Gamezville
Encyclopedia
Gamezville was a computer games show broadcast on Sky One
that ran for two series during the years 2003-2004. It was presented by models
- Darren Malcolm and Jamie Atiko. The non-studio segments of the show were also shown in the United States between 2003 and 2004 on the digital cable
channel Nickelodeon GAS
as part of a Saturday night gaming block, under the show title Play 2Z. In this version, some segments were redubbed with an American voice. In 2005 the TV show was cancelled.
, in the summer of 2003. The channel had been looking for a new videogaming series since the disappointment that was Blam!, an advertorial
show for Gameplay.com, that aired in 2000. The production company that was selected was Shine Limited
, which was set up by former BSkyB executive Elisabeth Murdoch
after she quit as broadcaster. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/734855.stm
As part of the unofficial terms of her severance package
, Shine
was promised several hundred hours of commissioned programming. Jezz Wright, who was then editor of the Lifestyle & Features department at Shine
was tasked with coming up with a format that would produce multiple hours of output per week. The budget was challenging so it had to be a simple format whereby, to keep costs down, two or three could be recorded in a day. This would ensure the programme maintained a considerable profit margin
from the production budget
.
It is for this reason that Gamezville ended up being an hour-long show , five times a week. Jezz Wright, who came from a TV news background conceived Gamezville as a zoo type format whereby the production team would play as much a part on camera as they would off it. A 'newsroom' environment would be created that would serve as the off air production office and the on screen newsroom. Every day, the show would have a mix of reviews, news, features and characters, all encased in a heavily graffitied studio presented by real gamers in a rough 'n ready sense rather than the traditionally contrived 'kids tv' type presenting.
The show suffered from being a daily 60 minute production. With only a finite amount of news and reviews to cover each week, items and features were sometimes stretched and games that never really should have been featured that prominently had significant airtime. Although the strategy may have not pleased all videogaming fans who watched the show, the approach taken by the production meant that apart from keeping costs low the series showcased new talent and originated some innovative strands.
who claimed it infringed on the copyright
of their own long running gaming cheat TV show Game Guru, when the first series re-aired on Sky One in the early mornings, all "Guru" graphic sequences were replaced with the second series to keep in line with the new character. Even though mentions of it remain during the live-action sequences.
s were Sally-Ann Howard & Jezz Wright who also Series Produced and Directed the first series. When Jezz left the duties of Series Editor
and Series Producer
went to Viv Ellis and Andrew Forgham respectively. Only Andrew Forgham had any previous experience in videogames television, having worked on Game Over for .tv as well as LanJam for Children’s ITV
. Viv Ellis devised and produced 'Cybernet
' for ITV
.
. Jamie and Darren would introduce the various segments of the show, which would then be presented by another presenter.
Though shot in what looked like a studio, it was actually a TV studio sound stage
setup. To avoid the costs of the former (especially the hire costs of a three camera setup
, complete with broadcast cameramen and a vision mixer
), the show was filmed with two cameras. A Sony DSR-500 as the primary, and the cheaper Sony PD-150 for cutaways. This made most of the studio segments (which represented over 80% of the show) very simple and cheap to cut together in post-production
.
All of the on-screen G-Team were actually the show's production team.
.
or tips sent in by viewers, and was made to look like a mystic or a druid
who claimed to have infinite knowledge. He was a comedy character who would often mock the viewers, calling them "Maggots" before giving out the cheats
, and appearing to be constantly exasperated by the 'worthless' questions from viewers and the 'stupidity' of the two main presenters.
In a Jolt TV review of the series, it was stated, "Gamezville is appalling, and does no favours whatsoever to the games industry". http://www.jolt.co.uk/index.php?articleid=995
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
that ran for two series during the years 2003-2004. It was presented by models
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
- Darren Malcolm and Jamie Atiko. The non-studio segments of the show were also shown in the United States between 2003 and 2004 on the digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
channel Nickelodeon GAS
Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids
Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids was an American cable television network that was part of MTV Networks's suite of digital cable channels. The channel was available to all Digital cable providers and satellite provider Dish Network...
as part of a Saturday night gaming block, under the show title Play 2Z. In this version, some segments were redubbed with an American voice. In 2005 the TV show was cancelled.
Conception
The first series was commissioned by Sky OneSky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
, in the summer of 2003. The channel had been looking for a new videogaming series since the disappointment that was Blam!, an advertorial
Advertorial
An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of an editorial. The term "advertorial" is a portmanteau of "advertisement" and "editorial." Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946....
show for Gameplay.com, that aired in 2000. The production company that was selected was Shine Limited
Shine Limited
Shine Limited is a British media production company with offices in London and Manchester....
, which was set up by former BSkyB executive Elisabeth Murdoch
Elisabeth Murdoch (businesswoman)
Elisabeth Murdoch is an executive in the British television industry and a daughter of international media mogul Rupert Murdoch...
after she quit as broadcaster. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/734855.stm
As part of the unofficial terms of her severance package
Severance package
A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:* An additional payment based on months of service...
