TRANSITION GONE MAD

An analysis of series 4 by Chris Stallard

While I will admit that series four had its good points and that it still has many fans (notably the editor of this fanzine) it was, in my opinion, the weakest of all eight series of Knightmare, and the one series that I really did find painful and dull to watch.

While it was inevitable that changes would have to be made from the original series, the changes made from series three to four were, in my opinion, over the top and much more than were necessary. The graphics of the series are a good illustration of this. While the variety of rooms needed for the programme meant that it was impossible for David Rowe simply to design the show’s rooms almost single-handedly, as he had done previously, the change from near total hand and computer designed chambers to the cut and paste castles and villages of series four was too large a jump. The technology of 1990 meant that, in reality, the graphics of series four looked gaudy and plain compared to the rich fantasy style graphics that had preceded them. Also, the fact that the pictures used had to be taken in the daylight meant that Knightmare lost the essential dark atmosphere of the earlier series, which had been so intimidating yet intriguing to its legions of young viewers. 

This new style clashed awkwardly with the characters from the previous series that were included in the new series. The worst (or best) example of this is Merlin, who went from being the central wizard in series 1, 2 and 3, with a grandly designed chamber in series 1 and 2 and an equally magical chamber in series 3, to being an outcast within the castle ruins of series 4. The fact that Merlin also lost his trademark bright robes (to be seen only at the end of Dickon’s winning quest, and the level three and end of season appearances in Giles’s quest) reduced his prestige, as did the fact that he became one of the many victims to be trapped in the stocks in this series.

Treguard’s role was also downgraded, in my opinion, by the unforgivable act of providing him with an assistant. While Pickle was a memorable and humorous character, he surely didn’t warrant being Treguard’s assistant and would have been more appropriate as an “in-game” character. The Dungeon Master didn’t require an assistant; the power of the role should have been absolute. It is indisputable that from series 4 to series 8, when Treguard had an assistant, he was far less serious and intimidating than in series 1, 2 and 3, when he had no assistant. While the series did contain memorable characters such as Brother Mace, the majority of the characters looked ill at ease in this series, and the inclusion of an assistant to Treguard is a step I never agreed with.

As I mentioned, nine characters were trapped in the stocks in this series, for only eight quests attempted. This repetition was the main factor in making series four the only Knightmare series that I really cannot stand. The lack of imagination in this scenario is unbelievable! Yes, characters have always needed rescuing in Knightmare (the first winning quest was based around a rescue, of course) but in series four this scenario seemed to be the only way for dungeoneers to interact with characters. How often did a dungeoneer walk into a room to find a random character trapped in the stocks, with no forewarning or plot development?

This repetition was a common theme throughout the series. All quests followed a rigid pattern of passing a door monster, agreeing to retrieve an item for a character (the quest within the quest), taking the eye shield, and then enduring scene after scene of dull pre-recorded walking scenes in which anything at all rarely happened. Level one was so rigid that viewers could confidently predict the scene and room that was about to appear. This lack of variety became annoying to say the least, as it is fair to say that once one quest had been seen, the rest would not differ from it too drastically.

As you may have noticed, I am anti the eye shield. (The device, not the fanzine!) Whilst it would, in theory, allow for quicker exits from rooms, as opposed to having to leave via a set point, the device was overused to the point of lunacy! Practically every room saw Treguard cry ”Hold up the eye shield!” and we all knew we were about to be treated to more pre-recorded footage of a man walking slowly through the woods/ruins/hills. The fact that the recording bore no resemblance to the guiders’ instructions also didn’t help, as, when the dungeoneer was told to stop, it took about five seconds to register on the screen! It is clear, however, that the use of the eye shield did improve, as in subsequent series it was used much less, and when it was used it was much more for its original purpose (speed) rather than just to show off the archive of footage that the programme had built up.

However, the weakest point of series four was the simple fact that the quests were, by and large, not very entertaining. Apart from Dickon’s winning quest, the only entertaining efforts were from Helen and Giles, who were both, in my opinion, unlucky not to be victorious. The other teams were either, to be diplomatic, not the stuff of legend, or simply bound too tightly by the rigid nature of the series. The quests were also incredibly long in this series, with the shortest quest lasting twenty-five minutes, which is just fifteen shorter than the first ever winners! Devoting long periods of time to watch uninspiring, dull quests in a rigid framework simply wasn’t very entertaining.

However, even I’ll admit that the series had its redeeming features. The Corridor of Blades and the Block and Tackle were two of the greatest rooms ever devised, although the latter was strangely dropped at the end of the series. As I have said, the efforts of Helen, Dickon and Giles were entertaining, but these bright lights shone in a dark grey mess of a series.

So there you have it: harsh, but fair? The show always had to evolve and change, nobody denies this, but to change so quickly and dramatically ensured that series four will always be seen as a transitional period for me, as the old tried to live with the new, with some quite disorganised consequences. While I prefer the original three series, I also enjoy watching series 5, 6, 7 and 8, but I honestly can’t say that about series 4.