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Following on from part one of this interview last issue, former Knightmare champion Jason Karl continues to recall those great dungeon days !....
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EYE SHIELD : The team seemed very laid-back. Were you all big fans of Knightmare at that point ?
No, we weren't all serious fans at the time, but we all had a good knowledge of the programme, as we watched videos of series 1 for days literally prior to filming. Also, we practised in my garden using tables and chairs to direct each other round whilst blindfolded. We even continued these 'rehearsals' in the hotel grounds between filming in Norwich.
Are you still in touch with your team mates ?
Yes. Although I haven't seen Vaughan or Mary since 1990, I am still in regular contact with Becca - who can be seen wearing a very dashing hat in the programme ! She's one of my closest friends, and always will be.
Do you ever watch your quest on video ?
No, I haven't watched my quest for several years, but I understand it has been repeated on the Sci-Fi channel recently.
At the time, what was the general reaction of your schoolfriends ?
They were very OTT ! We were asked constantly about the show by the whole school, some even asked for autographs ! Our local papers featured us, and we had lunchtime video showings in our school lecture theatre, where the whole school could attend and see the show once a week for each of the 3 weeks.
How does your experience on Knightmare compare with your other visits to Broadsword Television ?
Knightmare was great, but my time on 'The Satellite Game' was more exciting to film, as I had absolutely no idea what to expect - it was the first and only series of the programme. I also sat in the chanting audience for 'Cyberzone' - great when we were filming but very boring inbetween, as the computers running the VR worlds kept crashing whilst trying to load the 'Technotraz' sequence ! However, 'Thesp' kept us amused, and I had a nice chat with Craig Charles ! The only drawback was that we had to go to Manchester for 'Cyberzone', which is not as nice as Norwich !
How do you feel Knightmare Has developed over the years ?
My favourite series is series 5. I liked the inclusion of the eye shield, though I thought the 'real-time' sequence didn't do it justice. Smirkenorff, and the dungeon lift were absolutely great ! However, I thought that after series 5, the quests seemed to run themselves with less for the actual team to do i.e. Lord Fear sequences, eye shield sequences etc.
Do you have a favourite Knightmare character and/or puzzle ?
My favourite characters are Julius Scaramonger, Lord Fear, and Aesandre, and I always liked the moving-keyhole room in series 1 - with Casper of course !
And finally, can you offer a message of support for our campaign ?...
My message to 'Bring Back Knightmare' is... Knightmare was a television genesis and legend. Knightmare isn't over - it's just temporarily disrupted !
Huge thanks once again to Jason Karl for taking part in this interview, and answering so comprehensively !