Challenge

[HEW2343]

Cash Trapped debuts on Challenge on Monday 18th July at 6pm.

[Neil Jones]

Cash Trapped debuts on Challenge on Monday 18th July at 6pm.

There's a surprise. Not.
How long before every Bradley fronted show is up there?

Apologies if this has already been mentioned - does anyone know what's happening during 4:3 shows on Challenge? They're 4:3 pillarboxed in a 16:9 frame, so the aspect ratio on the programme itself is correct - but the DOG and any other channel graphics look wrong. It looks like they should be in 4:3 but they're being stretched to 16:9? Combined with the flash frames at the end of breaks, there are some strange things happening in Challenge playout...

I rather suspect "playout" consists of some automated machine/system somewhere doing what its been told to, and since the bulk of the output is 16:9 with a few 4:3 archive resources dropped in, somebody probably think its worthwhile things looking squashed in the graphics department on 4:3 material.

[Juicy Joe]

Cash Trapped debuts on Challenge on Monday 18th July at 6pm.

There's a surprise.  Not.
How long before every Bradley fronted show is up there?

At least it's a new programme on Challenge, if nothing else.  There's hasn't been any new shows or series scheduled for months now, so yes, it is actually a surprise.

[DE88]

No mention of the new LV= sponsorship?

[procrastination]

This seems like the right thread to ask this.

When I used to watch reruns of "Wheel of Fortune" on challenge, I noticed that after the Scottish TV endcap, it would then be followed by a more modern endcap from another American company (Columbia, IIRC).

Did Challenge get their copies of Wheel of Fortune from the original American company that made the programme (which would be odd given they show the UK version episodes)?

[Neil Jones]

The format is now owned by Sony, after Merv Griffin's production company (which created the original American show) folded when he died in 2007? But the episodes ("all episodes" it says here) are distributed by CBS.

STV made the show for the ITV network based on the original show, subject to normal (for the time) butchering of the format to fit our regulatory landscape. It was "in association with" apparently.

[James2001]

The end credits of the UK version mention "King World Productions", which ended up folding into CBS, which would explain why they distribute the show.

[Gary Baldy]

I hate when Challenge show the mid 00s era Millionaire- the 14:9 aspect ratio looks awful.

When they got the first 4 series a few years ago, they managed to air them in their correct 4:3 aspect ratio, and they manage to air the later ‘clock’ Tarrant shows in their correct 16:9 aspect ratio- why do they feel the need to alter the aspect ratio on a select era of the show when there was nothing wrong with how it looked originally.

Sometimes Challenge do this with some of their other shows too but it doesn’t seem anywhere near as prominent as it does on Millionaire- perhaps that’s because with Millionaire, they’re shown on great!TV in the way they were intended (even though I’d assume Sky and Sony would have the same copies of the classic shows? Maybe not though because great seem to butcher the clock era’s edits whereas Challenge’s edits in that era are more seamless).

[HEW2343]

Celador clearly made both 4:3 and 16:9 versions of the Challenge version of Classic Who Wants To Be A Millionaire from 2004-6 which 2waytraffic also did with the first Celebrity (Classic) Millionaire in 2007.

Edit: should've said 14:9

[James2001]

The former Virgin-owned Sky channels don't seem to have got new 16:9 copies of shows they made and acquired when they were still broadcasting in 4:3. Even the shows the channels made themselves still get repeated in 14:9.

[Gary Baldy]

Celador clearly made both 4:3 and 16:9 versions of the Challenge version of Classic Who Wants To Be A Millionaire from 2004-6 which 2waytraffic also did with the first Celebrity (Classic) Millionaire in 2007.

I don’t mind the 4:3 copies or the 16:9 one- the 14:9 just looks so ugly though.

[Gary Baldy]

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.

[Neil Jones]

There's only been one "import" that's really worked for Challenge - Takeshi's Castle. Yes it was reformatted but it's still technically an import and it was aired ad-nauseam for many years. Surprised they haven't wheeled it out, though I suspect they never recovered from Takeshi's Castle Rebooted, and it's probably safe to assume Comedy Central rule the roost now for that format.

[HEW2343]

There's only been one "import" that's really worked for Challenge - Takeshi's Castle.  Yes it was reformatted but it's still technically an import and it was aired ad-nauseam for many years.  Surprised they haven't wheeled it out, though I suspect they never recovered from Takeshi's Castle Rebooted, and it's probably safe to assume Comedy Central rule the roost now for that format.

Sasuke (Ninja Warrior) would be the other.

[NinjaBoi]

There's only been one "import" that's really worked for Challenge - Takeshi's Castle.  Yes it was reformatted but it's still technically an import and it was aired ad-nauseam for many years.  Surprised they haven't wheeled it out, though I suspect they never recovered from Takeshi's Castle Rebooted, and it's probably safe to assume Comedy Central rule the roost now for that format.

I wonder if E4 Extra will swipe that too..