TV Live Forum

(18-07-2022, 12:45 AM)Gary Baldy Wrote: [ -> ]Cash Trapped on Challenge tomorrow.

They don't seem to be acquiring much lately- only 1-3 new acquisitions a year. The early Sky days gave us such hope but not a lot of the new content they've acquired. seems to be sticking.

2022- Cash Trapped (Hopefully this does well, something a bit different, though I'm a bit sick of the sight of Bradley Walsh on Challenge at the moment)

2021- Tenable (This has done reasonable business for them- been on pretty frequently but doesn't suffer from overexposure)

2020- One Hundred and Eighty (flopped on the channel)- I found it interesting seeing it again though- I wish it would be on more frequent rotation despite the low number of episodes- Interceptor famously only had 8 episodes and Challenge used to show that semi-regularly

2019- All Star Family Fortunes, Impossible, My Kitchen Rules (flopped)- I appreciate they tried to do something outside the traditional 'game show' with MKR and I enjoyed it but low viewing figures meant it had to go- just frustrating that they never completed airing the series.... I enjoyed it. Vernon's Family Fortunes seem to have become a regular part of the weekend schedule, and Impossible is one of those 'occasional' shows that pops up now and again (like Crystal Maze).

2018- Aussie Ninja Warrior (flopped), Who Dares Wins- I liked Aussie Ninja Warrior but the imports always seem to struggle on Challenge, the US Ninja Warrior was often on at silly-o'clock too. Who Dares Wins managed to fit into the schedule rather naturally too, so very surprising that was dropped fairly quickly.

2017- The Cube- the only acquisition since the last rebrand to really make its mark in the schedule, popping up regularly- I know I mentioned Vernon's FF earlier but that only appears on weekends really.

2016- Family Feud, The Chase Australia, Hole in the Wall, The Link. The imports didn't do well; The Link was shunted around timeslots all the time but Hole in the Wall was a relatively regular part of the schedule for a little while.

I know they've re-acquired some stuff like Eggheads and Weakest Link the last few years too- but it's just been the same series on a loop with both those shows (S14 of Eggs and S10 of Weakest Link). What I will say is I'm glad they managed to end up sourcing those Paul Hendy eps of WoF- god, they made the show so cheap. I wonder whether there's any chance of Andy Collins FF coming to the channel? Or even John Leslie WOF (I know he has the scandals surrounding him but Challenge are still happy to play Barrymore stuff...).

I worry Cash Trapped will be dropped fairly quickly- fingers crossed it does well.

Is it already seven years since Challenge acquired Countdown, and ten since they acquired Bob's Full House? Brrrr...

And of course, neither of those shows lasted long on the channel either, though Countdown imagery still features in one of the idents.

Their idents feature quite a few shows they don't broadcast anymore. Robot Wars, Total Wipeout and Countdown, to name but three off the top of my head.

(18-07-2022, 12:45 AM)Gary Baldy Wrote: [ -> ]I worry Cash Trapped will be dropped fairly quickly- fingers crossed it does well.

There are only 65 episodes so 13 weeks worth.  So it'll either go off air never to be seen again or end up on an infinite loop.

How well does Tipping Point do for W?

(18-07-2022, 05:59 PM)Larry the Loafer Wrote: [ -> ]Their idents feature quite a few shows they don't broadcast anymore. Robot Wars, Total Wipeout and Countdown, to name but three off the top of my head.

It's probably time to replace them then. In fact, the current idents are Challenge's longest serving ever, as they've been in use since 2016, six years ago. The original logo only lasted five years and it's been changed every two or three years since then, until the current one was introduced.

2013-16 logo appeared before Part 2 of Cash Trapped.

Why is old pres like that still in the playout system?

It's a shame Challenge don't show some real classics like Generation Game or Telly Addicts any more, I find them more fascinating to watch than repeats of quiz shows from the last couple of years, some of which are on too frequently as it is (I'm looking at you Pointless!)

I've noticed someone's uploaded a bunch of Gladiators (I think the entirety of all 8 series plus the special series), it appears Challenged broadcast some of them in pillarboxed 16:9, and the DOG is in the correct aspect ratio (albeit entirely in the pillarbox which seems a bit pointless). I do wonder why it's wrong now.


I just find it odd that whatever generates the DOG thinks it's a 4:3 broadcast when it isn't.

(18-07-2022, 05:59 PM)Larry the Loafer Wrote: [ -> ]Their idents feature quite a few shows they don't broadcast anymore. Robot Wars, Total Wipeout and Countdown, to name but three off the top of my head.

