I have since read a lot of the episode and backstage stuff on the site, and now I know the life graphics were edited in after the show was filmed, I will change my view on what I said earlier, I now just consider it poor editing rather than necessarily a harsh death. Also agree all the winners were generally helped in some way, although they usually needed to be reasonably good at the challenge to get on the winning path.

Still remain fascinated by this show, even many years later with all the new tech we have.

Team 5 decided to cast the "TRICK" spell (assuming a bluff) and Hordriss appeared.

Ben negotiated with Hordriss (very aggressively! ) and gained a "SPLASH" spell in exchange for releasing him.

Why did Ben keep turning round the wrong way?

Reached the great causeway, but only had the start of the combo.

They didn't seem to have missed anything on their quest, so i guess they had to extrapolate from what they were gven.

Had to random guess for three rows and somehow the blocks didn't collapse.

Massive relief (and disbelief) by the advisors.

Advisor Matt worked out the second section puzzle after they moved Ben onto the wrong block. (A reprieve?) Moved him back onto the correct block, then completed the remaining sections easily.

Reached the crown but it woz guarded by Lord Fear. They cast "SPLASH" to thwart him, then rushed thru the dwarf tunnels to return the crown to Treguard. Yay!

Team 5 were a capable and enthusiastic team. They had a major turn of luck on the great causeway, but otherwise deserved their success.

(I woz initially unimpressed that they only received ONE trophy, but i see on the website that advisor Nathan said they actually got a trophy each, the other 3 were presented later.)

Team 6 chose the crown quest. I thought they might have removed that option for the remainder of the series.

Straight into the level 1 clue-room. Sophia (like January in team 4) also called the spy-glass an eye-shield. Selected the silver and the ring.

Amazed expression on advisor Claire's face when Sophia activated the enchanted ring.

Advisor Emma misunderstood Pickle's exclamation and told Sophia it's something to do with elf boots! Pickle rolled eyes and did very well to keep a straight face....

Clearly a team who are familiar with Knightmare, they immediately recognised Elita in the next room.

Just time for Elita to hurl an insult before the bell sounded.

So in the US pilot, it featured the same great causeway (or numerical floor puzzle). They stepped on the 3 and still got over. Guessing there is no right answer then (and I am actually okay with that!).

Regarding the other teams and 'fairness' of deaths, TC made reference to some teams having their cards marked for earlier slip ups. Going to rewatch sometime with that in mind and comment on individual threads

As a pilot with commercial aims, Lords of the Game arguably had to showcase the best case scenario. So it's possible that the team did err on the Great Causeway but were let off so that a Final Encounter could be seen.

Tim's reference to marked cards may or may not be the same as 'losing status', a term of his that many fans (including me) have found helpful when assessing various quests. It's endlessly interesting to discuss, so please do share any thoughts you have.

Regarding the other teams and 'fairness' of deaths, TC made reference to some teams having their cards marked for earlier slip ups. Going to rewatch sometime with that in mind and comment on individual threads

Unfortunately, it wasn't filmed.

Oh that's a shame. Would have loved to see what it looked like.

1. I seem to recall Tim saying such a thing in specific reference to the "half height blades". However, I may have invented this. The first time the blades are seen, do the half height blades feature at all?

Yeah, the blade sequence that we saw on TV was always the same right from the beginning, so I assume the added feature (whatever it was) never had to be used in the end.

2. The corridor of blades was redesigned for Geek Week.

Oh really?! >:-] That's something to look forward to!

In the case of the causeway or the chess room, you're supposed to "die" if you stand in the wrong place. The fact that there's a delay for technical or artistic reasons isn't part of "the game".

In the case of the blades, it could be seen as a creative solution to the problem.

Tim's reference could be one of two things:

1. I seem to recall Tim saying such a thing in specific reference to the "half height blades". However, I may have invented this. The first time the blades are seen, do the half height blades feature at all?

I realise it wouldn't solve the lying down problem, but it would solve the "crouching down" problem. I don't think a dungeoneer would be able to lie down completely because of the knapsack, items, placement of the microphone, etc. etc.

2. The corridor of blades was redesigned for Geek Week.

That could be what he was referring to.

But running across the causeway is a bit cheeky. Always ask Tregaurd first. lol

Maybe if they ran across the timer would just speed up and the whole thing would collapse.

