The Crystal Maze returns to C4

They just had a clip of the new Crystal Maze on The Last Leg, with Richard Ayoyade wearing a different outfit that on the press photos today. He's standing in the Industrial Zone next to the tunnel and the team is playing a game with spinning disks. They are looking through a hole through the wall rather than looking at a television screen which is what they used to do. He is taking the Mickey out of what they were saying.

I didn't realise any of this had actually started filming yet but Ayoyade said he'd been there for a whole month doing it. The old Mazes took 3 days to do, but improvements in filming and computers I suppose allow it to be done quicker.

They then had a skit of the crystal Maze on. However, the theme tune was a slightly modified version of the one that was on last year, not as orchestral and a slightly eerie mix. It sounded good. Whether that is the final version or just a Last Leg special. Or whether they used the version Challenge uses currently in its trailers of the Maze, it sounded familiar.

I feel like I've heard that version of the theme somewhere else before too. I d be very surprised if it was the new theme as it sounds like it's a version of the original from same era and the main theme is better.

I think realistically the great modernised theme of 2016 is what they will use.

Having said that they do seem to selling this series on the retro card, they seem to be wearing jump suits similar to the original couple of series.

The ultimate #EscapeGame is here - Experience The Crystal Maze!
Also, offering 25% Student Discount ONLY at The Crystal Maze Manchester! 💎✨ pic.twitter.com/BybMHrUBhg

— The Crystal Maze LIVE (@CrystalMazeHQ) May 19, 2017

I spotted a sting for new look Crystal Maze this morning on Channel 4 which was basically a tracking shot down a corridor that looked like a modern updating of the original Futuristic Zone heading towards a couple of laptops on a central podium with the new look Crystal Dome as the wallpaper.

It may turn up on Channel 4's YouTube page at some point.

Someone posted it to Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Danny.Kerner.1990/videos/a.10213703982654025.1073741830.1238933653/10213724418564910/?type=3&theater

That's the one!

The whole thing seems very faithful to the original whilst having a 21st century sheen. From that and the one clip I've seen I think it's going to be very well received. The only thing I don't like is the costumes which are a trying to be a bit too retro. It really depends if people stick around after watching the first one out of curiosity. Which they will if they scheduling right.

I hope that they use varying and different lengths of mixes of the theme tune when they transition between the zones!!! Or a different version of the main theme tune like they used to in the original!! I hope they don't just use the same standard length of mix for each transition like they did in the Stephen Merchant version of the Maze.

When Ed took over, they mixed the running around the zones theme quite a bit to make it more engaging, sometimes starting halfway through rather than at the start. Whereas in the early series, they would just vary the length of the music according to how long it took them to move between zones, starting at the beginning.

I hope you understand that!!

Don't forget they'll be much more music is the version as they're be background music for each game.

Ooh, industrial zone looks from that angle very similar to the original even down to the steps that went go up to get out to medieval.

This is looking like its going to be great. Everything classic with a touch of modernism. I can't wait.

All the zones are very similar to the original apart from Future which still has a feel of the original.

Is looking good but I hope they've changed the transitions (not that we'll see much of them) and entrances so there are new elements. I suspect it is unlikely the river has been retained.