Bring Back Knightmare
Bring Back Knightmare
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Please Note: These TES Bring Back Knightmare pages have now been superceded by a new Bring Back Knightmare campaign site run by Alan Boyd. http://www.bringbackknightmare.co.uk
The New Campaign
Updated 16
April 2000
So hopefully now you've read all about why exactly Knightmare finished, and the history of the campaign so far. Clearly, there is demand for Knightmare to return. You only have to take a look at the Petition Comments pages, the Guestbook or Forum of this site to see that it still has a huge fan base, even after more than five years since the last series. And its not only fans who were/are disappointed:
Extract of TES interview with David 'Pickle' Learner: (March 1996):
Were you upset to discover that Knightmare is no longer being made ?
Yes, there is still huge scope for Knightmare's format, and I don't understand why we
won't see it again. I can only suspect. The show had the potential to be one of children's
TV's most enduring creations and I'm sad that potential was not investigated further. It's
loss is criminal.
Extract of TES interview with Hugo 'Treguard' Myatt: (September 1996)
Having had nearly 2 years to calm down, how do you feel about the disappearance
of Knightmare, and how did you first react?
At first, I was gobsmacked! Now I feel desolate and very sad. Apart from losing a very
enjoyable job, I find it difficult to explain the demise of Knightmare to the often
repeated question of 'Why'?
Of course I can explain that in the nature of television nothing lasts forever and its best to go out on a high. Television depends of new ideas, and will feed on them ruthlessly. If it didn't we would all still be watching Muffin The Mule. However, this explanation does not seem to satisfy diehard Knightmare fans.
Extract of TES interview with Tim Child: (December 1996):
Realistically, will Knightmare ever return ?
Impossible to tell. There are two considerations - if Knightmare started again, how
similar would it be to previous series', and how different would it be ? However, our
position is very difficult with CITV, in that when Knightmare began, the average age of
CITV viewers was around 14. Compare this to today, where the average age is around 5-9
years old ! This is not the general audience Knightmare was aimed at.
In that respect, the BBC would be a better place for Knightmare, and this has been considered, although nothing at all definite has emerged from that. Obviously, we would never want to bring back Knightmare in a compromised, weakened form just for younger viewers, so it is a matter of reaching the right audience.
New Knightmare?
ITV
From what we have gathered so far, CITV does not have the right audience for Knightmare anymore. Knightmare would have to be 'dumbed down' to address the younger audience. Whilst some Knightmare may be better than nothing, I think it would be a disastrous for the show - unless of course, they agree to a new series in the same format as the old one, which is rather unlikely.
That's just my opinion based on the more recent evidence available. You may not agree, and if you think that Knightmare could still be brought back to CITV (in a new series), then please write to them. Repeats of Knightmare on CITV are VERY unlikely (only cartoons are repeated - other shows are only repeated within a year of it being shown).
BBC
CBBC would be a better environment as they have a wider-spread audience base which would be more suited to Knightmare (I assume this is the case in the after 5pm time-slot with such programmes as Grange Hill and Byker Grove aimed at a teenage audience).
In 1995 the BBC was considered by Broadsword to show Knightmare, but nothing emerged from that as talks fell down due to reasons such as copyright etc. The latest response from the BBC's duty office is that our requests for a new series of Knightmare have been noted and passed on to the relevant people. Repeats are impossible due to copyright belonging to Anglia TV.
Channel 5
In 1997, it was announced in TES that Broadsword have approached Channel 5 about the possibility of showing a new series of Knightmare. Sadly, they declined because being a new channel with a limited budget, programmes like Knightmare would be too expensive. That was four years ago. The latest is that Channel 5 have no plans to show Knightmare (neither repeats or a new series), but the interest has been noted.
Channel 4
Channel 4 have said that they have no plans to show Knightmare, as they already have distinctive line-up in their schedules. However, they say they recognise that a re-run of Knightmare would be popular, but it would not look right in their current mix of programme.
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon have programmes at older children, so it may be worth a try. Yes, it might be a satellite/digital only channel, but if terrestrial channels are not interested then there isn't much else to try. So far, no one has reported a response from Nickelodeon.
Other Channels?
Sky is another possibility. Knightmare could be shown on a channel such as Sky One, which is a general entertainment channel and also shows children's programmes. So far, in reply to an e-mail they said that they have no plans to show Knightmare, but the idea has been passed on to their Head of Programming.
Sci·Fi stopped repeating Knightmare at the end of October 1998 because their rights for the show expired, and did not renew. They now say that they have no further plans to show Knightmare, because they are now concentrating programming on adults rather than children. However, wouldn't it now be young adults who would watch a repeat of Knightmare?
Challenge TV have recently been tried, and the request was passed on to their Head of Programming. They replied saying that Knightmare would not be suitable programme for their channel as it is a children's show, and Challenge TV is more of an adult-orientated channel.
Continue to Who do I write to?