''GamesMaster'' is a British television programme which originally aired on
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
from 1992 to 1998. In 2021, it returned for a new series on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
and
E4. It was the first UK television programme dedicated to
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s.
Dominik Diamond
Paul Dominik Diamond (born 31 December 1969) is a Scottish television and radio presenter and newspaper columnist. He is best known as the original presenter of Channel 4's video gaming programme '' GamesMaster'', as host of ''The Dominik Diamon ...
was the host for six of the original seven series while astronomer
Sir Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter.
Moore was president of the Brit ...
featured as the GamesMaster. He was replaced in 2021 with
Sir Trevor McDonald
Sir Trevor McDonald (born George McDonald; 16 August 1939) is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist, best known for his career as a news presenter with ITN.
McDonald was knighted in 1999 for his services to journalism.
Career ...
. The show's format consists of a mixture of game reviews, small "features", tips and challenges. Challenges form the biggest section of the show and generally consist of "average" players and celebrities, often competing against each other for the coveted Golden Joystick. The show was a hit from its initial series with high ratings and an audience made up mostly of adolescent boys, tuning in to hear Diamond's double entendres and sexual innuendos.
Origins
''GamesMaster'' began when Jane Hewland, formerly of
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 unt ...
, who had set up her own production company Hewland International, took an interest in her son's love of video games. She put together a pitch for a programme that would translate the excitement of games playing into watchable television. After some rejection, Hewland put together a video interviewing her son's friends about why they loved video games.
It was Channel 4 that became interested in the concept and approved the production, though they only provided an initial budget of £10,000 per episode for a 10 episode first season.
Format and hosts
Although it featured game reviews,
most of the programme was about challenges where game players would compete against one another for the title of "''GamesMaster'' Champion". Contestants who were successful at their challenges were rewarded with the coveted "''GamesMaster'' Golden Joystick" trophy.
Dominik Diamond
Paul Dominik Diamond (born 31 December 1969) is a Scottish television and radio presenter and newspaper columnist. He is best known as the original presenter of Channel 4's video gaming programme '' GamesMaster'', as host of ''The Dominik Diamon ...
usually presented the programme
with
Sir Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter.
Moore was president of the Brit ...
appearing in pre-recorded inserts as the 'Games Master'. During these challenges, Dominik was joined by a host of commentators. These included Derrick Lynch, Kirk Ewing,
Julian Rignall
Julian "Jaz" Rignall (born 6 March 1965, London, England) is a writer and editor. He has also produced content for corporate websites such as GamePro Media, publisher of ''GamePro'' magazine and ''GamePro.com'', marketing collateral and adverti ...
, Rik Henderson, Dave Perry, Tim Boone and Neil West amongst others.
For the third series,
Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher (born 31 January 1966) is an English film director and actor. He has appeared in Guy Ritchie's ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'', as well as in television shows such as the comedy drama '' Hotel Babylon'' and the HBO series ...
became the main presenter; this change was criticised by fans, who saw the new host as over-the-top, and too 'in-your-face'. To balance this, the production company dropped all other co-presenters and gave UK games champion
Dave Perry
Dave Perry (born 21 May 1966) was co-commentator on the UK computer and video games television shows '' GamesMaster'' and ''Games World''. Perry was most famous for walking off ''Gamesmaster''.
He was responsible for launching many games mag ...
a regular co-presenter slot on every episode. Fletcher was better known at the time for having played an American character called "Spike" in the
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
drama series ''
Press Gang
''Press Gang'' is a British children's television comedy drama consisting of 43 episodes across five series that were broadcast from 1989 to 1993. It was produced by Richmond Film & Television for Central, and screened on the ITV network in it ...
''.
Review segments
From the very first episode, ''GamesMaster'' included reviews of forthcoming titles. In an attempt to give the programme some authority and get the gaming press on their side, as well as eliminate the need for extra staff to review games, the reviews featured a host of magazines journalists from the publishing house
EMAP
Ascential plc, formerly EMAP, is a British business-to-business media business specialising in exhibitions & festivals and information services. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
Ric ...
. This meant the programme could pool the collective opinions of magazines like ''
Mean Machines
''Mean Machines'' was a multi-format video game magazine published between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom.
Origins
In the late 1980s '' Computer and Video Games'' (''CVG'') was largely covering the outgoing generation of 8-bit computers l ...
'', ''
C&VG
''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website w ...
'' and ''
ACE
An ace is a playing card, Dice, die or domino with a single Pip (counting), pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit (cards), suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large a ...
''.
However, by series 5, it was decided that the reviews would be better presented by two of the programme's co-commentators, namely Rik Henderson and
Dave Perry
Dave Perry (born 21 May 1966) was co-commentator on the UK computer and video games television shows '' GamesMaster'' and ''Games World''. Perry was most famous for walking off ''Gamesmaster''.
He was responsible for launching many games mag ...
. It brought a much-needed stability to the format and some interesting banter between the reviewers. Series 6 also featured Rik, who was now joined by Ed Lomas, while series 7, due to time constraints and Dave Perry having resigned from the programme's cast (after complaining on-air about being "set up" during a ''
Super Mario 64
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combining traditional ''Su ...
'' challenge), employed two of its own research staff to present the slot, including Richard Pitt.
Relationship with the games industry
Prior to ''GamesMaster'' appearing, games companies had very few TV programmes on which to have their titles featured. UK broadcasters had shown sporadic interest in the scene, normally confining coverage to segments within Saturday morning children's programming. From time to time, news programmes would report on one of the very successful British games studios, but in contrast to programming involving films and music videos, there was no regular showcase for video games.
''GamesMaster'' was first broadcast in 1992, during the
fourth (16-bit) console generation - after the launch of the
Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan a ...
, but before the
SNES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
.
Sega
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
's success in the early 90s (with both the
Master System
The is an 8-bit
third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
and Mega Drive, as well as the huge hit game
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
) helped cause a video game console boom in 1991, bringing gaming into mainstream UK culture, which would only increase following the arrival of consoles with
3D graphics
3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the ...
such as those found on the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
. That ''GamesMaster'' regularly drew in audiences in the millions proved that there was a huge and so far untapped audience.
Despite competition with specialist gaming magazines, the programme managed to secure several exclusives over the series, showing games that were months or even years away from being finished. Because ''GamesMaster'' was largely a challenge-based programme, games studios could, for example, present a single level to be used for these competitive segments. ''
Blast Corps
''Blast Corps'' is an action game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. In the game, the player uses vehicles to destroy buildings in the path of a runaway nuclear missile carrier. In the game's 57 levels, the play ...
'' is one example of a game that was demonstrated long before it, or even the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
that it played on, were released.
Occasionally, games studios made levels specifically for use on one of the challenges.
Shiny Entertainment
Shiny Entertainment, Inc. was an American video game developer based in Laguna Beach, California. Founded in October 1993 by David Perry (game developer), David Perry, Shiny was the creator of video games such as ''Earthworm Jim (video game), E ...
were one such studio when they put together a special level of ''
Earthworm Jim
''Earthworm Jim'' is a series of platform games featuring an earthworm named Jim who wears a robotic suit and battles the forces of evil. The series is noted for its platforming and shooting gameplay, surreal humor, and edgy art style. Four game ...
