured in such celebrity shows as 'Dancing on Ice' and was briefly on a series of 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here'. Pondered for a while for what clip to use but this one won the day.

3 Days To Go, New Games, Including Knightmare meets Tron

Here's today's offering as we close in on Friday. A couple of clips, first a montage taken from Facebook showing a few new games, then secondly a look at our favourite game we've seen thus far.

4 Days To Go. First America, Now Let's Conquer The World #bringcrystalmazetoindia

I thought I'd be racking my brains all day to come up with something for today by 8PM, but today's post dropped into my lap. Well strictly speaking it dropped into the blog Twitter. I keep vigilant on Twitter looking for Crystal Maze discussion and one thing that crops up a lot is people around the world, particularly in India and the Middle East, having 90's memories often accompanied by a gif of Richard O'Brien. It turns out there are so many people who have fond memories of the original show who are completely unaware it's made a return.

It's already showing in Australia on SBS, but let's see if we can get it somewhere else.

Launch Week, What's Coming Up?

With under 5 days left until UK broadcast, we're a bit eager for Friday to hurry up and come round. Not least because it's been a long wait to see the new series on screen, but because after broadcast we'll have an exclusive interview with executive producer, and author of the series tie-in book 'The Crystal Maze Challenge, Let The Games Begin!', Neale Simpson here for your reading pleasure.

But not a moment before, can't be having spoilers now can we?

The Crystal Maze New Zone

Following on from the huge official announcement that The Crystal Maze is to get a brand new zone for the first time since Ocean Zone replaced Industrial, we've made some mock-up graphics of what the new map and Eastern Zone logo may look like. This is a prime opportunity for the producers to update the graphic map and make it feel a bit more classic. But let's not get our hopes up. However the new zone is truly breathtaking (We've been around the new zone, but are not allowed to say anything more than that right now!). It's an opportunity for a colourful new zone, moving away from the dark and dinginess of Medieval. This will keep the show fresh, and we will also get to see newly themed games. James Dillion, production designer of the original Maze has brought us the new Eastern Zone. Amazing work.

The (Maneki Neko) Cat is out of the Bag

A press release went out and the Radio Times reported it today so we can finally say:

There's a new zone

Thank Thor for that, I hate keeping secrets. Anyway, I was midway through typing up another Sketch/Parody post when it came to my attention that the Radio Times website had let loose the news we discovered in March that Medieval is no more and the castle has been replaced with an Eastern palace.

Richard Ayoade in the new zone with a new suit

TV Choice Awards Voting

Throughout the year TV awards from different groups come and go, and the longlist for the TV Choice Awards features our favourite game show in the Best Entertainment category. So if you get a spare 3 minutes, feel free to go onto the TV Choice site, vote for whatever you like in the other categories but when you get to the Best Entertainment grouping, save your click/tap for The Crystal Maze.

https://awards.tvchoicemagazine.co.uk/vote-here

Crystal Maze Parodies/Sketches (Video-heavy Post)

In 1992 Kurt Cobain, of the grunge group Nirvana, said that he felt like the band had finally made it after 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was the basis for a parody by Weird Al Yankovic. Comedic tributes for things don't happen out of malice, they happen because the subject involved is highly ingrained in the public consciousness. Over the years there's been a few tributes to TCM featured on TV, so for those that haven't seen them (I'd guess mostly through age or these shows not being shown wherever you may be reading), here's a few.


The Mary Whitehouse Experience

2nd Celebrity Episode...

Wow what an episode!

Former footballer Dennis Wise captains, with DJ Roman Kemp, Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead, Happy Mondays' Bez, and Katie Price

Tonight's episode was the best yet, even though they only one two Crystals and collected a pitiful three gold tokens in the dome!. Games are so fantastic and well thought out. I also caught glimpses of a few of the games I tested for the show. The first one was a coloured ball sorter game in Futuristic - I was so out of breath testing this game, but managed to win the Crystal. It wasn't won in this episode, so I felt good about myself! I love how they have now implemented first person go pro shots into the episodes now, as well, a great touch.

My favourite game which I tested at the studio for this series was the Aztec Symbol Water game. It involved a grid of 9 gates, with ropes and ladders - a similar used game from the original, but this time involving water. When I tested the game, I got stuck in the far corner. There was no rope or ladder, and I panicked and forgot that I could swim underneath one of the gates. To confuse me, there was also a little ledge I tried to climb up on, but it didn't work. I finally made out from all the shouting from my team mates, to swim under water. I chuckled to myself this evening to see that one of the improvements from my testing was to add a red arrow, to indicate for the contestant to swim under water, where I got stuck haha.

Amazing stuff, best episode yet. The wall closing game in Medieval was genius as well, a bit like the 'when is a safe not a safe' game from the original. There was also a blue maze with various opening doors in Industrial, with a modern take. The room lit red when the contestant was locked in, very impressive. Claustrophobic games work really well, as it brings some kind of fear to the viewer they can relate to. Our fan group all loved it tonight. The lottery game Katie Price was one I also did not get, the 'Kinder egg' balls were evil as there were so many to open, it was just luck of the draw. We loved the Skull knocking game, which Dennis Wise got locked in with!

Anyway, big thumbs up from us all, we love the current series. Channel 4 have upped their game with the games, that's for sure. We just wish that they could bring the on screen timer back for the Crystal Dome.

Series 2 Coming Very, Very Soon

New series starts Friday 8th June 9pm, and not that I'm biased or anything having helped out on this series even if just for a day (OK I'm unashamedly, massively biased), but this may be far better than the last.

LtoR: Alfie Deyes, Jorgie Porter, Greg Rutherford, Big Narstie, captained by Olympic legend Dame Kelly Holmes

Series 2 Celebrities Announced!

Derry Girls special: Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Dylan Llewellyn and team captain Saoirse‑Monica Jackson.

Paralympic medallist David Weir, former England international Wayne Bridge, Countdown's Rachel Riley and reality TV person Charlotte Crosby, all captained by tennis ambassador Judy Murray.

Katie Price (dont bother with the inevitable rage, save it for the airdate) with Happy Mondays' maracas shaker Bez, presenter and DJ Roman Kemp and Made in Chelsea's Binky Felstead captained by former England midfielder Dennis Wise.

Double Olympic winner Dame Kelly Holmes is heading up a team compiled of MC Big Narstie (he's everywhere at the moment), Hollyoaks actress Jorgie Porter, YouTube person Alfie Deyes (that one that basically told everyone on twitter) and long jumper Greg Rutherford.

The final team is made up of comedian Joe Wilkinson, Blue Peter's Radzi Chinyanganya (so it turns out Blue Peter is still a thing), ITV presenter Kate Garraway and Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, captained by real life Alan Partridge Richard Madeley.

The Crystal Maze Series 2 new Celebrity editions air next month. (Recorded April 2018).
There has been confusion about the Series as Series 1 was staggered and fragmented. Some outlets called the second half of Series 1, Series 2 and this is not the case. I am not really surprised Richard Madeley is taking part, as I recall reading about him and Judy giving the live experience a go. I am surprised, however that Alan Carr has not yet made a Maze Experience. I would love to see an all 90s Presenters team, as well as a live episode. (I know this would be a logistical nightmare).