Jedi Temple Challenge
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Has anyone seen the new gameshow Jedi Temple Challenge? It may be made in the US and Star Wars themed but co-creator Scott Bromley has listed British gameshows among its inspirations, including Knightmare.
From Scott's tweets (@Scott_Bromley):
'The British shows Knightmare and Raven were huge inspirations when we were developing this, aside from the usual Nickelodeon suspects.'
'We referenced Raven numerous times during the development of the series.'
'Crystal Maze, and Double Dare, and Jungle Run, and Knightmare, and Raven, and GUTS, and Fun House, and...its basically a love letter to my youth.'
'I loved how invested the kids were in the fantasy of Raven. They were warriors, not kids from Essex. It's why we made sure all the kids were Padawans, not contestants. It was exciting when kids would say, "use the Force" unprompted because they were invested in the fantasy.'
It's pleasing to hear that one format and fictional universe can inspire another like this, despite the gap in culture and decades.
There are currently two episodes of Jedi Temple Challenge are on YouTube's Star Wars Kids channel here. What do you think of it? Let me know it and I'll share some of my observations, so I don't spoil it before any of you have seen it. One suggestion: watch Episode 2 before Episode 1.
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Thanks for the recommendation Drassil. I have indeed now watched both episodes in the order you suggested, as Jedis themselves may indeed suggest that the path to full satisfaction may not be via the most obvious and straightforward route.
Whilst not wanting to go into too much detail either in order to prevent potential spoilers, here's a summary of what I believe to be Knightmare-themed references I observed:
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Each episode sees player activity spread over three sections, or you could go as far to suggest that the players attempt to take on three different levels.
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Saber Stability features the players attempting to walk over some narrow ledges, no doubt we saw many of these in Knightmare.
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The trial of knowedge has two players attempting to find the right clue items.
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And then there's the final challenge in the Jedi Temple itself, where along the way the players who've made it this far are persuaded to connect with the dark side. Easily akin to Knightmare's dungeoneers trying to be coaxed by Mogdred into pledging their allegiance to him, and I will attempt to elaborate further on this in another post...
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Despite not being a major Star Wars (I much prefer Trek) fan there was a lot to enjoy in these episodes. It felt more like a combination of the Crystal Maze and Raven to be honest but the spirit of chivalry which is the backbone of being a knight and associated principles applied just as much here to the far future.
Another parallel with Knightmare not mentioned is the host, Beq, was given assistants that weren't exactly to his liking and occasionally struggles to hide his frustration through gritted teeth.
Also, was the light saber the inspiration for the reach wand, it looked almost as good right Knightfans?
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looks great. need to check it out.
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Episodes 3 and 4 of Jedi Temple Challenge (JTC) are now online too. I wonder if they made Episodes 4, 5 and 6 first.
There's an episode of The Crystal Maze where Richard Ayoade takes exception to the phrase "You've got this." Enjoying JTC requires one to make peace with that phrase.
Knightmare and Raven's major influence on JTC seems to be something that perhaps we take for granted or have stopped noticing: in-character hosts and setting. I hope US audiences can see how it enhances the experience for contestants and viewers alike. (In a recent tweet, Scott Bromley has said of Knightmare: 'I found it in my 30s on the internet. I'm just a big fan of kids game shows in general, and was fascinated that they created a character as a host and the host never broke the illusion of the world they were in.')
Following from that, I like how the trial of knowledge includes what is essentially in-built fanfiction. When you're working within a fictional universe that's over 40 years old, that is a nice way to acknowledge it.
The voiceovers from Frank Oz, Yoda himself, could be compared to Hugo Myatt's cameos as Treguard in Knightmare Live.
And then there's the final challenge in the Jedi Temple itself, where along the way the players who've made it this far are persuaded to connect with the dark side. Easily akin to Knightmare's dungeoneers trying to be coaxed by Mogdred into pledging their allegiance to him, and I will attempt to elaborate further on this in another post...
That stood out for me too as a reminder of Knightmare. How it plays out in Episode 4 is particularly interesting.
There was also the countdown in the final challenge: traffic light colours, adding to the tension (and like Knightmare's life force clock, possibly added in post-production for just that reason).
This review of JTC by Starburst (didn't they interview you once, Alan? Prior to the convention?) compares the show to Fun House, Knightmare and Raven, perhaps without realising the stated connection between them and JTC.
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And then there's the final challenge in the Jedi Temple itself, where along the way the players who've made it this far are persuaded to connect with the dark side. Easily akin to Knightmare's dungeoneers trying to be coaxed by Mogdred into pledging their allegiance to him, and I will attempt to elaborate further on this in another post...
That stood out for me too as a reminder of Knightmare. How it plays out in Episode 4 is particularly interesting.
Having now watched this episode I like the team's justification for utilising the dark side, stating "there has to be a balance". In a way this resonates with Series 4 Team 6's quest regarding how they pledge to Malice initially before changing their mind a couple of scenes later.
In my previous post in this thread, I said that I would attempt to elaborate further. My theory was: what if a team actually pledged to someone like Mogdred or Malice in a vein similar to Jedi Temple Challenge?
Using Series 2 as an example, for instance a team could pledge to Mogdred in order for him to disperse of Ariadne's cobwebs in her lair, only to find that later on their quest they would have deal with the additional threat of a wraith/ghost at a location such as the wellway.
Returning to Dickon's quest, Malice appeared to them in the room prior to the Corridor of Blades. She could have said something such as the conveyor would be moving too quickly for them to dodge successfully, and by pledging to her she could then slow the conveyor down to give them a chance. Only for the team to reach the crumbling bridge afterwards and the blocks are falling down at a faster rate than usual.
A bit philosophical to conclude, but that necessity of a balance did make me think quite deeply. After all, if there was only good in a team's path without the imposing ordeal of any serious challenge I guess it would just make things a bit... boring.
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I wonder if they made Episodes 4, 5 and 6 first.
Speaking of Episodes 5 and 6, they are now both available for our viewing pleasure.
One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post in relation to Episode 4 was how impressed I was by the winning team. They played the whole game superbly even though they pledged to the dark side at one point (incidentally, this is remarkably similar to Knightmare's very own Series 4 Team 6).
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I recently watched Star Wars series The Mandalorian. Interestingly, Jedi Master Kelleran Beq - the host character in Jedi Temple Challenge, played by Ahmed Best - appears briefly in The Mandalorian.
I wonder if there are any other examples of a gameshow character appearing in a full-fiction TV series or film. Imagine if Hugo Myatt appeared as Treguard in a drama!
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