TV - The Crystal Maze

Will you (re)start the fans please? Channel 4 has confirmed the lock-in of a full brand new series of The Crystal Maze...

The series of 20 hour-long shows will be hosted by new Maze Master Richard Ayoade and includes a set of celebrity specials for Stand Up to Cancer.

Producers are already looking for teams of five contestants who have what it takes to navigate the Aztec, Medieval, Industrial and Future zones of the maze. They will face a range of skill, mystery, physical and mental challenges to win crystals that equate to time in the final test – the legendary Crystal Dome.

The series originally aired from 1990 to 1995, first under the nurturing hand of its creator Richard o'Brien (and, of course, Mumsy) and then under the (dubious) command of Edward Tudor-Pole. It returned to Channel 4 in October 2016 for a Stand Up To Cancer celebrity special and proved such a hit with loyal fans and newcomers alike, that it led to the commissioning of the new series.

Tom Beck, Head of Live & Events at Channel 4 said of the commission "The Stand Up To Cancer special was so brilliant and so successful that commissioning a series of The Crystal Maze was almost a no-brainer. And I couldn’t be more pleased and excited that Richard has agreed to become the new Maze Master – he’s an inspired choice."

The series will be filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, where a totally new purpose built maze spanning over 30,000 square feet is being created by the original Crystal Maze designer, James Dillon (who has worked on The Mighty Boosh and The Royle Family).

Neale Simpson, Creative Director at Fizz said "We’re thrilled at the prospect of building a maze to the scale and cinematic spectacle of the original, and our hope is to bring a new vision to the legendary time travelling adventure that will excite the next generation of viewers."

Here's how Channel 4 announced the news on social media yesterday. 

The Crystal Maze will be executive produced by Peter Usher and Neale Simpson for Fizz and has been commissioned by Tom Beck, Commissioning Editor for Entertainment, and Head of Entertainment, Ed Havard. The Crystal Maze is a Banijay Group Format.

Image - Channel 4