Promotional image of Knightmare used in Cult Times (November 2005)

Cult Times

By Keith McDonald

Cult Times' Dan Whitehead investigates how Knightmare was put together and looks ahead to Knightmare VR.


Dan Whitehead speaks to cast and a former contestant as he explores how Knightmare was made.

He is particularly interested in the difficulty of the game, describing it as 'one of the most ruthless kids' shows ever broadcast'.

"It was only difficult because people at that time expected people to win children's TV shows," says Tim Child, Knightmare's creator. "Adventures are meaningless unless they are challenging."

A preview of the first two pages of a Cult Times article on Knightmare from 2005.

This combination of events meant the cast had to be ready for the unexpected. Hugo Myatt, who played Treguard, shouldered some of this burden.

"Frequently the dungeoneers did something that we had not anticipated," said Myatt. "In order to keep the game going some quick remedial actions was necessary."

It was the most unpredictable and exciting show I have ever done.

Hugo Myatt

A preview of the final two pages of a Cult Times article on Knightmare from 2005.

After a team dies in the game, they spend a further hour on reconstruct shots, including complex death sequences. (Nathan, a Series 8 dungeoneer, is shown doing this in an outtakes montage.)

Whitehead also references Tim Child's work on Knightmare VR, though Child questions whether the time is right for the venture.

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Credit

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