[WillPS]

For what it's worth, I like The Crystal Maze revival for what it is. It teeters right on the edge of playing the whole thing for laughs, which is a cardinal sin when it comes to revivals, but just about gets away with it. I can deal with the fourth wall breaking stuff because that's arguably been a thing since Richard O'Brien's first aside. I know Ayoade went further with the mocking, and I get why that might upset some, but it normally makes me laugh.

The games were great, the aesthetic was spot on too (although it was peculiar they dropped the Medieval Zone, guessing that was more to do with making it work for the US than improving it for the UK). Shame they had to make compromises on scale but it's understandable that a huge standing set connecting together in a giant square wasn't doable.

The pacing with 3 full advert breaks felt like a killer, and on initial viewing I found myself annoyed that so much time was wasted 'getting to know the team'. The episodes didn't feel like they individually contained enough, is I think the long and short of it.

Re-watching it on Pluto TV has proven to be a bit of a treat though, I must say. I dip in and out, sometimes I'll watch several episodes, sometimes I'll watch just a few games, and it's very enjoyable. I don't have to care who's playing (like the 'good old days').

I would *love* a new version of Fort Boyard, something closer to what's aired in France more recently. Perhaps it could even be retooled as something which plays out with the same cast over 2 or 3 editions. It'd make a decent setting for a Traitors clone potentially.