This will be a brief post, because I’ve fallen behind on my schedule, but here are three British TV classics that I enjoyed as a child and think you might enjoy as well. Here we go!
1. The Crystal Maze
This show is unlike any game show that’s on TV today. The closest competition would be Legends of the Hidden Temple or maybe Fear Factor. Each episode had a group of 6 competitors that would work together to accomplish challenges in order to win small crystal globes- for each globe they won, they had an extra five seconds in “The Crystal Dome” where they could grab at silver and gold paper tokens that giant fans blew around them. In the end, they had to collect at least 100 gold tokens to win– and every silver token counted against them.
The real impressive part of this show was the sets and the challenges– there were different zones throughout the Maze and each was developed and built to last, not merely some cheap construction that would last one episode. Each challenge was complex and ranged from memory to balance to strength and more. I wish today’s reality TV shows had more in common with “The Crystal Maze” (though granted, Survivor does have whole islands for this type of stuff. It’s not the same as a Crystal Maze though…) Here’s an episode. Enjoy.
2. Art Attack
This show would come on Disney Channel when I was a kid and honestly, I took it for granted. Looking back, it really is a unique show. The lead character, Neil Buchanan, led you through various art projects. Some would be simple and easy, others complex and quite detailed– but all still within the ability range of a young child. Then sometimes there would be giant art creations that Buchanan would make that would blow your socks off. It’s hard to describe it without any visuals, so here’s an episode from YouTube.
(Wow, I had forgotten how epic the intro and the sets were!)
3. Microsoap
This show truly was my favorite TV show for years and years (and it’s probably still up there in the top ten.) It started airing the last couple of years we were living in Norway, on Disney UK, which we received there. It’s hard to describe, but basically this is the premise: Two children experience their parents divorce and get used to splitting their time between two parents, until their Mum meets a guy named Roger and they end up living along with Roger and his three kids as well as getting used to Dad’s new girlfriend, Jennifer. Pretty basic, right? Well, if you’re still not impressed, the world of Microsoap is pretty amazing. Snakes that talk. A giant invisible blue mouse. Crooked walls and a strange small world. Weird cutaways before Family Guy was a thing. And each show was only 15 minutes long– get it? It was like a short soap opera– a micro-soap? Yep. Anyway, I hope you get to take as much whimsical delight from this old British show as I did and still do. Season One, Episode One.