Original Nickelodeon USA Press Release | Share the news: http://po.st/CrystalMaze
NICKELODEON GREENLIGHTS THE CRYSTAL MAZE,
ALL-NEW VERSION OF UK HIT GAME SHOW
BURBANK, Calif.—June 3, 2019—Nickelodeon is bringing the legendary UK hit game show The Crystal Maze to the U.S. in an all-new version, co-produced by Bunim/Murray Productions (The Real World, The Challenge, Born This Way) and RDF Television (Secret Life of 4 Year Olds, Wife Swap, Shipwrecked), all under the Banijay Group. A longtime staple of British pop culture and family entertainment, The Crystal Maze--considered the forerunner to the current escape room craze--is a competitive challenge featuring a family team who must utilize physical and mental skills to successfully navigate an elaborate labyrinth of four giant and immersive themed zones.
Casting is underway on the new series (10 one-hour episodes) which begins production on the original set in Bristol, England, this summer. The show’s host, who guides the family through each challenge and adventure, and the series premiere, will be announced at a later date.
“As Nickelodeon embraces co-viewing opportunities for every member of the family, The Crystal Maze brings a new type of action game and storytelling to audiences with its escape room-style gameplay and emphasis on collaboration and teamwork to win,” said Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Unscripted Content.
“The Crystal Maze has long served as a staple of the UK entertainment landscape and we could not be happier to be reinventing the show for a younger demo alongside our sister companies, RDF and Stephen David Entertainment. Acting as the first series for BMP’s Kids and Family Division, the show will build on our reputation in the competitive game space and we’ve no doubt by partnering with Nickelodeon, we can build a new audience for this brand in the U.S.,” said Gil Goldschein, Chief Executive Officer, Bunim/Murray Productions.
Nickelodeon’s version of The Crystal Maze will feature a team of family members tackling a range of challenges in zones collectively known as The Crystal Maze. Each successful game is rewarded with a ‘time crystal’ that equals five seconds in the centerpiece Crystal Dome. The adventure culminates in a spectacular finale, as the team enters the Dome to grab a cash prize as it flies around them during a dramatic clock countdown.
A current ratings smash in the UK, The Crystal Maze has been a beloved family and cult favorite since the mid ‘90s, with the current global popularity of the escape room phenomena reigniting interest further. The show was recently rebooted to great success with celebrity, charity and family seasons in UK, Australia and beyond.
The Crystal Maze is executive produced by Gil Goldschein and Maria Pepin from Bunim/Murray Productions, Neale Simpson from Fizz, part of RDF Television, and Stephen David from Stephen David Entertainment. Production of The Crystal Maze for Nickelodeon is overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.
About Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) is the leading producer of innovative entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series The Real World, which is moving to Facebook after 32 seasons on MTV. BMP continued to innovate with the first reality game show, Road Rules (MTV), in 1995; the first reality sitcom, The Simple Life (E!), in 2003; and the first reality soap opera, Starting Over, in 2003. BMP’s current programming includes Keeping up with the Kardashians, Total Divas and Total Bellas (E!), The Challenge and Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club (MTV), Born This Way (A&E), Earth Live (National Geographic), The Real World and Ball in the Family (Facebook Watch), Endless Summer and Growing Up is a Drag (Snapchat), Miz and Mrs. (USA Network), and Family or Fiance (OWN). BMP has also produced They Call Us Monsters (PBS), Valentine Road (HBO), Pedro (MTV) and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical (HBO) for BMP Films. Based in Glendale, CA, the company was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010.
About Nickelodeon:
Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
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Devised by Jacques Antoine, the UK version of The Crystal Maze was originally hosted by Richard O'Brien (Rocky Horror), followed by Ed Tudor-Pole. The reboot was originally presented by Stephen Merchant (for Stand Up To Cancer), and currently by Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, Travel Man) with his "hand." The show's theme song is the legendary "Force Field". The show is currently filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol.
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Originally published: Monday, June 3, 2019 at 7:04pm BST.
Additional sources: Deadline, Exclaim!.
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