Classic Eighties Show Knightmare Returns for YouTube's Geek Week

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he classic TV kids’ show Knightmare will be familiar to people who grew up in the late eighties and early nineties. The game show had an iconic, well animated opening title sequence and a charismatic host called Treguard (Hugo Myatt) the dungeon master. His job was to help a team of four kid contestants navigate a dangerous dungeon full of monsters and booby traps.

Knightmare featured an innovative 3D virtual reality dungeon that the player was superimposed onto using fairly ground-breaking blue screen technology. The player wore a huge helmet that covered their eyes rendering them blind during the adventure; the other three team members would then give the player directions to help them safely navigate the dungeon. It was a novel concept that borrowed a few ideas from fantasy videogames and The Crystal Maze to produce a unique show for kids.

A special one-off revival of the show will appear on YouTube as part of an event called Geek Week. The special episode will be produced by the original creator of the show, Tim Child. The comedian Isy Suttie (Peep Show) and actor Jessie Cave (Harry Potter) will appear as contestants alongside four British YouTube stars Dan Howell, Phil Lester, Emma Blackery and Stuart Ashen. YouTube is keen to showcase some of the unique British talents who captivate online audiences with their channels.

The show was a huge success and Knightmare even had a popular  catchphrase; Treguard would welcome each new contestant by uttering the  words “enter, stranger!” Back in those days, TV shows aimed at children  were quite creative and full of new ideas. It will be interesting to see if the show has the same unique look as the original; the 3D graphics  used for the dungeon will probably look rather dated by today’s  standards. Still, dated graphics and dodgy eighties barnets are all part of the appeal when watching such an old show nowadays on channels like Challenge TV.

Geek Week will run from the 4th-10th August and the Knightmare special will be shown on Monday 5th August. Check it out if you fancy seeing what all the fuss is about, or are simply nostalgic for the old days!