, Shine
Shine Limited
Shine Limited is a British media production company with offices in London and Manchester....
was promised several hundred hours of commissioned programming. Jezz Wright, who was then editor of the Lifestyle & Features department at Shine
Shine Limited
Shine Limited is a British media production company with offices in London and Manchester....
was tasked with coming up with a format that would produce multiple hours of output per week. The budget was challenging so it had to be a simple format whereby, to keep costs down, two or three could be recorded in a day. This would ensure the programme maintained a considerable profit margin
Profit margin
Profit margin, net margin, net profit margin or net profit ratio all refer to a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue.Net profit Margin = x100...
from the production budget
Production budget
A film production budget determines how much money will be spent on the entire film project. It involves the identification and estimation of cost items for each phase of filmmaking ....
.
It is for this reason that Gamezville ended up being an hour-long show , five times a week. Jezz Wright, who came from a TV news background conceived Gamezville as a zoo type format whereby the production team would play as much a part on camera as they would off it. A 'newsroom' environment would be created that would serve as the off air production office and the on screen newsroom. Every day, the show would have a mix of reviews, news, features and characters, all encased in a heavily graffitied studio presented by real gamers in a rough 'n ready sense rather than the traditionally contrived 'kids tv' type presenting.
The show suffered from being a daily 60 minute production. With only a finite amount of news and reviews to cover each week, items and features were sometimes stretched and games that never really should have been featured that prominently had significant airtime. Although the strategy may have not pleased all videogaming fans who watched the show, the approach taken by the production meant that apart from keeping costs low the series showcased new talent and originated some innovative strands.
Cellcast complaint
"The Guru" segment of the show was previously titled "The Gamez Guru" in the first series. But due to a complaint from CellcastCellcast Group
Cellcast Group is a broadcasting company based in the United Kingdom. It is often associated with Square 1 Management Ltd, especially on DTT. They operate mainly Chat and Adult channels on Satellite and Digital Terrestrial Television . They first started operating in 2002, when their flagship...
who claimed it infringed on the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
of their own long running gaming cheat TV show Game Guru, when the first series re-aired on Sky One in the early mornings, all "Guru" graphic sequences were replaced with the second series to keep in line with the new character. Even though mentions of it remain during the live-action sequences.
Cast and crew
The show's Executive ProducerExecutive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s were Sally-Ann Howard & Jezz Wright who also Series Produced and Directed the first series. When Jezz left the duties of Series Editor
Line producer
A line producer is the key manager during the daily operations of a motion picture production.The line producer supports the vision given by the director but does not have direct influence on the creative expression or narrative of the film....
and Series Producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
went to Viv Ellis and Andrew Forgham respectively. Only Andrew Forgham had any previous experience in videogames television, having worked on Game Over for .tv as well as LanJam for Children’s ITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
. Viv Ellis devised and produced 'Cybernet
Cybernet
Cybernet was a weekly video gaming magazine programme, originally broadcast overnight on the ITV network in the United Kingdom. The programme was commissioned by Yorkshire Television and produced by Capricorn Programmes and also aired on GBC TV in Gibraltar...
' for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
.
| Crew Position | |
|---|---|
| Presented by Presenter A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show... |
Jamie Atiko Darren Malcolm Matt Cuttle Mo Ramzan Sarah Rees Guy Buckland Simon Alveranga Andrew Forgham |
| Directed by Television director A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the... |
Jezz Wright Matt Cuttle Matt Percival Andrew Forgham |
| Assistant director Assistant director The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew... |
Sarah Mcnally |
| Produced by Television producer The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking... |
Guy Buckland Matt Percival Matt Cuttle Andrew Forgham Debbie Hunt Mo Ramzan Simon Alveranga |
| Written by Writer A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images.... |
Matt Cuttle Matt Percival Andrew Forgham Simon Alveranga Mo Ramzan Guy Buckland |
| Executive Producer Executive producer An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production... |
Sally-Ann Howard Jezz Wright Viv Ellis |
| Production design Production designer In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the... |
Jane Carroll |
| Production management Production management Theatrical production management is a sub-division of stagecraft. The production management team is responsible for realizing the visions of the producer and the director or choreographer within constraints of technical possibility... |
Ali Trott Mel Moore |
| PR Manager Public relations Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc.... |
Adam Lyons Adam Lyons -Biography:Lyons claims he had limited success with women until his mid-twenties, and was voted 'least likely to ever get a girlfriend' in school by his classmates at age 15. As a teenager, he was obsessed with Star Wars, Magic The Gathering, Star Trek and especially the role-playing and strategy... |
| Gamez Monkey Researcher A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:... |
Kevin O'Connor |
| Sound | Stephen Richardson |
| Camera Camera operator A camera operator or cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer, depending on... and electrical department |
Toby Wilkinson |
| Runner | Kriss Sprules |
Format
The show was filmed in a large set, with audience members on set and near the presenters in a manner similar to Top GearTop Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
. Jamie and Darren would introduce the various segments of the show, which would then be presented by another presenter.