''. Though this worked out well for both game studio and the programme, the experience was somewhat soured when this code ended up being leaked on the Internet. It is believed that the only way for this to have happened is that one of the staff on the programme must have had links with online
ROM
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* R ...
crackers. It led to a great deal of embarrassment and likely upset the trust that existed between the producer, Shiny Entertainment and their publisher,
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive Entertainment (later renamed Avalon Interactive) was the video game publishing division of British conglomerate the Virgin Group. It developed and published games for major platforms and employed developers, including Westwo ...
.
Gamesmaster sponsorship
*''
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
''
(9 September 1993 – 14 January 1995) (Series 3 and 4)
*''
Meta Quest 2
Meta Quest 2 (initially sold as Oculus Quest 2) is a virtual reality (VR) headset developed by Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.). It was unveiled on September 16, 2020 and released on October 13.
As with its predecessor, the Oculus Que ...
'' (21 November 2021 – present) (Series 8)
Series 2's cold opening
For Series 2, the programme began originally as in Series 1, except for it was "plagued" by numerous apparent "technical faults" (a ruse on the producer's part, the "Please do not adjust your set" warning that appeared is a hint to this), with the first challenge being a purported ''
Marble Madness
''Marble Madness'' is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide a marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limi ...
'' challenge (the contestant's name and town are partly obscured over a technical fault, meaning this was also part of the joke). As the challenger was coming to the podium, the program "crashed", "rebooted" with the new series opener, and a ''
Street Fighter II
is a fighting game developed by Capcom and originally released for arcades in 1991. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter''. It is Capcom's fourteenth game to use the CP Syst ...
'' challenge, the cast acting like the short segment preceding the new challenge had not happened.
Every series following Series 2 had the original series' closing moments portrayed in the series itself as the previous "set" being deconstructed in some manner. In the final series, the set was literally dismantled and the studio closed down over Dominik's final words.
For each location in which the series was set, a plot device occurred in the style of that series. Series 2 was set on an oil rig. Diamond's Auntie Marisha blew up the kitchen at the end of series 2 which led to the rig's evacuation. Diamond was later revealed to be burnt to death while trying to escape, giving way to Dexter Fletcher to present series 3. In reality, Diamond had in fact left the programme. Diamond would later return in series 4 onwards which was set in Hell and then in Heaven for series 5,
continuing on from his whereabouts after his death in series 2 (although the opening title sequence of the fifth series offers an alternative "death", with Diamond being run over by a bus and flat-lining while in hospital). In the opening credits to series 6 Diamond was portrayed as falling from Heaven. The series 7 titles were a dream sequence in which Diamond travelled to the series' island setting.
Demise
Prior to ''GamesMaster'' leaving UK television, there had been a crisis of confidence in games television over at rival channel ITV. Their children's department had commissioned another video games programme ''T.I.G.S.'' to accompany ''
Bad Influence!
''Bad Influence!'' is a 1990s British factual television programme broadcast on CITV from 1992 to 1996, produced in Leeds by Yorkshire Television. It looked at video games and computer technology, and was described as a "kid’s Tomorrow's Worl ...
''. Then, one series later, they pulled the plug on both programmes, deciding that there was no demand for games coverage on their channel.
''GamesMaster'' was not affected and continued with success. In 1998, towards the end of production for the 7th series, the programme was looking set to be re-commissioned; viewing figures were still strong, and the programme was finding a new audience, benefiting from the emerging PlayStation culture with the success of
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
's console bringing gaming into the mainstream. The production was also more oriented towards actual games players than the first few series, which had been decidedly light in feature content, and no longer poked fun at 'nerds' and 'geeks', as it was young adults and not children and teenagers who appeared on the programme; indeed, they and the publicity-seeking celebrities were now the subject of jokes.
It is believed that Dominik Diamond, along with the programme's producers, wanted to make a more adult programme that would air in a late night, more mainstream time slot. (Series 8 was going to be set on a pirate ship with buxom wenches as the Golden Joystick assistants.) There was also talk of a spin-off programme being made that would seek to emulate the US talk shows of the time. Whether this would have meant a programme that focused far less on games is unknown. No confirmation exists that any pilots of this concept were ever made; Channel 4 did not see the potential of a gaming programme for an older, adult audience.
However, changes in senior staff at Channel 4 were responsible for taking the programme off the air. The new head of Channel 4 was
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
who had worked at LWT at the same time as Jane Hewland; the two never saw eye-to-eye. Alternatively, having been the head of
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
, Jackson may have wanted less entertainment programming on Channel 4.
The first series of the programme was repeated on
Challenge
Challenge may refer to:
* Voter challenging or caging, a method of challenging the registration status of voters
* Euphemism for disability
* Peremptory challenge, a dismissal of potential jurors from jury duty
Places
Geography
*Challenge, C ...
in 2003, but no further episodes have been shown. Challenge thought the programme was "too dated" and "the games being played wouldn't stand up today".
Broadcasting spin-offs
Several gaming shows were commissioned by
Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
in 1993 from Hewland International (one of which was ''
Games World
''Games World'' was a British entertainment programme that aired on Sky One originally from 1 March 1993 to 10 March 1995 with Bob Mills as host, and then revived from 9 March 1998 to 1999 with Andy Collins as host.
Format
The main body of t ...
''). Due to this close relationship with
BSkyB
Sky UK Limited is a British broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television and broadband Internet services, fixed line and mobile telephone services to consumers and businesses in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of ...
, Hewland International were even successful in convincing them to launch a whole new channel dedicated to gaming, computers, the internet and technology.
The Computer Channel
.tv (formerly The Computer Channel, pronounced as Dot TV and referred to on-screen as .tv - the technology channel) was a British television channel dedicated to technology. .tv was owned and operated by British Sky Broadcasting. The channel fi ...
launched in 1996 for only BSkyB subscribers, appearing for just two hours every night. Originally, the only gaming show was ''
Game Over'', made by some of the same production team as ''Gamesmaster'' and ''Games World''. When The Computer Channel was relaunched as
.tv
The domain name .tv is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Tuvalu.
Except for reserved names like com.tv, net.tv, org.tv and others, any person may register second-level domains under .tv. The domain name is popular, and thus ...
in 1998, other shows began to start covering the gaming scene. These included ''Gear'', ''Roadtest'', ''ExMachina'' and also ''
Games Republic
Games Republic was a 30-minute TV game show which was broadcast on BSkyB's .tv channel from 1999 to 2000. It had an Egyptian theme and was hosted by Trevor and Simon.
The first round consisted of the 'punch up quiz' in which two contestants battl ...
''.