The funny thing is that Countdown absolutely bombed when it was shown on Challenge TV, I’m always surprised it made the idents when they refreshed in 2016. With the one series they acquired, I don’t believe it got shown more than once. (Not counting same/next day repeats)

(18-07-2022, 07:35 PM)sjames Wrote: [ -> ]It's a shame Challenge don't show some real classics like Generation Game or Telly Addicts any more, I find them more fascinating to watch than repeats of quiz shows from the last couple of years, some of which are on too frequently as it is (I'm looking at you Pointless!)

Telly Addicts will require clearing all the clips, so its well outside the budget.
Same reason why Krypton Factor was never picked up by Flextech for the episodes before 1987 - and that was because they used commercial clips for the Observation round - from films, TV shows, etc. From the 1987 series Granada made their own clips for that segment so they own all the content and the rights.

(18-07-2022, 07:44 PM)CameronYoung Wrote: [ -> ]I've noticed someone's uploaded a bunch of Gladiators (I think the entirety of all 8 series plus the special series), it appears Challenged broadcast some of them in pillarboxed 16:9, and the DOG is in the correct aspect ratio (albeit entirely in the pillarbox which seems a bit pointless). I do wonder why it's wrong now.

I just find it odd that whatever generates the DOG thinks it's a 4:3 broadcast when it isn't.

Challenge couldn't make up their mind whether they wanted to pillar-boxed 4:3 or not and went through a stage of doing it, then not doing it, and now they've gone back to doing it again. But the DOG sort of didn't get the memo and so it follows the aspect ratio of the programme, which means it will look wrong.

(18-07-2022, 09:22 PM)Neil Jones Wrote: [ -> ]

(18-07-2022, 07:35 PM)sjames Wrote: [ -> ]It's a shame Challenge don't show some real classics like Generation Game or Telly Addicts any more, I find them more fascinating to watch than repeats of quiz shows from the last couple of years, some of which are on too frequently as it is (I'm looking at you Pointless!)

Telly Addicts will require clearing all the clips, so its well outside the budget.
Same reason why Krypton Factor was never picked up by Flextech for the episodes before 1987 - and that was because they used commercial clips for the Observation round - from films, TV shows, etc.  From the 1987 series Granada made their own clips for that segment so they own all the content and the rights.

(18-07-2022, 07:44 PM)CameronYoung Wrote: [ -> ]I've noticed someone's uploaded a bunch of Gladiators (I think the entirety of all 8 series plus the special series), it appears Challenged broadcast some of them in pillarboxed 16:9, and the DOG is in the correct aspect ratio (albeit entirely in the pillarbox which seems a bit pointless). I do wonder why it's wrong now.

I just find it odd that whatever generates the DOG thinks it's a 4:3 broadcast when it isn't.

Challenge couldn't make up their mind whether they wanted to pillar-boxed 4:3 or not and went through a stage of doing it, then not doing it, and now they've gone back to doing it again.  But the DOG sort of didn't get the memo and so it follows the aspect ratio of the programme, which means it will look wrong.

Challenge used to show Telly Addicts frequently in the early noughties.

I didn't say they couldn't (or hadn't) shown it. I'm saying that if they wanted it today it would require clearing. Which is expensive.

How come other more recent channels are able to show really classic stuff - That's TV broadcast Benny Hill, Mrs Merton, The Goodies, Kenny Everett etc yet Challenge tend to stay away from really archive stuff recently. Does the channel demand higher advertising revenues so shows need to perform?

Also, out of the "occasional" shows mentioned above (I.e.Impossible, Crystal Maze, Fort Boyars etc), which ones do they still hold the rights to?

Regarding Who Dares Wins, I was really surprised this wasn't shown more often, it's kind of their bread & butter stuff I would have thought.

(18-07-2022, 12:45 AM)Gary Baldy Wrote: [ -> ]I worry Cash Trapped will be dropped fairly quickly- fingers crossed it does well.

Unfortunately they are only showing the first series (which has just 10 episodes), once it has finished it is being replaced with Family Fortunes.

(19-07-2022, 03:21 PM)Ghost Wrote: [ -> ]

(18-07-2022, 12:45 AM)Gary Baldy Wrote: [ -> ]I worry Cash Trapped will be dropped fairly quickly- fingers crossed it does well.

Unfortunately they are only showing the first series (which has just 10 episodes), once it has finished it is being replaced with Family Fortunes.

Good way to test the waters.