Even though a few elements that I love about older Knightmare are lost by Series 6, I do think the series as a whole has become slick and interesting by this point. The episodes are faster-paced, the quests contain longer running "plots" that continue through numerous rooms, and the introduction of the atmospheric/tension music really helps to kill the "boring" feel of some of the earlier episodes. Some of those early episodes are so still and quiet, that when a dungeoneer is being slow it's painstaking. With the introduction of the sinister music it really helps to make the adventure feel more exciting.

I think for a modern 2023 person who'd never seen the show before, they'd really struggle getting through more than a couple of episodes of Series 1.

However, if you could make them fall in love with the "higher production value" of Series 6 then they'd be more likely to want to go back and see how it all began.

I definitely wouldn't start with Series 1 episode 1. It's soooooo slow and repetitive (that first room goes on for about twenty years), I'd be afraid they would lose interest before it really got going. I think beginners should avoid Series 4 for the same reason, so it's a shame that's the one they chose to put on BritBox. I also wouldn't recommend starting with Series 8.

I do think Barry's quest was a good choice for the CITV Old Skool Weekend.