Superstars

So what did you think of Superstars? I thought it was the return of a great format but the 'canned' applause and ambient crowd effects was woeful! During the last event, an uphill mountain bike race, it was plain to see that there were maybe only 40 people maximum watching from the side of the road, but the crowd noise had you believe there were hundreds.

Not bad, but lacked something I thought. I frankly don't remember the original show - was it always like this? TWI got a credit in tonights show for "Format" - so did they always produce the programme? And was it ITV or BBC?

I enjoyed it. It was good fun.

I've posted a request for some music used in the programme in the requests forum if anyone feels like helping.

I didn't watch tonight but if the music is the same as the original series (can't imagine why they'd change it) then it's all over the web. For example, try TV Cream: http://www.tv.cream.org/ just look for Superstars in the Themes section.

Interestingly, I think it's the same music that is or was used for ABC Monday Night football in the US, but I might be wrong about that.

The old show was a BBC show. I can't remember if the show used to be produced in association with Trans World International though.

As for the show itself, it wasn't that bad. The old Superstars logo was back, as was the music, all you needed was to bring David Vine out of retirement! However it will not be as good as the original. Today you won't have the current England football captain appearing like Kevin Keegan did, or a World Boxing champion, like John Conteh did (though I'm not sure if Wayne McCollough is a current boxing champion), I mean, you had Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce tonight, and Dennis Wise to come, and they're past their peak, no disrespect. At least Zimbabwean Henry Olanga is currently playing cricket, albeit at Lashings Cricket Club, not too sure about the others if they've just retired or are still playing sport, though maybe not at the top level.

I thought it was quite funny, when John Regis went totally off-course, during the canoeing event, and ended
up rowing diagonally back to shore, and on the beach! Although the program was good overall, and JV was
a good choice of co-host, it was somewhat spoilt by the unnecessary addition of the stupid filmic effect.

To be honest I thought it was poor. The show was to nostalgic and I personally believe the current Born to Win format is better. Also, Johnny Vaughan is too good for this show - it's about time the BBC found him a show to suit his strengths (they have one in Have I Got News for You!)

Johnny Vaughan would be a great host for HIGNFY ! Maybe if Superstars is popular and gains the kind of following it had in the 70s, the big stars will want to appear on it. Perhaps we should give it time.

But they should definitley lose the "Filmic" look and the Canned FX in my opinion.

Superstars was certainly produced in association with TWI in the past - though this may have been just the international stuff rather than the UK only ones.

I thought the show was reasonably well produced - but the flickering of almost all of it made the sporting action seem less "realistic". I think they should have kept the flickering just for the links if they needed it...

(They seemed to have forgotten to flicker the odd shot here and there - particularly on the footy and the golf...)

I saw parts pf the programme and it looked fairly promising.

It is good to see the BBC trying to get value for their money from Vaughany; he does seam to be every where at the moment, which suits me as I think he is a great presenter.
I'd like to see him try HIGNFY, but his saturday Five Live show "Johnny Vaughan's Frighting Talk", sounds very good. I heard it for the first time today and it sounded perfect for Vaughany, random chat and competitiveness, but based around sport. The phrase "A mockery of a sham" was also used, i'm pleased to say.

Want Johnny a guest host on the last series of HIGNFY?

How anyone know where I can find the Superstars book by David Vine?

Clay

It's not the same without David Vine. I also feel that they could have used some better sports. I mean, golf for god's sake! Why not bring the archery back? Not sure about the 800m either. However, if they consider the show as a work in progress then the next series could be better.