TV shows about video games- why have they always been shit?

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There was Gamesmaster, obviously, Dominik Diamond saying "quite literally" repeatedly whilst some twat with a bandana went "Yes Dominik".

There was Bad Attitude, or Influence, I forget, with Andy Crane, Violet Berlin, and kid reviewers. "I like Ecco the Dolphin on the mega drive because it is good"

Bits, that featured one D-list porn star, and two other woman, who may well have been even less famous porn stars.

Finger Bandits- sweet christ almighty.

That thing Rick Adams hosted circa 1995 where kids would "play" "games" "over" the "phone".

And, of course, Movies, Games, and Videos, which is one of the worst TV shows ever.

Why? Of course, video game journalism, with, like, four examples has always been rubbish, but... well. Also, a TV show about video games just seems so 90s.

Discuss, anyway.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.wellexcusemeprincess.com/

― 24 hours with the King of Snake. (SNAKE!) (ex machina), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

JON OT FUCKING M.

What was the name of that show, the Nintendo Power Hour or something? Captain N, Link, Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors as Mother Brain --pure gold.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Captain N is the easiest in-a-pinch Halloween costume ever (assuming you have a Nintendo controller and a Light Gun, of course).

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

The day Julian "Jaz" Rignall left Mean Machines was teh suck. Remember Rad Automatic? His real name was Richard Cheese - as in the comedy lounge singer. Are they one and the same?

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought Gamesmaster was brilliant but only for when they showed footage of the actual games. Take That playing five man Bomberman tho, classic telly moment

Bad Influence also great, i mean what was with that Nam Rood menko?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i hearted the cute and slightly posh English girl with the short dark hair on Bits too

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Nam Rood's bits come through as an Al Yankovich style "pirate transmission"?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I USED TO HAVE THE CAPTAIN N COMIC BOOK. THERE WAS ONE WHERE BOWSER WARPED HIM THROUGH TIME AND SAMUS FOUND HIM YEARS LATER AND HE WAS LIKE OMG I HAVEN'T SEEN A REAL WOMAN IN YEARS AND KISSED HER. HE HAD A BEARD!!

― 24 hours with the King of Snake. (SNAKE!) (ex machina), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

also it was Thumb Bandits not Finger Bandits - you might be thinking of Fingermouse, can't say I blame you. but that whole point of a title like Thumb Bandits was it was Iain Lee's way of reclaiming video games for proper middle class heterosexual psuedogeezers innit

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Nam Rood's bits come through as an Al Yankovich style "pirate transmission"?

mais naturellement

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Amiga Power moaned about 'why there were no decent programmes about games on TV' for ages, and then Gamesmaster was commissioned, ha ho

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

There was an CITV version of that Rick Adams "video games over the phone" thing as well, featuring a football game with "Derek Cantona", the French artiste, and "Dean Dixie", who was on some Deliverance type tip. Probably not the best culture reference for 10 year old children.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.wellexcusemeprincess.com/

from the director of You're The Man Now Dog and the producer of All Your Base Are Belong To Us...

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

The Gamesmaster Gore Special, that was alright actually. Gamesmaster, except X-RATED WITH TITS AND BLOOD. I think it may have been the forerunner of the Bits/Thumb Bandits late-night vaguely adult video games show.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, and they did this neat thing with Teletext that allowed ultrageex0rs of the time to post messages LIVE on to the TV screen from their ISDN lines - i was so jealous

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Seriously, Channel 4 should just have put Digitiser on TV for 30 minutes a week.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Remember Series 3 of Gamesmaster? Gamesmaster Gaming Championship, as hosted by, for some god unknown reason, Dexter Fletcher? The winning team were called "S.H.I.T.". Oh, the hilarity.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

At Home With Mr Biffo, urgent and key then - and possibly also now

fwiw at least that BBC Four documentary about Tetris was wondrous and massively inspiring

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and Bob Cringely's 1996 documentary series Accidental Empires, that was brilliant. And then he did that show where he tried to build an aeroplane in three weeks. That wasn't about computers, though.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone remember a (U.S.) show where kids competed playing video games and the winner got to run around in a velcro suit grabbing as many free games as he could in under a minute or something? Sounded like heaven at the time.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Man, I'm glad I wasn't at work when I opened that 'excuse me princess' thing. Anyway, Gamesmaster was good, and Dom, OTM about digitiser, what a great thing it was...

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Digitiser fans would be well served by http://www.moleman.freeserve.co.uk/,a compendium of Digi screengrabs from 99, 01, and 02, including The Man's Daddy's finest gags.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey! I liked Bits. My favoutite was the annoying american.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.morganwebb.com/archives/adamcam.jpg

― ARL (Adrian Langston), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to see the 'bits girls' in Glasgow all the time...well, only the american one and the one with short hair. But it was an awful show. Still, didn't see them as much as the Vids guys...Amiga Power (mentioned above) was another golden age in computer games...

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I think one day the "Taking Sides: Crash vs Zzzap" thread will have to be brought out.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Emily was the girl with short hair's name i think.

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:53 (twenty-two years ago)

and Alex was the American girl who of course went on to co-present Thumb Bandits with Mr Lee

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Good times, man.

― Barima (Barima), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

They are like dancing about architecture.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Mr Biffo wrote three episodes of My Parents Are Aliens!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Architecture TV = Dreamspaces with Elastica Womang

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Dom, Really?? I love My Parents Are Aliens! I probably shouldn't admit that...

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

www.mrbiffo.com

The parents are rubbish, so is the fat kid, but the two daughters are pretty good. It's no Girls In Love, though.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

No-one has mentioned Sky One's godawful "Games World" on which I worked (as audience co-ordinator) in 1998...