The latter show was closest in style and tone to ''Gamesmaster'', featured a themed studio set, studio challenges and the irreverent presenters
Trevor and Simon
Trevor Neal (born 1963, Dorchester, Dorset) and Simon Hickson (born 1962, Salford, Lancashire) are a British comedy duo (known as ''Trevor and Simon'' or ''Trev and Simon'') and are best known for a family-friendly version of anarchic alternative ...
. Though the show did not include any features or VT content, as it was a question based game show based on video games, it was produced by ''Gamesmaster'' and ''
When Games Attack
''When Games Attack'' is a British television show, that originally aired on Bravo from 2004 to 2005. The show is presented by Dominik Diamond and created by Jonny Ffinch with whom he had previously worked on GamesMaster. Its focus was video ga ...
'' producer Johnny Ffinch. The series unfortunately came under fire from fans after several questions asked in the show had incorrect answers, infuriating several contestants over the series. (For example, poorly researched questions about the
Dreamcast
The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...
's online capabilities, and characters from ''
Tekken
is a Japanese Media mix, media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations.
The ...
'').
Dominik Diamond returned to games television first as an interviewee in the 1999 documentary ''Games Wars'', in which he commented that boys getting turned on by
Lara Croft
Lara Croft is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise ''Tomb Raider''. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around th ...
was tragic and "desperately sad". He then returned to presenting in 2004 with a show on
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
*Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
*Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
, called ''When Games Attack''. This programme was largely feature-based and contained plenty of Dominik's trademark humour. Prior to its broadcast, Dominik featured in a sizable ''
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'' interview, with his longtime producer Johnny Finch. Both of them were quite vocal in stating their contempt for other shows about video games that were doing a bad job.
Though it did also feature minor celebrity challenges (mainly football players and glamour models), there were never any head-to-head competitions. To date, Bravo has yet to show a second series. However, in November 2007, a repeat of the only series to date was aired.
In 1999, the BBC filmed two pilot episodes of a new TV show franchise dedicated to video games titled ''Bleeding Thumbs'' - with Gamesmaster's Rik Henderson as assistant producer and initial commentator. The series would have run between 1999 and 2000 alternating with the hugely successful "
Robot Wars", hoping to emulate the success ''GamesMaster'' achieved in the process. Two pilots were filmed and were hosted by
Dermot O'Leary
Seán Dermot Fintan O'Leary Jr. (born 24 May 1973) is an English broadcaster who currently works for ITV and BBC Radio 2. His radio career began when he worked as a disc jockey at Essex Radio, but he is best known for being the presenter of ''T ...
and
Kate Thornton
Kate Thornton (born 7 February 1973) is an English journalist and broadcaster, best known as the first presenter of ''The X Factor'' (2004–2006) and for presenting daytime shows including '' Loose Women'' (2009–2011) and '' This Morning'' (2 ...
, and then
Terry Alderton
Terry John Alderton (born 31 October 1970) is an English comedian who had acting and presenting roles in the early 2000s before returning to stand-up comedy a decade later.
Personal life
Alderton was born on 31 October 1970 in Rochford, Es ...
accompanying Thornton, the
commissioning editor
In book publishing, a commissioning editor is essentially a buyer. It is the job of the commissioning editor to advise the publishing house on which books to publish. Usually the actual decision of whether to contract a book is taken by a senior ma ...
decommissioned the show claiming that "People want to play games, not watch them".
''GamesMaster'' was also the first UK show to feature the sport of robot fighting in a news item, which at the time was on Local
Public-access television
Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...
in the US. Hewland International worked for several years to translate the sport into something for UK viewers. Though they never succeeded, another production company,
Mentorn
The Tinopolis Group is an international TV production and distribution group with businesses based in the UK and US. It produces over 4,500 hours of television annually for more than 200 UK and foreign broadcasters.
History
Llanelli, Wales, b ...
, were able to get their show concept ''Robot Wars'' picked up by BBC Two.
Revival
In February 2021, Channel 4 announced that they were looking for a brand partner for a potential reboot of GamesMaster. According to the description of the format, celebrities will "undergo challenges, races and fights in virtual battle across all genres of gaming under the watchful eye of the all-knowing GamesMaster". On 29 September 2021, Frankie Ward, Robert Florence, and Ty Logan were announced as the new hosts. Episodes will first appear on E4's YouTube channel before broadcast on the E4 television channel. On 25 October 2021 it was announced that Sir
Trevor McDonald
Sir Trevor McDonald (born George McDonald; 16 August 1939) is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist, best known for his career as a news presenter with ITN.
McDonald was knighted in 1999 for his services to journalism.
Career ...
would be the new GamesMaster. The new series of three episodes were filmed at Crossness Pumping Station in Abbey Wood, London from 4 to 6 October 2021.
On 10 November 2022, Channel 4 has announced that GamesMaster will continue to next series. After being successful in social platforms. Therefore, the next series will be broadcast on social media. which will air in 2023.
Magazine
In January 1993,
Future Publishing
Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...
began a tie-in magazine, also called ''GamesMaster''. In the May issue of 2010, Editor-in-chief Robin Alway announced that Future Publishing were 'looking into' reintroducing the programme to British television, and promised that he would keep the readers of the magazine informed of any future details. The magazine ceased publishing in November 2018, having outlasted the TV series by more than twenty years.
Series details and celebrity guests
Series 1 – 1992
*Episode 1 –
John Fashanu
John Fashanu (, born 18 September 1962) is an English television presenter and former professional footballer.
In his former career, he was a centre-forward from 1978 until 1995, most notably in an eight-year spell at Wimbledon in which he wo ...
– 7 January 1992
*Episode 2 –
Gary Mason – 14 January 1992
*Episode 3 –
Annabel Croft
Annabel Nicola Croft (born 12 July 1966) is a former professional British female tennis player and current radio and television presenter. As a tennis player she won the WTA Tour event Virginia Slims of San Diego and represented Great Britain i ...
– 21 January 1992
*Episode 4 –
Eric Bristow
Eric John Bristow, (25 April 1957 – 5 April 2018), nicknamed "The Crafty Cockney", was an English professional darts player.
He was ranked World No. 1 by the World Darts Federation a record five times, in 1980, 1981 and 1983–1985. He was ...
– 28 January 1992
*Episode 5 –
Jimmy White
James Warren White (born 2 May 1962) is an English professional snooker player who has won three seniors World titles. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his fluid, attacking style of play, White is the 1980 World Amateur Champion, 2009 ...
,
Archer Maclean
Archer Maclean (28 January 1962 – 17 December 2022) was a British video game programmer. He was the author of ''Dropzone'' which he developed for the Atari 8-bit family and was ported to other systems. Maclean also developed the Commodore 64 ve ...
and Ashley Paske – 4 February 1992
*Episode 6 –
Pat and Mick
Pat and Mick were a British pop duo, consisting of popular radio personalities Pat Sharp and Mick Brown, both of whom are from London. They released a charity single, a cover version, each year from 1988 to 1993, achieving a top-10 hit with t ...
– 11 February 1992
*Episode 7 – Wrestling - Featuring
Kendo Nagasaki
Kendo Nagasaki is a professional wrestling stage name, used as a gimmick of that of a Japanese Samurai warrior with a mysterious past and even supernatural powers of hypnosis. The name derives from the modern martial art of Japanese fencing ( K ...
