First post in I dread to think how long.

Series three is often seen as the series and there is a great case to be made for it as it has everything quintessentially "Knightmare" about it.

As for the team in question, they were indeed the only full team from "Up The Road" and while it does seem that they were were helped (As several teams obviously were) I often found that the first team of a new season often had the worst of it, especially if there had been drastic changes to the Dungeon from one season to the next.

Here is series 3 I loved the mixture of old character and locations with a few new onces.

So while Gavin and his men came up short in their quest it was a fantastic start to a fantastic series.

Team 1 had a mixed quest. They did well against Golgarach, who had apparently displaced Granitas & Olgarth. 3/3 altho needed some prompting on the 1st. The bricked-up door has been removed to make more room for the manifestation. Extra light comes thru the window while Golgarach is present. (I never noticed this before.)

First appearance of the feisty elf Lady Velda and the team seemed rather short of conversational ideas.

On into the vale and they struggled with manouvering. Finally got Gavin going in the right direction, but then told him to turn right too soon. Advisor Craig actually interrupted "No, no, no!" at this point, but Gavin stepped off the path into some quicksand. Glug, glug, glug.

Treguard's warning cry was far too late, but at least his send-off was good: "The best thing about a quicksand is that it's not a slow death."

Apparently they had already died in the serpent's-head cavern, but been let-off, so i guess they had a fair go.

Team 2 started well. First appearance of the new dungeon jester Motley, with a fairly predicable, "Mind you don't fall off the cliff, Cliff!" He was very close to doing so on the next ledge.

Given the hurry-up by an armoured knight (the new automaton?) and then by goblins in the new dwarf tunnels.

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) is the author of The Divine Comedy, an Italian epic poem whose first part is popularly referred to as Dante's Inferno. In the Inferno, the author narrates his journey through Hell, which has the following inscription above its gate: Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate (Abandon all hope, ye who enter here). Treguard quotes this line in slightly inexact translation after Cliff materialises in the antechamber:

"I'm sometimes tempted to say 'Abandon hope, all ye who enter here', but that's hardly likely to encourage a positive attitude."

I suppose that would have made it the Dantechamber.

Thank you, I'm very much here all week.

Following that we have the lovely Miss Velda... apparently tied up.

^^ All I had to say on this.

Now... as for Canadanne's questions:

1. Not a flipping clue? Some kind of Elvish magic mayhaps?

2. She does poke it but I think by then we see less of the 'digesting' as a thing?

3. Probably because she's used to being left alone in her rooms as the teams before never meet her properly? (although we do see her costume in some scene I'm sure...)

While Treguard is talking in that scene, she appears to creep up and poke Gavin's knapsack with her dagger! He might have had trouble keeping his food down, if he'd lived any longer.

On a slightly more serious note, if she already knows "something of the path ahead and below", including Merlin's step clues, then why is she so surprised to find herself in the dungeon, being approached by a dungeoneer?

Anyway, back to Episode 1, and you can see that the computer is used a lot more than in Series 3. The show's on a new tape format, and so the picture quality's slightly improved. The life force appears in much more imaginative ways instead of just fading in, Treguard's floating head doesn't show as much of the background, and we've got 100% CGI things like the dice, the water, the serpent's tongue (I think), as opposed to Series 2 stuff like the wheel of fortune. An odd thing I noticed was the ITV logo at the end- I thought that appeared later on in 1989? Still, can't wait to see episode 2 tomorrow- my copy is missing the first few minutes, so it will be good to finally have it in full.

Lillith has been kicked out (or eaten) from her lair, and now the snake has a tongue! As I said, 'or eaten'! Golgarach has made the stoney faces homeless, and Ariadne's old room has become the entrance to the Vale of Vanburn, which I love.

Team were not too clued up, and sadly misguided their body in the Dungeon.

Interetsing to see how far back Mellisandre is in the Vale, very...creepy, in a way, as you cannot see what she's up to (at the time, they would have had no idea either!)

Entered to find Treguard dressed and sounding like he would till the end of Knightmare.

Team 1, this time some Scottish lads, found themselves in the Dice Room and then into Dwarf Tunnels. The dungeon looks great this year. Love that bat!

Wall monster Golgarach appears for the first time and pays tribute to the absent Folly asking the team to

name "foolish wit." At least we knew this team watched Knightmare.

Oh, and the premier of the new film "Carry On ... nightmare." Say "tights are down"

Sorry! [goes and sits in corner]

More great graphics with the new snake's tongue. First appearance of Mellisandre, altough she didn't say anything.

Velda the Wood Elf next, Treguard had to keep repeting himself. I thought she said the second step - where did they miss one?

Their direction was at fault as they got stuck in the quicksand.

