Legal Knightmare DVDs
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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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yes, i love to buy all 8 seasons on dvd. You got my vote.
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I was just wondering that, myself.
Wherever it is, it's proving valuable!
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Any more news on the plans to release Knightmare on to dvd ?
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We seem to have had a resurgence of interest in the recent days. Awesome. Where did you find out about this, chaps?
Don't know about everyone else, but I've been watching the complete set of Knightmare episodes on YouTube recently [1] and decided to browse the site/forums after that!
I hope you (general) don't mind me pointing out that the "Knightmare on DVD?" link on the knightmare.com homepage isn't that easy to spot - at first glance it's just one more news item in a list. Would it be possible to increase the font size, or colour or something, to make it the main focus of that page? To get as many casual viewers' attention as possible it really should be the first thing your eye falls on..
[1] The existence of which, by the way, doesn't affect my willingness to buy high-quality complete episodes on legal DVD.
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Instead of going for a DVD release, why not bypass that & go straight to Blu-Ray? There is far more room on a single Blu-Ray disc, so it wouldn't be as many discs for the full 8 series plus extras. Also, I would love a commentary or 2 from Tim Child & Hugo Myatt or any of the actors involved, or from any of the teams too. Or from the fans like what they do on the ''Red Dwarf'' fansite ''Ganymede & Titan''. Also, a nice few featurettes would be great too, with interviews from all the main people involved. Also archive footage, CITV appearances & trailers etc, behind-the-scenes footage & any other interesting stuff would be great to see too. So, I think Blu-Ray would be a good way to go for a retail release, and with the players coming down in price now rapidly (£100 in Asda now!), I think Blu-Ray will take off in the next year or 2. Also, it's great picture & sound quality too. Normal DVD is still good, but I just think it would be better to go down this route, if only for the size/storage capabilities that Blu-Ray has over 'normal' DVD's.
Also, this might be more appealing to people now as Blu-Ray is starting to become more popular & also an incentive to buy it from fans who may already own bootleg copies on DVD or VHS.
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Blu-ray is expensive to mass produce. I don't see it decreasing on a per GB basis for some time to come.
DVD duplication (if and when we ever get to the stage of DVDs) is also cheap, so we'd be adding significant cost to something that currently isn't costing us the bulk of our money.
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