– 18 February 1992
*Episode 8 –
Pat Cash
Patrick Hart Cash (born 27 May 1965) is an Australian former professional tennis player. He reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 4 in May 1988 and a career-high ATP doubles ranking of world No. 6 in August 1988. Upon winning ...
and Emily Cash – 25 February 1992
*Episode 9 –
Barry McGuigan
Finbar Patrick McGuigan MBE (born 28 February 1961) is an Irish boxing promoter and former professional boxer. Born in Clones, Ireland, McGuigan was nicknamed ''The Clones Cyclone'' and held the WBA and lineal featherweight titles from 1985 ...
– 3 March 1992
*Episode 10 –
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes (28 August 1947 – 9 November 2004) was an English footballer. He started his career at Blackpool in 1964 before moving to Liverpool in 1967. He made 665 appearances for Liverpool and captained the side to three league ti ...
– 10 March 1992
Series 2 – 1992/1993
*Episode 1 –
Tony Slattery
Tony Declan James Slattery (born 9 November 1959) is an English actor and comedian. He appeared on British television regularly from the mid-1980s, most notably as a regular on the Channel 4 improvisation show ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' His ...
– 1 October 1992
*Episode 2 –
Frank Bruno
Franklin Roy Bruno, (born 16 November 1961) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996. He had a highly publicised and eventful career, both in and out of the ring. The pinnacle of Bruno's boxing career was winning ...
– 8 October 1992
*Episode 3 –
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer.
Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelse ...
and
Nick Pickard
Nicholas Pickard (born 27 May 1975) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member.
...
– 15 October 1992
*Episode 4 –
Rory Underwood
Rory Underwood, (born 19 June 1963) is an English former rugby union player, he is 's record international try scorer with 49 tries in 85 internationals between 1984 and 1996. Underwood's principal position was wing and he played 236 games for ...
– 22 October 1992
*Episode 5 –
Take That
Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singe ...
– 29 October 1992
*Episode 6 –
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which ...
– 5 November 1992
*Episode 7 –
Shadow
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, o ...
and
Jet
Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to:
Aerospace
* Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines
** Jet airliner
** Jet engine
** Jet fuel
* Jet Airways, an Indian airline
* Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline
* Journey to Enceladus a ...
from ''
Gladiators
A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
'' – 12 November 1992
*Episode 8 –
Kristian Schmid
Kristian Schmid (born 28 November 1974) is an Australian actor best known for his roles as Todd Landers in ''Neighbours'' and Leading Seaman Robert Dixon in ''Sea Patrol''.
Early life
Schmid was born in Geelong, Australia to Hungarian parents ...
– 19 November 1992
*Episode 9 –
John Parrott
John Stephen Parrott, (born 11 May 1964) is an English former professional snooker player and television personality. He was a familiar face on the professional snooker circuit during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, and remained within ...
– 26 November 1992
*Episode 10 – Richard Norton – 3 December 1992
*Episode 11 –
Johnny Herbert
John Paul "Johnny" Herbert (born 25 June 1964) is a British former racing driver and current television announcer for Sky Sports F1. He raced in Formula One from 1989 to 2000, for seven different teams, winning three races and placing 4th in t ...
– 10 December 1992
*Episode 12 –
Todd Carty
Todd Carty also known as Todd John Jennings (born Todd Robert Carty; 31 August 1963) is an English actor and director who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage appearances have ranged from pantomime to serious dram ...
– 17 December 1992
*Episode 13 –
Bob Holness
Robert Wentworth John Holness (12 November 1928 – 6 January 2012) was a British-South African radio and television presenter and occasional actor. He presented the British version of '' Blockbusters''.
Early life
Holness was born in Vryheid, ...
– 24 December 1992
*Episode 14 –
Linford Christie
Linford Cicero Christie (born 2 April 1960) is a Jamaican-born British former sprinter. He is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres at all four major competitions open to British athletes: the Olympic Games, the World ...
and
Colin Jackson
Colin Ray Jackson, (born 18 February 1967) is a Welsh former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles. During a career in which he represented Great Britain and Wales, he won an Olympic silver medal, became wor ...
– 31 December 1992
*Episode 15 –
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright (born 3 November 1963) is an English television and radio personality and former professional footballer. He works as a pundit for BBC Sport and ITV Sport.
Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal ...
– 7 January 1993
*Episode 16 –
Mark Wingett
Mark Christopher Wingett (born 1 January 1961) is an English actor.
He is best known for his roles as PC/DC Jim Carver in ''The Bill'' and ''EastEnders'' as Mike Swann, ''Hollyoaks'' as Frank Symons and '' Heartbeat'' as Terry Molloy. His firs ...
and
Huw Higginson
Huw Higginson (born 21 February 1964) is an English actor, best known for playing PC George Garfield in ''The Bill'' from 1989 to 1999.
Higginson has also appeared in '' Heartbeat'', '' EastEnders'', ''Casualty'', '' By Any Means'' and '' Jess ...
– 14 January 1993
*Episode 17 –
Cathy Dennis
Catherine Roseanne Dennis (born 25 March 1969)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa; , p. 133 is a British singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She was the vocalist for D Mob, which had the su ...
– 21 January 1993
*Episode 18 –
Ulrika Jonsson
Eva Ulrika Jonsson (born 16 August 1967) is a Swedish-British television presenter and model. She became known as a TV-am weather presenter, moved on to present the ITV show ''Gladiators'', and as a team captain of the BBC Two show '' Shooting S ...
– 28 January 1993
*Episode 19 –
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), better known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, artist, surrealist, musician, actor and television presenter, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. ...
– 4 February 1993
*Episode 20 –
Gordon Burns
Gordon Henry Burns (born 10 June 1942) is a Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He was the host of ''The Krypton Factor'' for its original 18-year run (1977–1995) and was the chief anchorman for the BBC regional news programme ''BBC N ...
– 11 February 1993
*Episode 21 –
East 17
East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. As of 2020, the group consists of Coldwell, Robbie Craig, and Joe Livermore. East 17 have undergone multiple lineup changes, ...
– 18 February 1993
*Episode 22 –
Josie Lawrence
Josie Lawrence (born Wendy Lawrence; 6 June 1959) is an English actress and comedian. She is best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and as Manda Best in '' ...
– 25 February 1993
*Episode 23 –
Tony Daley
Anthony Mark Daley (born 18 October 1967) is an English former footballer, who made the vast majority of his appearances for Aston Villa, playing mainly as a winger, well known for his pace.
Playing career
Daley joined hometown club Aston ...
– 4 March 1993
*Episode 24 –
Steve Backley
Stephen James Backley, OBE (born 12 February 1969) is a retired British track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He formerly held the world record, and his throw from 1992 is the British record. During his career, he was a ...