Team 2 next and the first appearance of Motley the VIP (Very Insistant Person)

"Mind you don't fall off the Cliff, Cliff!"

Term "causeway" used by the advisor as they were chased by both the Knight and the Goblins.

Used the DRINK spell to empty the pool then timed out.

Credits shown over the patrolling Goblins. Now only actors that appeared in this episode are credited.

--

Well, Challenge is onto Series 3 (again) now!

I think I saw a shadow of a microphone or camera just before Treguard put the helmet on the dungeoneer

I don't really like the 'dice' method of starting a quest. Some teams (like this one) take one of the side doors, but most take the door straight ahead. In my opinion though, the 'whistle' and camera zoom for room changes is much better than the 'whoosh' and picture flying off for the previous 2 series.

I like the way they walk down the coloured tunnels between rooms. The tunnels have doors along the side, but no dungeoneer has ever tried to take one of the side doors. Look carefully, and you'll see the black square that signifies the 'end' of the tunnel isn't perfectly synced with the tunnel movement. One of the doors is gradually covered up by the square!

First appearance of Golgarach, the replacement for Granitas in the clue room (same as Series 1, but with minor changes - most notably the removal of the bricked up door at the back). I like the way the room lighting changes when Golgarach appears, and he still looks scary to this day

The riddle about who makes you laugh in the dungeon, the team answered 'Folly' even though Motley was Folly's replacement in this series. However, no team had encountered him at this point, so Folly was still the correct answer. Good team, scored 3/3 on the riddles! Still have to call 'I command you' to get the full bonus.

I quite like the serpent's tongue as well. Was it a real snake's tongue filmed at high speed, or all computer rendered? Either way, it looks good

On the site it says that this team actually died on the Serpent's Tongue but were allowed to continue since their backup team hadn't arrived yet! Doesn't look like they made a mistake (except for maybe not stepping off before the tongue started moving) - perhaps it was a re-take?

Just saying 'please' was enough to get past Velda? Perhaps the quests are getting easier already!

In the room with the green quicksand pit (where they die), there appeared to be an unusual mark near the top of the screen, almost directly above the maid. Could this be an error in the computer rendering or chromakey?

When they die, it looks as if the dungeoneer sidesteps to the right instead of turning to the right, as the advisers say! Again, the segment on Knightmare.com says that the clever editing makes it look as if it was the dungeoneer's fault - but they still don't know who killed him off!

Anyway, we're onto the 2nd team now. They also took the right door in the dice room! Motley appeared for the first time in this quest! Gained a DRINK spell from him.

Unusual use of a close-up shot as the dungeoneer passes from one ledge 'room' to the next! I thought the life force coming up was some kind of hazard at first

A knight chases them, perhaps the replacement in this series for the Automatum?

I think this is the first time we actually get to see a close-up of goblins!

Used the DRINK spell to drain the water in the pool room, then timed out here.

Which team was it that accidentely went into the serpent's stomach and ended up walking down a tunnel made of the creature's gut? I don't think that's mentioned in detail in the series guide but I remember that well - one of my favourite moments!  

There was also the team who ended up in the serpent's stomach and threw an egg to get out!

Oops - I forgot about that! Lol  ;D That serpent room was really hard though so I'm not surprised. Which team was it that accidentely went into the serpent's stomach and ended up walking down a tunnel made of the creature's gut? I don't think that's mentioned in detail in the series guide but I remember that well - one of my favourite moments!  

I remember that, hehe it was a typical Knightmare moment 'We'll completely ignore the nice lady waving at us from the side path and go straight into the serpents mouth because that makes SOOOO much more sense!'

I also think Treguard and co, were a lot more helpful when the teams started out but got less helpful as the teams progressed thoughout the dungeon.

even though they fell into the green bog! I think they would've done well if they hadn't died there.

I don't.  According to the series guide, they'd already managed to kill themselves once on the serpent's tongue, but were let off because no-one had arrived to take their place.

Thinking about it, could Hugo be bribed? The knightmare conspiracy starts here!

But they didn't know he exsisted so be quiet Roxx!

hehe

To that question, I would have said something like 'Jester' as an answer, or even 'Motley' (since Folly was replaced by Motley in this series). I wonder if both Folly and Motley would have been accepted as correct answers?

I don't thinkt they would have been, looking in my dictionary (just to make sure I'm right) folly means a foolish act/conduct/idea and well Motley doesn't.

Also I believe I'm right in saying that Motley appeared for the first time in the second team of series 3 so they definately wouldn't have given Motley an answer as they didn't know he existed!

'WHO keeps you laughing in the dungeon, in THE DUNGEON team'

I love it when he givs stuff away like that, I love it even more when the team don't get his hints, hehe