Fun Thing Found on Youtube Thursday: Wednesday Night Edition

By | January 27, 2010
1 Comment

You have the internet’s Tony du Mont to thank for discovering this, the entire Krypton Factor 1989 final… from New Zealand. Dougal Stevenson hosts.

Part 2 can be found here and the final part here.

There’s something that’s slightly off about it, I think it’s the pacing. They’d stopped doing knockout mental agility rounds in the UK by ’89 (correct me if I’m wrong), here with intriguing scoring. The intelligence test feels like it goes on for ages (or I think so anyway). Incidentally, the rather brilliant The Last Duet with O’ Connor and Martin was also used in the UK 1988 final. We’ve no idea why it shows the ‘general knowledge’ sequence when they mean ‘observation’. Also interesting use of non-diagetic background music you wouldn’t have found in the UK version.

So all I need to see now are a) really old UK episodes, b) 1995 UK episodes and c) the brilliantly titled German version, The Krypton Faktor, which from what I’ve discerned seemed to consist of about 26 different rounds, and then I can be happy.

Incidentally a lot of people coming here searching for information on the Spanish The Whole 19 Yards. What you’re looking for here is Los Ultimos 20 Metros. Yes there are videos, but be aware that it sounds as though the show’s being modified a bit for the UK audiences (four contestants, “a tense endgame” and up to £100,000 to be won). Let’s hope they aren’t doing the rather cheap thing with the questions to determine the money where the first clue is something like “place”. I’ve applied for a ticket, so.

Let’s play a lovely game of “Questions That Are Probably A Bit Too Esoteric For Only Connect!”

By | January 27, 2010
45 Comments

Inspired by comments on other posts, I thought I’d set my own question. I will update this throughout the day if nobody gets it.

So, what comes fourth in this sequence and for no bonus or indeed credit, why?

  • Stephanie Beecham
  • Kate O’ Mara
  • Rula Lenska
  • Susan George is the answer because “DJB had already did this in a TV Cream mailout!” Well done Jenny Turner! Ahem.

Join us next time for another brilliant game of “Questions That Are Probably A Little Bit Too Esoteric for Only Connect!” Bye!

Round up 27th Jan ’10

By | January 26, 2010
21 Comments

I’ve not really got anything to add, I’ve been out for the evening, I won some money at cards, I’m going to get something to eat and then I’m going to watch The Krypton Factor, Charlie Brooker on BBC4 and possibly episode four of Band of Brothers on DVD.

Don’t worry, I’m not going all “lifestyle” on you all, I thought it was time for a new post and there’s not much to say. What’s on your mind?

Broadcast on Twitter suggesting that Steve Jones is about to host a new physical Saturday night gameshow from Argentina. 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow? We can’t see behind the paywall.

Meanwhile, Jenny Turner has spotted this link to a new kids show called Mission 2110, which appears to be the new name for Roboidz they were advertising for contestants for a while ago. This could be really brilliant, although if The Mirror is to be believed Caleb’s undertaken a sex change because actress Lindsay Duncan is apparently fronting it now. Edit: Actually I might have got the wrong idea about that. It’s truly classic Bother’s Bar.

Scott’s Porridge Oats

By | January 25, 2010
58 Comments

I’ve just discovered that coding wizard, Bother’s Bar ex-regular and star of both internet Star Wars weather forecasts and Treasure Hunt a while ago Tom Scott is one of the contestants on Only Connect this evening, as one of the Hitchhikers. 

This is great, because it gives us something to update with on a slow day. Let us hope he knows who Vivienne Westwood is by now.

In other news, I’m definitely not going to see The Cube US because they’re full up, but I may very well try to go and see ITV1’s The Whole 19 Yards, which Applause Store are currently taking interest for. I didn’t think all that  much to the Spanish version I’ve seen, but we’ll see.

Specials

By | January 24, 2010
5 Comments

I’ve put up a few more old special features for you, Wipeout seemed aposite, 20Q is quite modern, and Cresus because we love The La’Gaf, and also because I saw some clips very recently of Neil Fox hosting an English language pilot for a show called The Guillotine, which as you can read in the old comments is what the Italian version of the format eventually became. Hmm.

Board of Excitement 24-30th Jan ’10

By | January 24, 2010
4 Comments

Hmm, I wonder if anything will be joining the usual suspects this week?

  • Only Connect (BBC4, Monday 8:30pm) Record ratings for the show last week, this week it’s Philosophers vs Hitchhikers. I noticed this week that this show has the honour of being series stacked on iPlayer, which is pretty rare for a quiz. So if you’ve missed an episode, you’ve got until the end of the series to catch-up with it, so it seems.
  • The Krypton Factor (ITV, Tuesday 7:30pm) Despite deciding it had got away with dropping the Intelligence test previously, last week was the first time I felt it needs… something more. We’ll see, though.
  • Total Wipeout (BBC1, Saturday 5:30pm) It’s the first episode of series three, although it’s probably not going to be advertised as such! It’s apparently the only episode on for the next four weeks!  Well done the BBC.
  • Solitary 4.0 (Fox Reality, Saturday) A welcome return for VAL in what will doubtlessly be the most brutal (and fingers crossed not final) series yet. And when we say Saturday, it’s probably not going to be “available” until Sunday, if you see where I’m coming from. Edit: Actually ep 1 is apparently going out on Friday night after the season three marathon and repeatred on Saturday. So there we are.