– 11 March 1993
*Episode 25 –
Duncan Goodhew
Duncan Alexander Goodhew, (born 27 May 1957) is an English former competitive swimmer. After swimming competitively in America as a collegian at North Carolina State University, he was an Olympic swimmer for Great Britain and won Olympic gold a ...
and Arm wrestlers – 18 March 1993
*Episode 26 –
Kevin Conway and
Sean Kerly
Sean Robin Kerly (born 29 January 1960) is an English former field hockey player.
Biography
Kerly was born in Whitstable and was educated at Chatham House Grammar School in Ramsgate. He has played club hockey for Canterbury, Southgate and Hern ...
– 25 March 1993
Series 3 – 1993/1994
*Episode 1 – ''Mortal Kombat'' (which featured both
Daniel Pesina
Daniel Pesina (born December 1, 1959) is an American martial arts expert and a former freelance employee of Midway.
Pesina was born in Chicago, Illinois to Mexican born parents and have study martial arts since the age of 10.
Pesina started ...
and
Elizabeth Malecki
Sonya Blade is a character (arts), fictional player character, character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. She debuted in the Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), original 1992 game as the roste ...
who were both dressed as their respective characters, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade). – 9 September 1993
*Episode 2 –
Gabrielle – 16 September 1993
*Episode 3 – Gladiators 1 (Shadow and Falcon) – 23 September 1993
*Episode 4 – Gladiators 2 (Cobra and Scorpio) – 30 September 1993
*Episode 5 – Gladiators Final (Shadow and Scorpio) – 7 October 1993
*Episode 6 –
Utah Saints
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its we ...
– 14 October 1993
*Episode 7 –
Steve Punt
Stephen Mark Punt (born 15 September 1962)[Mr Stephen Mark Punt](_blank)
company-director-c ...
and
Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis (born 13 February 1962) is an English comedian, presenter, actor, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist who has appeared in the comedy double act Punt and Dennis with partner Steve Punt. He played Dr Piers Crispin in the ...
– 21 October 1993
*Episode 8 –
Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire (born 18 April 1976 in Ilford, London) is a British-American actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama ''Grange Hill'', in which he rem ...
– 28 October 1993
*Episode 9 –
Monie Love
Simone Johnson or Simone Gooden (born 2 July 1970), better known by her stage name Monie Love, is a British rapper, actress and radio personality from London. Best known for her singles during the late–1980s through the 1990s, Monie Love curre ...
(a trailer featuring
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Julian Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series ''The Fast Show'', and has also starred with Harry Enfield in the shows '' Harry & Paul'' and ''Harry ...
was shown for this episode, but his appearance was never broadcast) – 4 November 1993
*Episode 10 –
Nigel Benn
Nigel Gregory Benn (born 22 January 1964) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1996. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990 and the WBC super-middleweight ti ...
and
Barry McGuigan
Finbar Patrick McGuigan MBE (born 28 February 1961) is an Irish boxing promoter and former professional boxer. Born in Clones, Ireland, McGuigan was nicknamed ''The Clones Cyclone'' and held the WBA and lineal featherweight titles from 1985 ...
(live episode) – 11 November 1993
*Episode 11 –
Dani Behr
Dani Behr (born 9 July 1970) is an English former singer, actress, voice-over artist, and television presenter.
Early life
Behr was born in Mill Hill, London, of South African Jewish descent. Her father is a partner in London estate agents Be ...
– 18 November 1993
*Episode 12 –
Liam Botham
Liam James Botham (born 26 August 1977) is a former English sportsman who played both codes of rugby football and cricket. He is the son of England cricketer Ian Botham, the Baron Botham.
Career Cricket
Botham was born in Doncaster and initia ...
– 25 November 1993
*Episode 13 – Footy 1
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer.
Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelse ...
vs.
Les Ferdinand
Leslie Ferdinand MBE (born 8 December 1966) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and television pundit, who is currently the director of football at Queens Park Rangers.
A striker, his playing career included notable sp ...
– 2 December 1993
*Episode 14 – Footy 2
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise (born 16 December 1966) is an English former professional football player and manager who played as a central midfielder. He is the president of Serie B side Como 1907. He is best known for having spent the majority of his c ...
vs.
John Barnes
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE (born 7 November 1963) is a former professional football player and manager. He currently works as an author, commentator and pundit for ESPN and SuperSport. Initially a quick, skilful left winger, he moved to cent ...
– 9 December 1993
*Episode 15 – Footy 3 Vinnie Jones vs. John Barnes plus a young
Simon Amstell
Simon Marc Amstell (born 29 November 1979) is a British comedian, writer and director. He wrote and directed the films '' Carnage'' (2017) and ''Benjamin'' (2018). His work on television has included presenting ''Popworld'' and ''Never Mind the ...
– 16 December 1993
*Episode 16 – Christmas Special with
Frank Bruno
Franklin Roy Bruno, (born 16 November 1961) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1996. He had a highly publicised and eventful career, both in and out of the ring. The pinnacle of Bruno's boxing career was winning ...
,
Mike Doyle Michael, Mick or Mike Doyle may refer to:
Politics
*Michael Doyle (Irish politician), Irish Farmers' Party politician from Wexford, TD from 1922 to 1927
*Michael Doyle, alleged member of the Molly Maguires
*Mike Doyle (American politician) (born 1 ...
,
Lorraine Chase
Lorraine Chase (born 16 July 1951) is an English actress and former model. She became well known for her strong south east London accent and frequent use of cockney slang, and found fame through a series of television adverts for Campari be ...
,
John Altman,
Robin Askwith
Robin Mark Askwith (born 12 October 1950) is an English actor and singer who has appeared in a number of film, television and stage productions.
Making his film debut as Keating in the film '' if....'' (1968), a role he would reprise in ''Brita ...
,
Wayne Morris
Wayne Morris (born Bert DeWayne Morris Jr. February 17, 1914 – September 14, 1959) was an American film and television actor, as well as a decorated World War II fighter ace. He appeared in many films, including ''Paths of Glory'' (1957), ''T ...
,
Robert Duncan,
Graham Bickley
Graham John Bickley (born 18 May 1958) is an English actor and singer. He is best known for playing the role of Joey Boswell in ''Bread'' from 1989 until 1991, taking over from Peter Howitt, who played him from 1986 until 1989.
Early life
Bic ...
and
Ray Meagher
Raymond Francis Meagher (born 4 July 1944) is an Australian actor, who has appeared in Australian film and television since the mid-1970s. He is notable as the longest continuing performer in an Australian television role, portraying Alf Stewa ...
– 23 December 1993
*Episode 17 –
Games Mistress – 28 December 1993
*Episode 18 –
Simone Robertson
Simone Robertson (28 May 1975 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian actress best known for her 1991–1993 role as Phoebe Gottlieb in the TV series '' Neighbours''. Her sister is Aimee Robertson. She is also a trained jazz and tap dancer.
Si ...
– 4 January 1994
*Episode 19 –
Kriss Akabusi
Kezie Uchechukwu Duru Akabusi , MBE (born 28 November 1958), known as Kriss Akabusi, is a British former sprint and hurdling track and field athlete.
