Home
Contact us
GamesMasterLive.co.uk
 

GAMESMASTER

SEASON 2

     
 
 
                       
GamesMaster - Season 2GamesMaster: Season 2
Broadcast:
C4 6.30pm, October 1992
Number of Shows:
26
Location:
Oil Rig

Games Master had been a huge ratings winner for Channel 4 and so unsurprisingly they commissioned a new series to last 26 weeks, running from October 1992 to March 1993. The series started in spectacular fashion at 6.30pm on Thursday 1st October 1992 by introducing a normal Series 1 episode of the show with lots of technical faults through Dominik's introduction, before it shut down completely and 'terminated'. A load up screen came up saying 'Games Master Level 2 à Loading' and booted up a very impressive set of opening titles that featured a helicopter flying to an oil-rig that was the Games Master Holiday Resort. The very talented Daemion Barry composed the music to accompany it along with all the other incidental music for the show.

The reason that the show was now set aboard a disused Oil Rig was that it was the basis that the show had jumped to a 'new level' just like a video game. This was masterminded by the Producer/Director team and was truly inspirational in terms of style. Of course it wasn't actually filmed on an Oil Rig, but instead at Sunbury Pumphouse, a disused water pumping station in London. It was a truly brilliant location to use and was perfect to host the show in every way with its staggeringly long staircases, smoke filled pits and audiences stretching right up to the top with monitors, lights and surrounding flames. Also at the very top was the familiar cromakey 'monitor' where The Games Master would introduce the challenges.

Dominik would appear at the start of each show usually decked out in a bright orange boiler suit, coming straight off of meeting the new arrivals from the helicopter. However underneath that boiler suit was the one thing that made this series sheer hell for Mr Diamond - the 'Red Jacket', Dom wasn't too happy at being made to wear it you see. After the introduction, that would occasionally have a chopper gag or two in, we would be handed to The Games Master based at his offshore machinery location. A lot of humorous touches would be added to the links with seagulls pestering him or lightning occurring, and even at Christmas he got a little red hat to join in the celebrations.

The first games playing challenge on the show was on the most popular beat 'em up of all time, Street fighter II with the series finishing on the main competition to Street fighter, Mortal Kombat. There were a lot of exclusive games to appear on the show, months before they were released in the shops, so it really was quite exclusive in content. The challenge winners would be awarded the prestigious Golden Joystick by the mysterious Diver, who would come from depths of the Pit to reward the winners. However, when someone played spectacularly awful at a game, the Diver, by order of old Chrome Dome, would send them down into the Pit. One such case was with Lisa who had failed her challenge on The Adams Family and was sent down. However, the following week her boyfriend came to take on a challenge in order to release her and did so!

The challenge commentators this season included; Tim Boon from CVG Magazine, Dave Perry from Sega Pro Magazine, Frank O'Connor, Jeremy Daldry, Vyvian Nodge from Game Zone Magazine, Steve Casey, researcher for the show, Tom Watson from Renegade, Neil West from Sega Pro Magazine and Keith Pullen.

Outside of the show, the popularity of Games Master made way for a three day Games Master Live! Event at the Birmingham NEC on 4th, 5th and 6th of December 1992. There were games to play, rides to enjoy and lasers to shoot in arenas, but the main focus was on a special live edition of Games Master where Dominik Diamond, on a specially built Rig mock-up set, audience to play on the brand new Sonic 2 game as well as other games. Patrick Moore was there as well in Games Master disguise to introduce the challenges and to sign autographs in real bloke mode as well. Over 75,000 people attended the three day video gaming orgy and basked in its entertainment glory.

Games Master Live! Also unleashed a new magazine made by the ultimate publishers for video games magazines, Future Publishing. That magazine was of course Games Master Magazine and was officially released in the shops on the 2nd December 1992 by then-Editor, Jim Douglas. It even had its own TV commercial, which you wouldn't find done for new magazines nowadays. The magazine was hugely tied into the show in style and looks, incorporating the machinery bits and bobs into its pages. It also had a column written by Dominik Diamond and a TV section that revealed what was to come onto the show for the four weeks ahead. Still as popular 10 years on, Games Master Magazine proved that it could stand on its own two feet and is now under the capable hands of Editor, Robin Always.

Like the previous series, Games Master still had a Fan Club running and new members to join this time received two signed autograph prints of Dom and Patrick, a stopwatch, a fan club magazine, a window sticker and a copy of the latest issue of Games Master Magazine. Other limited edition merchandise that fans could get their hands on included binders for GM Mags and two specially made t-shirts featuring the logo and Patrick Moore in GM guise.

Back to the TV show and at the end of the series, it finished with an explosion on the rig caused by Auntie Marisha blowing up the brand new pine fitted kitchen. Breaking from the normal tradition to the closing of a show with Dom and the Diver going down into the Pit, Dominik did some fantastic 'Star Trek' swaying announcing "It's a disaster of epic proportions and if there are any old age pensioners on the rig, I'm getting off first," before running up the stairway with the diver, and the audience screaming and trying to escape. That was the end of Games Master 2, but the memories of it shall remain, as it was a joy to watch and remains one of my favourite series.

Rating - 97% Season 2 Judgement Rating - 97%

Dominik may have hated it for a certain jacket that was red, but there is no questioning that this series was a pinnacle in early 90's TV entertainment. From the opening credits of the helicopter flying onto the virtual rig to the closing credits sweeping across the ocean, everything about this series was splendid. Creativity was in full force from the very start of the series, the celebrities were excellent and I actually quite liked the Red Jacket as well. Sorry, Dominik.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SEASON 2 VIDEO PLAYER

GamesMaster - Season 2 Intro Intro | File Size: AVI 2.11 MB

GamesMaster - Season 2 Reviews Reviews | File Size: AVI 2.01 MB

GamesMaster - Season 2 Consoletation Zone Consoletation Zone | File Size: AVI 2.03 MB

GamesMaster - Season 2 Ending Ending | File Size: AVI 1.97 MB

SEASON 2 SOUND TEST

GamesMaster - Music Intro Music | File Size: MP3 925 KB

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------