Happy 30th Birthday Knightmare!!
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30 years ago today, we witnessed and watched the very first episode of a show called Knightmare.
Children's Television was changed.
Television in general was changed.
30 years ago was a week before my 6th Birthday and I had just started my 2nd year of school, so I had a very vague elementary knowledge of Kings, Castles, Knights, Ghosts and Wizards.
So looking at the TV guide to see what would be on after Tickle On The Tum (Another huge favourite of mine back then!) I saw this show called Knightmare and remember thinking that A) They'd spelled Nightmare wrong, and B), wondering if it would have anything to do with Knights and Castles.
So I watched, and was instantly transfixed!
I loved it there and then.
Of course being only 5 I was also rather terrified, especially by Lillith and Mogdred.
But the next day I found a group of my friends all watched it, and loved it too!
It fast became my favourite thing to watch.
Then when it came back the next year I was thrilled.
I also remember getting the first book and Knightmare game on the Speccy and was more than a little over excited.
Getting the board game on my 10th Birthday in 1991 also made for a very happy me!
I was glued to every episode, bought all the books and every Autumn I started thinking 'Yay, almost Knightmare time!'
In 1994 I assembled a team (A couple of whom were part of the 1st episode group I mentioned earlier) and applied for Series 9.
Only to get a letter back a few weeks later telling me that there wouldn't be a series 9!
We were all gutted.
But skip forward five years and I stumble on the early days of Knightmare on the internet, happy days again!
30 years on it is still one of my all time favourite things to watch.
Thanks to Merlin (Helped along by John Woodnut), and especially thanks to the books (Namely Can You Beat The Challenge and The Sorcerer's Isle) Knightmare started my obsession with Arthurian Legend and my obsession with Post-Roman/Dark Age Britain - Hence my Username.
Congratulations and Thank You to Tim Child for the creation and concept of Knightmare.
Certain aspects of Television are still trying to do what Knightmare did, all those years ago.
Congratulations and Thank You to the Cast, Crew and of course the Teams that made Knightmare such a thrilling, compelling and essential watch.
The Dungeon salutes you!
Happy 30th Birthday Knigtmare - There is still no turning back!
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30 years ago today, my mum persuaded me to try watching the new show at the tail end of CITV in order to keep me quiet and inert for another twenty-five minutes. In many ways, I think she regretted that rash decision for the rest of her life.
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Was still at school when the series first aired but had left when it went off air at the end of it's run. Can remember waiting to get home to see an episode and remember vividly one team in 1990 actually won a quest on my Birthday, it was as good as any card or present. Shame it only survived for seven years, why this is I don't know, either they ran out of ideas or Anglia TV lost the rights to view, or by 1994 it had simply lost pace with other children themed shows of the time and seemed old or outdated.
The biggest regret is there aren't enough re-runs on any of the retro channels of today and that a DVD of the entire series hasn't yet been made available.
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Shame it only survived for seven years, why this is I don't know
Our History of Knightmare article, written by Tim Child, will give you some background.
Knightmare may not have lasted longer than seven years as a TV programme but thanks to fan projects, events, media mentions and the occasional YouTube special, I'd say it is surviving.
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It's a late one, but Happy Birthday Knightmare! Same age as me... Always loved and remembered by myself and many.
I listen to James Wilsons' music as I write this which makes all the more a reason to smile
Heres to another thirty! Raises Cherry Licqueur
"Sometimes the journey stops, but it never ends!"
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happy birthday to knightmare and a merry christmas to knightmare and everyone.
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