His first international successes were with the British 4×400 metres relay team, winning a ...
– 11 January 1994
*Episode 20 –
Andrew Paul
Andrew Paul (born Paul Andrew Herman; 17 March 1961 in Mile End, East London) is an English actor, known for portraying PC Dave Quinnan in the ITV drama ''The Bill'' for 13 years.
Life and career
Paul grew up in Manor House, North London, ...
and
Lisa Geoghan
Lisa Maria Geoghan (born 1 June 1966 in Southwark, London) is an English actress best known for playing PC Polly Page from 1992 to 2004 in the long-running police drama ''The Bill''.
Career
Geoghan trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School fro ...
from
The Bill
''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983.
The programme focused on ...
– 18 January 1994
*Episode 21 –
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player who is the current world champion and world number one. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the sport's history, ...
– 25 January 1994
*Episode 22 –
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestl ...
– 1 February 1994
*Episode 23 –
2 Unlimited
2 Unlimited are a Belgian/Dutch dance music act, founded by Belgian producers/songwriters Jean-Paul De Coster and Phil Wilde in 1991 in Antwerp, Belgium. From 1991 to 1996, Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaard and Dutch vocalist Anita Doth fronted the a ...
(
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...
guested in the Consoletation Zone) – 8 February 1994
*Episode 24 –
Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts (vocals, guitar) and his distinctive bass-baritone voice. The band members have fluctuated over the years, but its best kno ...
– 15 February 1994
*Episode 25 –
Bad Boys Inc
Bad Boys Inc were a British boy band, formed in 1993 by the record producer Ian Levine. Signed to A&M Records, the members were David W. Ross (born 15 March 1974 in Bournemouth), Matthew Pateman (born 14 May 1971 in Sidcup, Kent), Tony Dowdi ...
– 22 February 1994
*Episode 26 – GamesMaster Team Championship Final – 1 March 1994
Series 4 – 1994/1995
*Episode 1 –
Frank Skinner
Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), professionally known as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...
(with Richard Divizio as
Baraka
Baraka or Barakah may refer to:
* Berakhah or Baraka, in Judaism, a blessing usually recited during a ceremony
* Barakah or Baraka, in Islam, the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres
* Baraka, full ''ḥ ...
from ''
Mortal Kombat II
''Mortal Kombat II'' is a 1993 arcade fighting game originally produced by Midway for the arcades in 1993. It was later ported to multiple home systems, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X, Sega Saturn, Super Nint ...
'') – 20 September 1994
*Episode 2 – Bruce Roberts,
Dan Falzon
Dan Falzon (born 24 November 1972) is an Australian actor of Maltese descent, best known for his role as Rick Alessi on the television soap opera ''Neighbours''. He also appeared in the Channel Nine drama '' The Alice'', as a park ranger. H ...
and
Sarah Vandenbergh
Sarah Vandenbergh (born 9 October 1972 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian actress and presenter.
Vandenbergh played the original role of Lauren Carpenter in '' Neighbours'', 1993–94, and Kerri in ''Hollyoaks'' in 1999. She was also a pre ...
– 27 September 1994
*Episode 3 –
Jimmy White
James Warren White (born 2 May 1962) is an English professional snooker player who has won three seniors World titles. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his fluid, attacking style of play, White is the 1980 World Amateur Champion, 2009 ...
– 4 October 1994
*Episode 4 –
PJ & Duncan
Ant & Dec are a British television presenting duo, consisting of Anthony McPartlin (born 18 November 1975) and Declan Donnelly (born 25 September 1975), from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Formed after their meeting as child actors on CBBC's dr ...
– 11 October 1994
*Episode 5 –
Andrew Cole
Andrew Alexander Cole (born 15 October 1971) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a Briti ...
vs.
Kasey Keller
Kasey C. Keller (born November 29, 1969) is an American former professional soccer player who played in Europe and the United States, as well as being the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. national team. He is a four-time FIFA World Cup partici ...
– 18 October 1994
*Episode 6 –
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer.
Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelse ...
vs.
Andy Townsend
Andrew David Townsend (born 23 July 1963) is a former professional footballer and sports co-commentator for Premier League Productions and CBS Sports.
As a player he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Chelsea, Aston V ...
– 25 October 1994
*Episode 7 –
Kasey Keller
Kasey C. Keller (born November 29, 1969) is an American former professional soccer player who played in Europe and the United States, as well as being the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. national team. He is a four-time FIFA World Cup partici ...
vs.
Andy Townsend
Andrew David Townsend (born 23 July 1963) is a former professional footballer and sports co-commentator for Premier League Productions and CBS Sports.
As a player he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Chelsea, Aston V ...
– 1 November 1994
*Episode 8 –
Ian Kelsey
Ian Kelsey (born 17 December 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Dave Glover in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Patrick Spiller in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', DI Richard Mayne in the ITV crime drama '' Blue Murder'' ...
vs.
Camilla Power
Camilla Joy Cynthia Power (born 13 November 1976) is an Irish-born English actress. She is best known for her appearances in the television series ''Emmerdale'' and '' Waterloo Road''.
Early life and education
Power was born in Cork, Ireland, a ...
"Emmerdale stars" – 8 November 1994
*Episode 9 –
Rupert Moon
Rupert Henry St. John Barker Moon (born 1 February 1968) is a former Wales international rugby union player. He played club rugby for Welsh clubs Abertillery and Neath but is most associated with Llanelli, who he captained during their unpre ...
and
Dewi Morris
Dewi Morris (born ) is a former rugby union footballer, who played scrum half for England.
Morris was born in Crickhowell, Breconshire, Wales, and graduated from Crewe & Alsager College. He made his England debut in 1988, as a twenty-four yea ...
– 15 November 1994
*Episode 10 –
Let Loose
Let Loose is a British pop trio, with Richie Wermerling (born Richard John Wermerling, 11 May 1968 in Whitechapel, London) on lead vocals and keyboards, Rob Jeffrey (born Robert George Edward Jeffrey, 30 November 1967 in Romford, East London) o ...
– 22 November 1994
*Episode 11 –
C.J. Lewis
C. J. Lewis (born Steven James Lewis, 1 February 1967) is a British reggae singer. His biggest hit single was the 1994 cover version of "Sweets for My Sweet". The track was produced by Phillip Leo, as was his debut album, ''Dollars'' ( UK No. ...
– 29 November 1994
*Episode 12 –
Marcus Alexander Bagwell
Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a fiv ...
and
Del Wilkes
Delbert Alexander "Del" Wilkes, Jr. (December 21, 1961 – June 30, 2021) was an American professional wrestler and college football player, better known by his ring names, The Trooper and The Patriot. Over the course of his nine-year career, W ...
– 6 December 1994
*Episode 13 –
David Coulthard
David Marshall Coulthard (; born 27 March 1971) is a British former racing driver from Scotland, later turned presenter, commentator and journalist. Nicknamed 'DC', he competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between and , taking 13 Grand Prix vi ...
