The Crystal Maze 1
1990-02-15 | | 13 episodes7 Seasons
Episode
Nick Hall (22), Fraser Renton (22), Louise Fothergill (22), Angela Goddard (37), Yvette Mayo (29), Ken Day (25) (1990)
This is the FIRST EVER episode of The Crystal Maze. It was a British game show, produced by Chatsworth Television and shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 15 February 1990 and 10 August 1995. There was one series per year, with the first four series presented by Richard O'Brien and the final two by Ed Tudor-Pole, who made his debut in the 1993 Christmas special. Each show was one hour long, including adverts.
Andrew Livsey (32), Andy Harris (26), Sue Whatley (25), Jayne Fleat (16), Marcia Scott (21), Michael Court (36) (1990)
The Second Episode. The Show was originally intended to be a British remake of the French programme Fort Boyard, devised by Jacques Antoine. However, the unavailability of the French show's set led British producer Malcolm Heyworth to reinvent the show using themed zones as a means to keep the show visually fresh.
Andy Champion (41), Sarah Brothwell (??), Simon Cummins (27), Sally-Ann Ockwell (24), Trever Grundy (37), Melinda Brecknell (22) (1990)
The Third Episode. The series is set in "The Crystal Maze", which is set within four different "zones" set in various periods of time and space. A team of six contestants take part in a selection of challenges in order to win "time crystals". Each crystal gives the team five seconds of time inside "The Crystal Dome", the heart of the maze where the contestants take part in their final challenge.
Sharon Jackman (30), Sue Macey (24), Glyn Talbot (22), Andrew Williams (23), Charlie Baker (21), Sara Marks (30) (1990)
The fourth Episode. The Crystal Maze was one of the most daring and popular programmes produced by Channel 4. The maze cost £250,000 to build and was the size of two football pitches. The show was at the time the most watched on Channel 4, attracting up to 7 million viewers at its height and has been described as "a highly-ambitious, high-risk show that paid off handsomely."
Ian 'Jogger' Jones (20), Howard Fuller (25), Jane Barling (24), Nicola Willis (27), Clare McKennon (24), Vincent O'Sullivan (28) (1990)
The Fifth Episode. Originally, Chatsworth Television intended to make a British version of the French show Fort Boyard, but when it became clear that the fort would not be available at the time of the pilot show, Fort Boyard's creator Jacques Antoine was consulted about developing an alternative format that could be shot elsewhere. As a result, the show ended up using a concept similar to Fort Boyard, but was substantially different in presentation and style. It was filmed on a very large set, originally at H Stage in Shepperton Studios, but in later series at an adapted aircraft hangar named Aces High Studios, at North Weald Airfield in Essex. Channel 5 later bought the rights to Fort Boyard and made their own version, using the original set, running from 1998 to 2001.