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I watched that! But I couldn't remember the name of it. It wasn't very good, was it. Did it have silly characters? Or was that something else?

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, it did have silly characters. My friend Robin played the Austin Powers-esque character. I just tried to avoid the borstal kids we'd bussed in for the audience and hung out with make-up and costume drinking cups of tea and bossing runners around.

p.s. why do I think the twat with the bandana in Gamesmaster might have been called Dan Perry?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you might be right...

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Dave Perry. Dave "The Bandana" Perry. Not to be confused with Dave "The Animal" Perry, who programmed Earthworm Jim.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

two more:

joypad. violet berlin again. sometimes on ftn and probably on Space TV a lot more. is ok.

cybernet. repeated twice a week, itv at about 2:30 am but worth setting the tivo for as it's nothing but game footage.

posh emily now does a HOW! type thing called FAQ on 5 from time to time. dirty emily does the odd paintball show on Space TV and OutThere on 5. and alecks turned up on ri:se with Proper Hair about a month before that finished.

― koogs (koogs), Thursday, 20 May 2004 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

What's wrong with you people, Bits was unbelievably great

― ..., Thursday, 20 May 2004 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

There was that show on Nickelodeon where kids actually WENT INSIDE video games, it was INCREDIBLE...

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 20 May 2004 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Why is it impossible to find pictures online from the Super Mario Bros. Super Hour!?

― Dan I., Thursday, 20 May 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Automan to thread.

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 20 May 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Slight misinterpretation of the topic at hand, but Maniac Mansion was good. Not terribly funny, just... good. Like staring at a lava lamp.

― I Wish You Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Thursday, 20 May 2004 23:15 (twenty-two years ago)

There was that show on Nickelodeon where kids actually WENT INSIDE video games, it was INCREDIBLE...

NICK ARCADE YES GOD YES

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 20 May 2004 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Lord, you guys should see the shite that passes on G4TV

― Kingfish Disraeli (Kingfish), Friday, 21 May 2004 03:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Dave Perry was a tryhard cunt. He used to hang around a lot, but no-one liked him or talked to him. No talent, no point. The teenage boy's Neil Morrissey.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 21 May 2004 10:36 (twenty-two years ago)

i hearted the cute and slightly posh English girl with the short dark hair on Bits too

stevem is the man. she was called emily newton-dunn, i think. i had a real thing for her. realised this coz i watched it every week and have never owned a gaming console, or even a PC, in my life.

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 21 May 2004 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

shockingly i have never owned a console either

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:01 (twenty-two years ago)

and, rowr

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:02 (twenty-two years ago)

in fact the whole site (which i'm kinda amazed exists and is as 'proper' as it is) is loaded with END goodness, perve on nerdlings

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:04 (twenty-two years ago)

i think someone i know is a friend of hers. i may have, without thinking, just said something seriously embarrassing.

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

That picture of Emily Booth at the top is just...

Well, I doubt I'll get any work done today now.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:24 (twenty-two years ago)

the guy responsible for that webiste has entirely too much time on his hands, though

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

not just time

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:30 (twenty-two years ago)

games world was my fav show when i was young, and gamesmater was good also.

bits was probably good for a midnight wank

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

'probably'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

not just time

that's conjured up a whole world of unpleasantness. thanks.

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The guy from 11 0 clock show took over from the ugly girls on Bits. I've still got Bad Influence on video. Alien Sex Fiend played live on it but I missed it. I remember when they were talking about the internet but it was called The Information Super Highway.

― Numan, Friday, 21 May 2004 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Bad Influence gave the world the first ever view of the Barcode Battler!

And that www.bouff.tv site you can get to from the Bits one linked above... ouch.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 21 May 2004 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

oh yeh Andy Crane could not refer to them as Alien Sex Fiend though because it was only ten to five in the afternoon or whatever so it was just 'ASF!'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 21 May 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Remember that black kid they had on doing the reports on what was going on gameswise in America? God, he was a prick.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 21 May 2004 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

Biffovision (3 parts):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7LFM05IgZ8

(new show, pilot went out late sunday night on bbc3, no fanfare)

― koogs, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

would appear to be nothing about videogames though, but this thread mentioned Mr Biffo...

― koogs, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

five years pass...

ok closest thread title i could find. But i spotted the Sega Saturns menu screen in an episode of King of Queens. It's in the cafe scene when Doug tries to convince Spence to move into his spare room.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0JIUJmuaIGQ/T5ANb6KBdyI/AAAAAAAAANE/Xvrm6FaxRak/s1600/koqSATURN.jpg

― PSOD (Ste), Thursday, 19 April 2012 13:09 (fourteen years ago)

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, May 20, 2004 9:42 AM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

aha!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Power#Second_format_.28Season_2.29

― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Thursday, 19 April 2012 15:02 (fourteen years ago)

Three 10-point questions, represented by slices of pizza, were asked in each round, with one being an audio question where the players had to identify a game based on a piece of music that was played in studio from it. A 20-point question, represented by a mushroom, was also asked, and a fifth question (added partway through the year) earned the player a video game as a prize for answering it.

― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Thursday, 19 April 2012 15:04 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WeGxF1E1pQ

so much in this clip. the kids behind the chain link fence, the dude with the guitar and wakeman-esque wall of '80s synths who doesn't appear to be doing anything, the velcro body armor...

― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Thursday, 19 April 2012 17:11 (fourteen years ago)

Wow, an awful lot of stimulants consumed by the cast & crew there

― Choad of Choad Hall (kingfish), Friday, 20 April 2012 17:38 (fourteen years ago)

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