– 13 December 1994
*Episode 14 – Christmas 'Stars' Special – 20 December 1994
*Episode 15 –
Roger Black
Roger Anthony Black MBE (born 31 March 1966) is a retired English athlete who competed internationally for Great Britain and England. During his athletics career, he won individual silver medals in the 400 metres sprint at both the Olympic G ...
and
Du'aine Ladejo
Du'aine Ladejo (born 14 February 1971, in Paddington, London, England) is an English-born athlete and television personality. In his sports career, he was best known for winning the 400 metres sprint gold medal at the 1994 European Championship ...
(shown at 5.35pm) – 27 December 1994
*Episode 16 –
Prince Naseem
Naseem Hamed (born 12 February 1974), nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002.. Retrieved 25 February 2016. He held multiple featherweight world championships, including the WBO ti ...
– 3 January 1995
*Episode 17 –
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia ( , ; born 4 February 1975) is an Australian singer and actress. In the early 1990s, she played Beth Brennan in the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''. Three years after leaving the programme, she began a singing car ...
– 10 January 1995
*Episode 18 – Gore Special (shown at 12:35am) – 14 January 1995
Series 5 – 1995/1996
*Episode 1 –
The Shamen
The Shamen ( ) were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping British electronic dance music act by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie. Peter St ...
– 21 September 1995
*Episode 2 – Jadene Doran – 28 September 1995
*Episode 3 –
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry (born 13 January 1969) is a Scottish professional snooker player who dominated the sport during the 1990s, becoming one of the most successful players in its history. After turning professional in 1985 at age 16, Hendry ...
– 3 October 1995
*Episode 4 –
Donna Air
Donna Marie Theresa Air (born 2 August 1979) is an English actress, television presenter and media personality.
Early life and education
Donna Marie Theresa Air was born on 2 August 1979, in Wallsend, North Tyneside, to receptionist Marie (née ...
and Vicky Taylor from ''
Byker Grove
Byker is a district in the east of the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. Home to the Byker Wall estate, made famous by TV series ''Byker Grove'', Byker’s population was recorded at 12,206 in the 2011 census. Byker is bord ...
'' – 12 October 1995
*Episode 5 –
Stuart Wade
Stuart may refer to:
Names
*Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) Automobile
*Stuart (automobile)
Places
Australia Generally
*Stuart Highway, connecting South Australia and the Northern Territory
Norther ...
and
Tonicha Jeronimo
Tonicha Dobre (née Jeronimo; born 4 November 1977) is a British actress, born in Jersey, of partial Portuguese extraction. She is best known for her role as Linda Fowler in ''Emmerdale'' between 1994 and 1997 when her character was killed off. ...
from ''
Emmerdale
''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...
'' – 19 October 1995
*Episode 6 –
Dean Holdsworth
Dean Christopher Holdsworth (born 8 November 1968) is an English former professional football player and manager. As a striker he scored 193 goals in 610 league games over a 22-year career. Despite playing for 16 clubs in 19 spells the majority ...
and
David Kerslake
David Kerslake (born 19 June 1966) is an English football coach and former player. He was most recently assistant head coach to Michael Appleton at Blackpool.
As a player, Kerslake was a right-back who notably played in the Premier League for ...
– 26 October 1995
*Episode 7 –
Phil Babb
Philip Andrew Babb (born 30 November 1970) is a sports television pundit and former professional football player and manager.
As a player he was a central defender who made over 370 league appearances during his career, most notably spending ...
and
Graeme Le Saux
Graeme Pierre Le Saux ( ; born 17 October 1968) is an English former professional footballer and television pundit.
As a versatile left sided player he played most of his career at left back with two spells at Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Southamp ...
– 7 November 1995
*Episode 8 –
Dean Holdsworth
Dean Christopher Holdsworth (born 8 November 1968) is an English former professional football player and manager. As a striker he scored 193 goals in 610 league games over a 22-year career. Despite playing for 16 clubs in 19 spells the majority ...
and
Phil Babb
Philip Andrew Babb (born 30 November 1970) is a sports television pundit and former professional football player and manager.
As a player he was a central defender who made over 370 league appearances during his career, most notably spending ...
– 9 November 1995
*Episode 9 –
Johnny Herbert
John Paul "Johnny" Herbert (born 25 June 1964) is a British former racing driver and current television announcer for Sky Sports F1. He raced in Formula One from 1989 to 2000, for seven different teams, winning three races and placing 4th in t ...
and
Mark Blundell
Mark Blundell (born 8 April 1966) is a British racing driver who competed in Formula One for four seasons, sports cars, and CART. He won the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was a Formula One presenter for the British broadcaster ITV until the ...
– 16 November 1995
*Episode 10 – Cobra and Panther from ''
Gladiators
A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
'' – 23 November 1995
*Episode 11 –
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan (born 5 December 1975) is an English professional snooker player who is the current world champion and world number one. Widely recognised as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the sport's history, ...
– 30 November 1995
*Episode 12 –
E.Y.C. – 7 December 1995
*Episode 13 –
Whigfield
Whigfield is an Italian dance act fronted by Danish singer, songwriter and record producer Sannie Charlotte Carlson (born 11 April 1970), known by her various stage names including Whigfield, Naan, or simply Sannie. She is best known for her 1993 ...
– 14 December 1995
*Episode 14 –
Patsy Palmer
Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is an English actress and DJ, known for her roles as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), and Bianca Jackson in the BB ...
and
Dean Gaffney
Dean Martin Gaffney (born 14 February 1978) is an English actor, known for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1993 to 2003 and 2017 to 2019; he also made guest appearances in 2004, 2010 and 2015. In 2006, he co ...
from ''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' – 21 December 1995
*Episode 15 – Christmas Special - highlights from previous series – 28 December 1995
*Episode 16 –
Mr Motivator
Derrick Errol Evans (born 15 November 1952), better known as "Mr Motivator", is a Jamaican-born British fitness instructor. He rose to fame in 1993 through appearances on the UK breakfast television show ''GMTV'', where he performed live fit ...
– 4 January 1996
*Episode 17 –
Stewart Lee
Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian, screenwriter, and television director. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, deadpan delivery, and consistent breaking of the fourth wall.
Lee b ...
and
Richard Herring
Richard Keith Herring (born 12 July 1967) is an English stand-up comedian and writer, whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring (alongside Stewart Lee). He is described by ''The British Theatre Guide'' as "one of the leadin ...
– 11 January 1996
*Episode 18 –
Janick Gers
Janick Robert Gers (; born 27 January 1957) is an English musician who is best known as one of the three guitarists in heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He initially joined to replace Adrian Smith, but remained in the band after Smith rejoined. G ...
– 18 January 1996
Series 6 – 1996/1997
*Episode 1 –
Samantha Fox
Samantha Karen Fox (born 15 April 1966) is an English pop singer and former glamour model from East London. She rose to public attention aged 16, when her mother entered her photographs in an amateur modelling contest run by ''The Sunday Peopl ...
