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Challenge TV launched on Freeview!

(February 2011)

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WP
WillPS
It's not the Challenge TV we had of the 1990's and the early 2000's, they seemed to put an effort into it a few years ago when they got rights to old gameshows and made some of their own, but in the last few years they seem to have given up and left the channel on loop, and with Sky now running it, things appear to be the same, albeit the addition of TNA to the channel.

Believe me when I say you eventually tire of the 1994-98 episodes of Catchphrase, as you've pretty much watched all of them.

It's a good addition for Freeview instead of Channel One, but who knows what Sky will do with the station in the long term, even now it's odd watching it as it's just promos for Sky1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic.


Watching some of your clips on You Tube is proof if proof be needed. It seems bizarre that they put much more of an effort in 10-15 years ago than they do now, despite the fact their audience reach must have only gone up in that time.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Challenge hasn't been the same since the demise of Prize Time, the in-vision continuity/quiz format with the likes of Andy Crane, Pat Sharp, Kevin Duala. From a set which has certain similarities to a studio Andy Crane used to work in!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D96MNom_6_Y&feature=related

With the various quiz channels that are (or have been) out there, I wonder whether this format could be commercially viable? This stuff has got to be cheaper the the rights for yet another repeat of the same episode of Catchphrase?
JJ
Juicy Joe Founding member
You should change the Topic Description as Challenge (which should be called Sky Challenge) rarely broadcast any programmes from the 1980s.


Done! Very Happy
ST
Stuart
I've no idea why people watch game shows when they are first broadcast. To watch a channel full of repeats of the damned things seems like a sign of madness to me!

I thought you were a member of DOND.co.uk.

I haven't watched DOND for quite a while!
BH
BillyH Founding member
There was a time when if enough people requested a programme on their forums, they'd buy it. The first series of 'Gamesmaster' was shown because of this, and also Knightmare, which ended up getting in their top 10. Once I asked them if they could repeat Series 4 again as I didn't have it taped, so they put it on for me at 6am on a Sunday or something, which was incredible - despite the early time slot, to schedule a programme simply because of one forum post was amazing!

Shame their website's disappeared, it just links you to Sky now. Google it and it still proudly lists itself as being on Sky, Telewest and NTL...
WP
WillPS
Yeah the 2am and 3am slots seemed to just show what people were asking for on the forums (The People Versus and Fifteen to One both got the gig in the last 18 months).
LI
Lightoftruth
Why is the good stuff on at 2am in the morning? It's a bit of a stupid time if you ask me Wink
JO
Joe
I've no idea why people watch game shows when they are first broadcast. To watch a channel full of repeats of the damned things seems like a sign of madness to me!

I thought you were a member of DOND.co.uk.

I haven't watched DOND for quite a while!

But you did, which is the point.
CW
Charlie Wells Moderator
Worth noting that Challenge is now available on all of Virgin Media's TV packages (including 'M').
RD
RDJ
Worth noting that Challenge is now available on all of Virgin Media's TV packages (including 'M').


Including +1 which was only available on XL.
SD
sda|
There was a time when if enough people requested a programme on their forums, they'd buy it. The first series of 'Gamesmaster' was shown because of this, and also Knightmare, which ended up getting in their top 10. Once I asked them if they could repeat Series 4 again as I didn't have it taped, so they put it on for me at 6am on a Sunday or something, which was incredible - despite the early time slot, to schedule a programme simply because of one forum post was amazing!

Shame their website's disappeared, it just links you to Sky now. Google it and it still proudly lists itself as being on Sky, Telewest and NTL...


I seriously could not believe it when they put Knightmare AND Gamesmaster on after each other, in 2003 or 4 I think it was. A feat never to be repeated! Big chunk of my off-airs are from Challenge.

They might have an epiphany and start showing The Adventure Game again, you never know....
JB
JasonB
Bullseye's back in the schedules from saturday!

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