Series 1

I'm sure I remember some team in a later series making that mistake (thinking the food counted as one of their two objects and having to be told otherwise), so if you're right about their thought process, they weren't the last to be confused about that! It was Series 4 Nicky's team in Oakley's glen! Advisor: "Are we only allowed to take two things?" Treguard: "Two things." Advisor: "And we've already taken the bread?" Treguard: "Oh no no, that doesn't count."

After going in completely the wrong direction, Helen and her team were unable to deliver their mandate... I mean, use their spell. She could go no further. It ended up a day of three dungeoneers. From 35 years and a week or so later, this seems rather prophetic.

I thought the televisual presentation of the death scene was a bit limp. The producers wouldn't have foreseen or prepped for the advisors' amusingly bizarre decision to turn out the light. But couldn't they have got Gibbet to improvise a line or two in the dark, to the effect he was still going to kill the dungeoneer anyway, with a snippet of threatening music, before cutting to the "life force zero" sequence and bongs?

Team 6 made easy work of level 1 and looked competent. Had a near miss taking the grub from in front of the catacombite tho. Notable that one advisor started almost every sentence by saying "Right". Possibility of confusion when they wanted Richard to go left.... Given it was the first ever 'set-piece' scene to include more than one dungeon character, I guess the insults duel was bound to have quite an experimental aspect to it. It did go on too long, and it also had, to my mind, excessive consequences, in that the team didn't really have to do anything much at all to get through Level 2, as Folly basically laid it all on a plate for them by defeating Cedric on their behalf. If this scene had happened in this form in, just for instance, season 6, it would have been completely unforgivable. I think, given how young the show was in 1987, the slowness and clumsy execution can be overlooked, and the scene can be given a pass. Just. Yes, i agree. There were a few things in series 1 which didn't quite work-out perfectly, but as you say, that was understandable as it was a brand new concept.

Team 4 did ok against Cedric (2/3) and got an ear-full of abuse for their efforts. Amusing use of the "ANVIL" spell to thwart Gumboil again. Their choice in the level 2 clue-room was rather easy, altho that meant Casper the key again. grrrr Stormed Merlin's questions (3/3) and were given an unprecedented three spells. What a pity they never actually got to cast any of them.... Made a bizarre performance of the corridor of spears.

A couple of firsts for team 3: the first team to survive level 1 and the first team to cast a spell. Unusual that they had a task assigned to them by Lillith. Nice ominous sound effect for the catacombite. Great debut from Cedric, setting the tone for future appearances. They didn't do very well with only 1/3. Cedric actually gave them the answer to the first one within his question. Also debut of Casper the key, not one of my favourite characters.... Then, the debut of dungeon legend Merlin. Did better this time with 2/3 answers.

What a great ending to series 1. Team 6 got to level 3 but then threw it away. (I nearly wrote that they blew it, but of course that's exactly what they didn't do, as they took that silly dagger instead of Joshua's fabled horn.) Another team who didn't read the adventurer's code. No weapons unless specifically advised otherwise. Team 6 did well to a point, but they started to unravel in this last episode. Their directional movement became rather scrappy and they started to really squabble among themselves, when selecting clue objects and during the spear room. It was not surprising that when Treguard told them they should have taken the horn, you could clearly hear one of them say, "Told you!" Had they taken the horn, they could have got past the wall. Then maybe they might have used the SHIELD spell to get past the medusa (according to the first Knightmare book spells can be used in any level) and the OPPOSITE spell to turn Mogdred's dark magic against him before escaping the dungeon. I reckon the timing of the quest & episode ending can be accounted for by the two excessively long scenes in level 2, with Cedric/Follly and then with Merlin, which were presumably stretched to fit the quest to the end of the series. Overall, an enjoyable series, which had planted the seeds of great things to come....

Thank-you James for your link, that's greatly appreciated. It's always interesting to read a little about the cast of a production. Another thing that i liked about Knightmare right from the start is how adaptable the cast were, as many of them played two very different roles in a series, in this case Gibbet & Folly. I didn't actually realise that they were both Alec Westwood until i saw the credits.

A great opening episode, altho the pace was very slow, with an extra long explanatory intro, then the team were very slow at the floor puzzle. They seemed to improve after that. They were a little unlucky as they had to guess between the lamp & the talisman and their wrong choice brought about their doom in the well-room. They went the correct way (left) in the corridor of the catacomb, following the talisman symbol, but without all three correct answers there was no way they could have known that the talisman was only a guide symbol. Knightmare was very harsh in those early days.... Really liked the way Treguard took that kid down a peg or three when he said he sought knighthood.

While its not a series I'm drawn to go back and watch on a regular basis it can not be denied that Knightmare Series 1 is an important bit of TV & KM History and as HStorm said comparisons with its successors is a little unfair. It's positives are that it sets the premises up very nicely, has some interesting and entertaining characters (Casper The Key excluded) and that it was a big enough ratings success that S2-8 followed. It's negatives: It's very repetitive and can be slow moving. (And it has Casper The Key in it)

Nice! Only complaint was a lousy transfer rate during download but that could easily be a glitch @ my end. Keep 'em coming!