– 24 October 1996
*Episode 2 –
Danny John-Jules
Daniel John-Jules (born 16 September 1960) is a British actor, singer and dancer. He is best known for playing Milton Wordsworth in The Story Makers and ''Red Dwarf'', Barrington which are both children's series. Also he played in ''Maid Maria ...
– 31 October 1996
*Episode 3 –
John Regis and
Tony Jarrett
Anthony Alexander Jarrett (born 13 August 1968 in Enfield, London) is a male former sprint and hurdling athlete from England.
Athletics career
He was a silver medalist in the 110 metres hurdles at the World Championships in 1993 and 1995, and at ...
– 7 November 1996
*Episode 4 – Paul Leyshon – 14 November 1996
*Episode 5 –
Uri Geller
Uri Geller ( ; he, אורי גלר; born 20 December 1946) is an Israeli-British illusionist, magician, television personality, and self-proclaimed psychic. He is known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other ill ...
– 21 November 1996
*Episode 6 –
Richard Rufus
Richard Raymond Rufus (born 12 January 1975) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back, spending his entire career with one club, Charlton Athletic. He was also capped six times by England U21.
Rufus was part of ...
and
Michael Duberry
Michael Wayne Duberry (born 14 October 1975) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
He started his career with Premier League side Chelsea, and also played in the top flight for Leeds United and Reading, and i ...
– 28 November 1996
*Episode 7 –
Chris Armstrong – 5 December 1996
*Episode 8 –
Richard Rufus
Richard Raymond Rufus (born 12 January 1975) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre back, spending his entire career with one club, Charlton Athletic. He was also capped six times by England U21.
Rufus was part of ...
and
Chris Armstrong – 12 December 1996
*Episode 9 – Christmas Special - The ''Gamesmaster'' Christmas Quiz – 19 December 1996
*Episode 10 –
Zoë Ball
Zoe Louise Ball (born 23 November 1970) is a British radio and television presenter. She was the first female host of both ''Radio 1 Breakfast'' and '' The Radio 2 Breakfast Show'' for the BBC, and presented the 1990s children's show ''Live & ...
– 2 January 1997
*Episode 11 –
Deepak Verma
Deepak Verma MBE (b. 11 February 1969) is a British actor, writer and television/film producer of Indian Punjabi descent and Hindu heritage. His role as market-stall trader Sanjay Kapoor in long-running BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' brought ...
– 9 January 1997
*Episode 12 – Bear Van Beers – 16 January 1997
*Episode 13 –
Tracy Shaw
Tracy Shaw (born 27 July 1973) is a British actress and singer.
Early life
Shaw was born into the hotel and pub trade, at the time when her parents ran the Talbot Hotel in Belper, Derbyshire. She attended Saint Ralph Sherwin Comprehensive Schoo ...
– 23 January 1997
*Episode 14 –
Adam Hollioake
Adam John Hollioake (born 5 September 1971) is a professional athlete who is the only international cricketer to compete professionally as a Mixed Martial Artist. He has also competed as a professional boxer. However he is most well known as a cr ...
and
Phil Tufnell
Philip Clive Roderick Tufnell (born 29 April 1966) is a former English international cricketer and current television and radio personality. A slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler (cricket), bowler, he played in 42 Test cricket, Test matches and ...
– 30 January 1997
*Episode 15 –
Paul McKenna
Paul William McKenna (born 8 November 1963) is a British hypnotist, behavioural scientist, television and radio broadcaster and author of self-help books.
McKenna has written and produced books and multimedia products, hosted self-impro ...
– 6 February 1997
*Episode 16 –
The Brotherhood (band) – 13 February 1997
*Episode 17 –
Gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
(band) – 20 February 1997
*Episode 18 –
Michael Fish
Michael Fish, (born 27 April 1944 in Eastbourne, Sussex) is a British weather forecaster. From 1974 to 2004, he was a television presenter for BBC Weather.
Career
Educated at Eastbourne College and City University London, Fish was the longe ...
– 27 February 1997
Series 7 – 1997/1998
*Episode 1 –
Jo Guest
Joanne Guest (born 22 February 1972) is an English former glamour model and media personality.
Glamour career
Born and raised in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield, north east Derbyshire, England, Guest started in modelling after she saw ...
– 19 November 1997
*Episode 2 –
Kaleef – 26 November 1997
*Episode 3 – Boxers
Ryan Rhodes
Ryan Rhodes (born 20 November 1976) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2012. He held the British super welterweight title twice, from 1996 to 1997 and in 2008, and the EBU European super welterweight title from 200 ...
and Khalid Shafiq – 3 December 1997
*Episode 4 –
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Southend United. He previously managed Macclesfield Town from November 2018 to August 20 ...
and
Christian Dailly
Christian Eduard Dailly (born 23 October 1973) is a Scottish former professional association football, footballer who played as a centre-back.
Dailly started his professional career as a teenager, playing as a forward (association football), st ...
– 10 December 1997
*Episode 5 –
Emma Harrison (Christmas special) – 17 December 1997
*Episode 6 –
All Saints – 6 January 1998
*Episode 7 –
Sarah Vandenbergh
Sarah Vandenbergh (born 9 October 1972 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian actress and presenter.
Vandenbergh played the original role of Lauren Carpenter in '' Neighbours'', 1993–94, and Kerri in ''Hollyoaks'' in 1999. She was also a pre ...
and Carryl Varley – 13 January 1998
*Episode 8 –
Catalina Guirado
Catalina Jane Guirado is a British-New Zealander actress, reality TV star, model and designer who is best known for starring as Chris Evans' sidekick "Gorgeous Girl" on ''TFI Friday'' from 1996 to 1997.
Early life
Guirado began performing the v ...
– 20 January 1998
*Episode 9 – Debbie Flett and
Emma Noble
Emma Jane Noble (born 26 June 1971) is an English model and actress. She was hostess on Bruce Forsyth's game show ''The Price Is Right'' for four years.
She worked as a catwalk model for John Rocha and Ghost before turning to commercial modellin ...
– 27 January 1998
*Episode 10 – Compilation look-back show (the final episode) – 3 February 1998
Series 8 – 2021
*Episode 1 – Snoochie Shy – 21 November 2021 (
E4's YouTube channel) and 24 November 2021 (
E4)
*Episode 2 –
Warren Brown – 28 November 2021 (
E4's YouTube channel) and 1 December 2021 (
E4)
*Episode 3 – Elz The Witch,
Dev Griffin
Devin Joseph Jordan Griffin (born 23 December 1984) is a British radio presenter, DJ and actor, who is most commonly known for his former weekend afternoon shows on BBC Radio 1. Since 2 January 2021, he has presented a weekend show on Heart.
...
– 5 December 2021 (
E4's YouTube channel) and 8 December 2021 (
E4)
Series 9 – 2023
References
External links
*
* {{IMDb title, 0200339
Eurogamer retrospective/'where are they now?' article
1992 British television series debuts
1990s British game shows
2020s British game shows
British television series revived after cancellation
Channel 4 game shows
E4 (TV channel) original programming
Television shows about video games
Video gaming in the United Kingdom