Knightmare

Knightmare (1987-1994) A team of three contestants have to guide a fourth contestant (who's vision is impaired by a helmet) through a dungeon on a quest. Usually their goal was to recover a special object such as a crown or sword but they were rarely successful. During their adventure the group would have to solve riddles, avoid traps, and would encounter a wide range of characters and monsters (including goblins, wizards, dragons, witches, jesters, ogres, maidens and potion sellers). Some of these would be very pantomime-esquire such as the charismatic Hordris, the immortal Lord Fear, and of course the captivating Tregar.

The dungeon is generated using painted backgrounds and the same blue screen technique used by weathermen (Chroma Key). Despite its innovative format and huge following it never quite got the attention or praise it deserved (probably because it was on ITV rather than BBC).

It was recently repeated on Challenge TV during the mornings. There are apparently no plans to start a new series.

For more information see: http://www.knightmare.com/

I loved this show when I was younger. It was one of the few kids' gameshows that has every been even vaguely taxing on the brain, featuring some reasonably complex puzzles and a lot of tricky (and very tense) timing exercises. It had fantastic visuals for the time, making use of a lot of bluescreen effects. And on top of all that it had a genuinely creepy atmosphere - something that I've never seen in any childrens' show. I'm nearly seventeen now, and if it was repeated on TV (or, even better, they made a new series of it) I would definitely throw style and social acceptance to the wind and make sure to tune in.

I would venture to suggest that there has never been a kids game show made that tops this. From the inventive - and highly advanced for its year - concept, to its generous contribution to the morale of out-of-work actors who didn't mind dressing up in ridiculous outfits, the format was a winner on all levels. It became something I looked forward to without fail to kickstart my weekend. The puzzles actually took some thought, and the idea that three players guided the one who couldn't see past the end of his nose meant it must have been fun to play whether you were experiencing or controlling. The bloke who presented it was always a bit sinister as well, must've been the beard...

A kind of live-action "Dungeons & Dragons" then, only infinitely more entertaining than sitting in front of a computer. It's one of my fondest favourites from childhood, and will hopefully be remembered long after Virtual Reality has become a commonplace element in all our lives. This program was very 'funky' indeed.

I absolutely loved Knightmare when I was growing up! And I totally agree with the comments posted about it! For its time the visuals etc. were amazing and, yeah, it was the only kids tv show that had a creepiness about it. Also it was a very challenging game show and encouraged you to think. I feel so sorry for kids growing up nowadays. I don't know what children's television is like in the US but the stuff that's on in the UK is rubbish! There's nothing anywhere near to the brilliance of Knightmare, Funhouse, Dungeons and Dragons, Thundercats, He-Man and She-Ra etc.

Wonder what the guy who played Treyguard is up to now??? And the guy who was Lord Fear? I hated it when they used to look in on what he was up to through the spy glass cos you knew any minute he was going to realise what they were doing!!!! He was really scary! Remember the dragon the contender used to fly on??? My fave bit of the show was when someone lost and therefore died and you'd just see them and their mates walking down a path and waving goodbye!!!!!!

For any die hard fans I remember seeing some repeats of Knightmare on the Sci-Fi channel a few years ago, but I don't think they show them anymore. But I'll keep a look-out anyway. I'd love to be able to watch them all again! 80s and early 90s kids' shows were the best!!!

The helmet that the person wore enabled the 'dungeon' to be a complete CGI/matte creation. Usually the rooms were just CGI moving blocks that could kill the player, but in the later series, they became far more advanced. However, the prizes were really pants, usually just a metal plaque or something. I really wanted to be on Knightmare as a kid!