Challenge TV - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: Challenge TV (/showthread.php?tid=215)

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RE: Challenge TV - Neil Jones - 28-11-2023

Yes, and I do remember when they did turn up, it was during the Virgin days and of course they eventually hacked them to pieces in their usual fashion, presumably because they didn't rate as well as the normal episodes did. And it was more memorable because they hacked away at the Richard O'Brien specials as well to shove a third break in, as well as Ed Tudor-Pole.

Presumably hacking away at the main Richard O'Brien episodes wasn't far away, but because Sky came along and bought the operation, that put paid to that, but of course the legacy is they're still using those edits for Series 5 and 6 today best part of 15 years later - and Sky can't (or won't) get new files. I do remember I think its the series 5 or 6 special (it was Tudor-Pole anyway) there's a major chunk of tape interference during a game baked into the picture/file and it comes out every time it gets an airing.

IIRC Virgin attacked everything content wise they had (or were actively airing), chopping out chat and stuff to persue some policy about hitting shows at the top and bottom of the hour and inserted some five minute fillers every once in a while to achieve this which seemed a bit pointless really when you can achieve the exact same effect without the cutting but the legacy of that policy is still evident.

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RE: Challenge TV - Nobby - 28-11-2023

Challenge had some odd meta data around these episodes of The Crystal Maze too. The EPG always showed "The Crystal Maze Christmas Specials" as if someone had entered a description of the series as the episode names. You still see it with "Tenable Series 3" and "The Chase Celebrity Specials" appearing on the EPG too.

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RE: Challenge TV - WillPS - 28-11-2023

(27-11-2023, 11:13 PM)James2001 Wrote:  For quite a long time, they never used to show the Christmas episodes at all. Don't think it was until the second half of the 00s they started turning up.

Yes, I want to say maybe 2007-9, the VMTV era.

Whenever I've known them they've played the Christmas specials as if they were a series of their own, usually after the fourth series (before either looping back to S1E1 or to the first adult-contentant Tudor Pole episode).

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RE: Challenge TV - bigsy90 - 28-11-2023

Presumably the schedules leading up to christmas are provisional at the moment and will change, as surely The Crystal Maze hasn't been reacquired just for them to churn it out at 5am?

Still least the channel has benn getting some fresh content over the last few months and a little less reliant on The Chase, even if some of the acquisitions are a little outside the norm. Guess they are testing some different formats to see what rates well and buy in further series (or not as the case may be).

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RE: Challenge TV - Brekkie - 28-11-2023

I think schedules up until the 22nd December are now declared.

I doubt Challenge has much of a streaming presence but sometimes overnight airings are used by channels to enable content to be made available on demand.

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RE: Challenge TV - Neil Jones - 28-11-2023

Challenge used to have a segment on the Sky on-demand section but it dried up and just became a collection of Chase episodes... I think you can get it through Sky Go but that's about it so far as "streaming" goes.

They made a big deal of being "on NOW TV" but what that was all about was anybody's guess, as there was no sign of any of the content on that platform and the channel isn't on the list of streaming networks so... Pass.

Crystal Maze used to have audio description on Challenge as well, which amongst other things memorably described one contestant as looking a bit like Hitler.

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RE: Challenge TV - Juicy Joe - 28-11-2023

Why have Challenge bought the rights to Bridge of Lies and The Crystal Maze and then broadcasting them at 5am? Still, it's nice that there are finally some new acquisitions recently, even though Bargain Hunt & Cash in the Attic are questionable, but acceptable. I assume they will be swiftly moved at some point.

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RE: Challenge TV - Juicy Joe - 28-11-2023

Interestingly, The Crystal Maze is on ITVX right now if you have a Premium subscription...or, you can watch free on Challenge at 5am in a few weeks. I guess ITVX is relinquishing their rights.

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RE: Challenge TV - Neil Jones - 29-11-2023

(28-11-2023, 11:53 PM)Juicy Joe Wrote:  Interestingly, The Crystal Maze is on ITVX right now if you have a Premium subscription...or, you can watch free on Challenge at 5am in a few weeks. I guess ITVX is relinquishing their rights.

Why is that on ITVX? Or is it a carry over from Britbox?

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RE: Challenge TV - PATV Scunthorpe - 29-11-2023

Had a look, it's listed as BritBox from Channel 4, though only Series 1-3 are available, including the Christmas Specials from within that period.

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