Legal Knightmare DVDs
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Correctski - hence why it's all well and good guaging numbers now, but I think the serious kicking offs will ensue once the first steps are taken and season 1/2 is available - THAT'S when chaps like Cobbett can work their magic. And once the first articles start appearing, things go from there.
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The problem is that we'd need to generate around £10,000 to make series 1/2 available.
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Copypasta'd from journalist Richard Cobbett's KM blogpost comment:
Drop me a line if it happens. I’d certainly be willing to bug the guys I know on other mags and websites to give it coverage. I’m sure plenty will be interested in the retro-kick if they actually become available.
Mr. Cobbett's position seems contradictory, though. Reading his blog post, the first remark on this that one comes to is his reference, about half a dozen paragraphs in, to 'the DVD re-release that’s been talked about for years and probably won’t ever happen'. Perhaps he didn't realise there was a new campaign until after he'd made the post, but having his support for the campaign in the present would be as valuable as having it in the future. Professional connections aside, he is obviously, like the rest of us, rather fond of Knightmare.
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I think Drassil has an interesting point.
The biggest obstacle in the plot to get the episodes on DVD is that there isn't enough momentum to get it going. Once it gets momentum, it's fairly straightforward to keep things going since word of mouth and increased products kick in and raise awareness for us.
But if we can't raise enough interest now, it just won't get off the ground. We'll end up with half of series 1 being available for download, with the rest never able to follow and DVDs unable to be produced.
Personally, I think the levels of interest shown are too small for this to work. I'll keep making enquiries and will put up a full "call for interest" when the new site goes live. I might even be willing to throw some money at the idea. But at present, there's just not enough Oomph. People don't seem interested enough and we're not pulling enough people in. If the current levels of interest are anything to go by, the attempt to buy the episodes will stall, with most episodes remaining tantalisingly out of reach.
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Hey hey guys. I think it's a travesty that Knightmare hasn't been on our screens for a few years now and would support any commercial DVD release. There isn't really anything quite like it around today, it truly is one of a kind as far as kids TV goes. Who knows? Maybe a DVD release could spark interest for a Knightmare 2010... wishful thinking? Whatever, I'd most likely buy it just for any DVD extras.
Anyhow, I'll look into getting a post up on my blog at some point. Additionally, I've left a comment over at a recent post at Child of the 80s regarding the DVD release, and will continue to drop comments on blogs should I encounter them on my travels.
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Boom! Since I can't find out how to edit my previous comment, here's a direct link to the blog post I made this morning.
http://retroyakking.today.com/2009/10/02/knightmare-set-for-commercial-dvd-release/
I just reminisce briefly over the show and talk about how it may or may not be relevant to a modern audience. Nothing too fancy. I'm also gonna post an update on Sunday should I remember to do so.
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Hello
I think that I last posted here some six years ago and in the meantime my user ID was cancelled! I'm back now re-registered with the same one.
First up, I fully support a commercial DVD release and legal downloads, and I'll buy both if released. I've joined the Facebook group that stands at 177 members today and mailed contacts who might be interested or could be persuaded. However, I think that anyone who is banking on a definite release is setting themselves up for a fall. Please try and see this posting as realistic and not pessimistic and don't shoot me for what I'm about to say - Knightmare's original outing finished nearly 15 years ago now and the people still talking about it on this website are pretty hardcore, and I mean that as a compliment by the way. But things have moved on - Knightmare is no longer shown on TV as the Challenge rights have ended and those that campaigned for the channel to purchase the rights to show every series did a fantastic job but I think that was the best that we were going to get - I just think that too much time has passed and the interest that would have been there ten years ago, or perhaps even five has now dwindled. It's a real shame that Facebook and Twitter didn't exist back then as they would have massively helped our cause, but now I think that it's too late. Given the target audience, the original viewers are now aged somewhere between 26 and 38, so well into adulthood with the priorities and responsibilities that it entails. Many of us will not have the time and energy to "take to the streets" on this and so the best you'll get is what I've done. The majority won't even do that - as a nation, our worst trait is apathy.
At it's peak, Knightmare had 2M viewers but out of these, how many still remember the programme? How many had more than a passing interest? How many would care enough to buy a download/DVD? How many have found this website? How many would actively campaign for a release? The number gets smaller with each question answered. I don't believe that either the Challenge repeats or a possible download/DVD release will bring in those new to Knightmare in any significant number so we're just left with the old school (like me ). In addition, if a commercial (profitable) DVD release was worthwhile, it would have happened by now.
I've been a bit downbeat but I'll try and leave on a positive note - the only way that I can see the campaign working is to get it a higher profile. If anybody has access to someone in the public eye who is a potential influencer, we need to get them on board - their Twitter or Facebook postings could make a huge difference as people are more likely to listen.
I hope that I'm proven wrong and we get our DVD release.
Cheers,
Tiggy
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Did you read any of the previous posts in this thread? I think Mystara has been consistently realistic.
There are plenty of shows that have been off the air for years and have made it to dvd, I think part of the problem with Knightmare is its gameshow type nature makes it not obviously suitable for dvd release. you can't watch one episode in isolation and expect to follow it and there isn't a beginning middle and end per se, even if you watch a whole season - it just rolls on until they run out of time. And while an old episode of say Dungeons and Dragons the cartoon or the 1960s Batman can be enjoyed on more or less the same levels they were intended for when originally made, Knightmare was cutting edge at the time but is kind of an oddity now
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I take it from reading the posts here that this idea is not going to come to pass? If not, then I'm giving in and I'm going to invest in a DVD set from Ebay. I don't have Challenge TV and the last time I saw Knightware was when it was on the telly and I visited the studios. I miss the show and really do want to see it again so if, from the looks of it, this project to get Knightmare to DVD has flopped, then finally I'm going to nab myself a DVD set from Ebay.
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The project hasn't yet started.
As I said in my original post, we'll make a formal gauge of interest when the new site goes live.
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I'm ridiculously excited by this idea and would be happy to pay for downloads (would prefer DVDs, of course). All of my friends remember this show with some fondness - not that translates into guaranteed sales, but I think it could easily be marketed to go well with the current retro/nostalgia trend. And hopefully tap into the market of people in their 20s/30s who watched Knightmare as children and now have disposable income.
Good luck with it!
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Greetings all,
It's been a while since I was last on this site, but fret no longer Brother Mace is back!!!
I read with great interest each and every post regarding the campaign to bring the legendary show that is "Knightmare" to DVD. I currently own each series 1-8 on DVD (recorded directly from Challenge TV and thanks to the editing suite in the media department at Uni entirely free from adverts of any kind).
I was just wondering if there were plans to add any 'extras' as a further incentive for individuals to purchase it. I know after the 1st episode of series 3 shown on Challenge there was a brief 3 minute documentary with both Tim Child and Treguard (like a knob I got a bit too enthusiastic with my editing and deleted it) but it would be cool to see that on there too, as well as any form of behind the scenes or maybe interviews with cast members - I'm sure if they're aware of the cause they'll be happy to help out, also former contestants it'd be cool to hear their experiences too on camera.
These are just mere suggestions of course if the project goes ahead, I'm sure they'll be fellow fans who would be interested in this too. But I want to offer you my full support in this and I would definately make a purchase - extras or not. Cheers for reading this (apologies if I waffled on a bit).
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