Though shot in what looked like a studio, it was actually a TV studio sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
setup. To avoid the costs of the former (especially the hire costs of a three camera setup
Multiple-camera setup
The multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, or multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene...
, complete with broadcast cameramen and a vision mixer
Vision mixer
A vision mixer is a device used to select between several different video sources and in some cases Compositing video sources together to create special effects...
), the show was filmed with two cameras. A Sony DSR-500 as the primary, and the cheaper Sony PD-150 for cutaways. This made most of the studio segments (which represented over 80% of the show) very simple and cheap to cut together in post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
.
All of the on-screen G-Team were actually the show's production team.
Face Off
The show would start with the first part of the Face Off segment, where a multiplayer game is used to settle a dispute between two members of the public, or, in the second series, celebrities. This takes the form of a best of three match between the two guests, the winner of which then plays against one of the hosts. Each of these four matches would be in a different quarter of the show. When a player won by all the matches it was referred to as a White WashWhitewash (sport)
A whitewash is an informal term in sport describing a game or series in which the losing person or team fails to score.A whitewash may be in a single game where the loser fails to score any points or goals, or in a series where the loser fails to win a game...
.
"The Guru"
This portion of the show featured the The Guru - supposedly filmed in the roof space above the studio (Series One) and then a disused lift shaft (Series Two). He would reply to requests for cheatsCheating (video games)
Cheating in video games involves a video game player using non-standard methods for creating an advantage beyond normal gameplay, usually to make the game easier, or may also create unusual effects which do not necessarily make the game easier to play, such as giving characters different...
or tips sent in by viewers, and was made to look like a mystic or a druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
who claimed to have infinite knowledge. He was a comedy character who would often mock the viewers, calling them "Maggots" before giving out the cheats
Cheating (video games)
Cheating in video games involves a video game player using non-standard methods for creating an advantage beyond normal gameplay, usually to make the game easier, or may also create unusual effects which do not necessarily make the game easier to play, such as giving characters different...
, and appearing to be constantly exasperated by the 'worthless' questions from viewers and the 'stupidity' of the two main presenters.
Reviews
Members of the audience would be found to be playing a game during the course of the show, and would be interviewed by a presenter to discuss the various good and bad points of the game and give it a rating out of five 'Gs' (first series). In the second series, the game was rated out of 10, though this time by a member of the show, with the audience member just voicing opinions.Reception
Reaction to the show was largely negative. The show received criticism for being out of touch with videogamers who were demographically much older on average than the teenagers the show was seemingly trying to appeal to. The fact that the weekly output was so high, combined with both series running for a combined total of 192 episodes http://www.shinelimited.com/show.jsp?id=21§ion=4, struck many that Sky One was not concerned with the content of the show or the reception it was receiving from viewers.In a Jolt TV review of the series, it was stated, "Gamezville is appalling, and does no favours whatsoever to the games industry". http://www.jolt.co.uk/index.php?articleid=995
Response from video game TV presenters / producers
- During an interview with GamesMaster MagazineGamesMaster (magazine)GamesMaster is a monthly multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom.GamesMaster is the biggest selling multi-format video games magazine in the United Kingdom, outselling its sister publication Edge.-History:The magazine was launched in...
about his new game show When Games AttackWhen Games AttackWhen Games Attack was a British television show, that originally aired on Bravo from 2004 to 2005. The show was created and presented by Dominik Diamond in conjunction with Jonny Finch with whom he had previously worked on GamesMaster...
, Dominik DiamondDominik DiamondPaul Dominik Diamond is a Scottish television and radio presenter and newspaper columnist. He is best known as the original presenter of Channel 4's video gaming programme GamesMaster, as host of The Dominik Diamond Breakfast Show on Xfm Scotland and as a columnist for the Daily Star...
declared that "Gamezville is the equivalent to eating your own shit, the producers must have thought 'Oh because we have black people in it must be street'".
- Johnny Finch, producer of GamesMasterGamesMasterGamesMaster was a British television show, screened on Channel 4 from 1992 to 1998, and was the first ever UK television show dedicated to computer and video games.-Origins:...
, was also asked about his opinion on Gamezville during an interview, and expressed: "I have more respect for suicide bombers than I do for the people who are involved with Gamezville... it's all fucking 'Yo mate...' I mean these guys can't even speak fucking English". http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/2004/10/this-months-edge-magazine-worth-buying.html
External links
- Gamezville.tv -- Official web site through the Internet Archive Wayback Machine
- Gamezville.info
- "The Guru" Fansite
- Sky One Website
- Jolt TV's review of the series