TV shows about videogames tend not to be very good. Sure, back in the 90s we had Gamesmaster and Bad Influence, but since then there hasn’t been anything much worth watching. There’s BBC Scotland’s low budget VideoGaidenthat has a small but passionate following, and an amazing Japanese show called Game Centre CX that’s worth tracking down, but that’s about it really, apart from a few random shows hidden away on Sky. Videogames are massive and mainstream, but networks don’t really seem interested in covering them.
That big whole is about to be filed by Irish comedian Dara O Briain. He is going to present a new show called Go 8-Bit for Dave, as the channel continues to expand its original programming to go alongside their endless Top Gear re-runs. It will be an adaptation of London and Edinburgh live show from comedians Steve McNeil and Sam Pamphilon, who will serve as team captains. The series looks like it will be a competitive game show/ panel show type thing, with guests playing classic games, with Mock The Week style chat and jokes on the top. Six one-hour episodes have been commissioned, to run in the autumn.
O Briain is a noted gamer himself, having previously appeared on Charlie Broker’s Gameswipe one-off, so hopefully this will be coming form a place of love and not just a cheap cash-in.
Executive producer Don Taffner Jr said:
Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit is unlike anything else on TV. It is a completely new type of gaming show with its mix of gaming experts, comedians, guest stars and nostalgia to create an unmissable entertainment series. The show will combine our love for retro games with the latest technology and audience interaction that all viewers – young, old, male, female, and most importantly gamers and non-gamers – will love.
[via Chortle]