Same goes with the combat chess room, you could easily just run out the room if you were allowed. I think most teams probably know they would get away with doing that. But as a kid I ways shouted at the screen for them to just run

No, the causeway would just fall under the dungeoneer's feet.

The dungeoneer might have been too quick for the man in the gallery to make the blocks disappear live, i.e. as the game way being played. However, that just has the effect that the advisors' screens are turned off and the team are told that they've died.

They then use the same footage, but apply the virtual environment differently so that the blocks fall correctly.

They'd do that with or without the team's assistance. With the team's assistance, it could be done more realistically. Without it, they'd just show the dungeoneer falling in a comical straight line.

Similarly, people have wondered what the effect of lying down in the corridor of blades would be. You can be fairly (but not entirely) certain that it would result in either:

a) The team being told to behave; or

b) The team being told that they've died, whereupon the transmitted blades footage would be edited to show some kind of vertical blade spinning down the corridor. The fact that the team never SAW that is really neither here nor there.

This is, of course, all entirely dependent on Tim's attitude towards teams "thinking outside the box".

I suppose if a dungeoneer was advised to lie down during the corridor of blades, looking at it from a team's point of view it was how to overcome the blades. To them they would think it's the best solution. From a viewers point of view, I would say it was a smart move and wouldn't think there was anything wrong with what the team did.

Similarly, people have wondered what the effect of lying down in the corridor of blades would be. You can be fairly (but not entirely) certain that it would result in either:

a) The team being told to behave; or

b) The team being told that they've died, whereupon the transmitted blades footage would be edited to show some kind of vertical blade spinning down the corridor. The fact that the team never SAW that is really neither here nor there.

This is, of course, all entirely dependent on Tim's attitude towards teams "thinking outside the box".

Yes, I was quite surprised by the part in James' recent video (just after the 7 minute mark) where Tim said one dungeoneer did lie down in the Corridor of Blades, which meant they had to redesign it so that nobody could do it again!

The dungeoneer might have been too quick for the man in the gallery to make the blocks disappear live, i.e. as the game way being played. However, that just has the effect that the advisors' screens are turned off and the team are told that they've died.

They then use the same footage, but apply the virtual environment differently so that the blocks fall correctly.

They'd do that with or without the team's assistance. With the team's assistance, it could be done more realistically. Without it, they'd just show the dungeoneer falling in a comical straight line.

Similarly, people have wondered what the effect of lying down in the corridor of blades would be. You can be fairly (but not entirely) certain that it would result in either:

a) The team being told to behave; or

b) The team being told that they've died, whereupon the transmitted blades footage would be edited to show some kind of vertical blade spinning down the corridor. The fact that the team never SAW that is really neither here nor there.

This is, of course, all entirely dependent on Tim's attitude towards teams "thinking outside the box".

Maybe have to re-film the room or something, or let it happen and blow them up in a bomb room straight afterwards. It's just odd there was nothing really stopping them from doing it.

perhaps I was a good thing I never got a go on the show, because it's the sort of think I would have wanted to try

Causeways were always a highlight... always kept me on the edge my seat.

This is a awesome re-creation.

But I often wondered why the teams didn't just run across? lol

Ha! I guess if they tried that, they would of got a ticking off from Tim! I wonder if any team crossing a causeway tried to do that though?!

This is a awesome re-creation.

But I often wondered why the teams didn't just run across? lol

You can view the video recreation via the following link:

http://youtu.be/4QBFustfShY

Just after we see Lord Fear trapped in his pool, does Pickle really say "Life force is getting critical, bastard"? Sure sounds like it!

I see there have been many theories as to the secret of the Great Causeway. I'm quite certain that the combination refers to the number of hexagonal tiles in each row:

Choice of 2 blocks - step on the 2

Choice of 3 blocks - step on the 3

Choice of 4 blocks - step on the 4

Choice of 5* blocks - step on the 5

Choice of 4 blocks - step on the 4

*(This is the only Causeway to include a 5-block row, I believe. The unusual shape of it seems to be the key to its solution.)

Thread necromancy (and poster necromancy), but can I just say this is the most plausible explanation and you may have just solved a question that has been bugging me for 20 years or so