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Posted: February 10th, 2003.
A source told DVDfever.co.uk:
Basically, I’ve had the GamesMaster site up for about a year now and havebeen campaigning since May 2002 to get the show back on TV. The petitionnever really took off at that time so I decided to re-launch the petition toblend in with the re-launch of my site. I told the producer, Jonny Ffinch,that I was planning to start the campaign again and got him to make anofficial statement so that everyone knows that this is a serious attempt tobring the show back.
Since the statement was released last week, the names have been rolling inand I hope that this is something that will keep happening on a daily basis.I have just over 450 names now but am trying to get at least over a 1000before I can go onto the next stage.
The statement released by Jonny Ffinch – Head of Development at HewlandInternational, and ex-GM Producer from Series 4-7 said:
“The point about Gamesmaster really is that while we at Hewland would beonly too happy to bring it back, I think it would be difficult to persaudeChannel 4, certainly if it is to remain in an early evening slot (where itworks well) You only have to look at the schedule these days to see howthings have changed since GM was on air – The Salon stripped 5 days acrossthe week followed by Hollyoaks, similarly stripped (I thinks it’s 3 or 5nights a week). Both of them I’d argue are female skewed, as oppose to GMsmale skew.
But a less female skewed show is on the horizon because Channel 4 havebrought the Simpsons (they beat the BBC and will begin airing it in 2004)and they will surely strip this at 6.00pm. Ultimately, C4 are almostcertainly heading towards a Simpons/Hollyoaks hour five nights a weekbetween 6-7pm.
However, all is not lost. We own the rights to GM, not Channel 4 and wecould always take it to another broadcaster. To persuade them though they’dneed to be convinced there was a significant audience out there (Channelsare particularly wary of being accused of having no new ideas when theybring back old shows) – A serious amount of signatures on a petition wouldbe a good way to start. I think BBC2, BBC3 or Channel 5 might be worthapproaching.
Er, that’s it. The essential point is that we are up for it – we love theshow and of course, as a commercial company, seek as much business aspossible. The challenge is to persuade the broadcasters to pay for it.”
So basically, if people want to see GamesMaster back on Tele, they need tosign the petition to let Hewland International know that there is enoughdemand for it.
Click ontoGamesMasterTV.co.ukand sign the petition as it is making a difference.
News page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2003.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.