TV Videogame shows: Have they always sucked ass?

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The accepted wisdom is that TV just doesn't 'get' games, but is that really true? Time for a look through the archives...

Consolevania/Videogaiden: 2004 - present

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.Consolevaniawas originally created as a home-made gaming show by BBC writer Robert 'Rab' Florence and Ryan McCleod, with no greater aspirations than making something fun and having a bit of a giggle along the way. It's distributed online now, but in the early days it was actually put out on CD-ROM, as the team had zero budget and not a single broadband connection between them.

The show is the perfect blend of gaming culture and commentary. Blunt, visceral, and hilarious reviews and features jostle merrily along with sharp, incisive and often surreal comedy sketches about the state of the industry and the gamers who patronise it(It actually was the 'Vania boys who madethis piece of undeniable genius). As untamably anarchic as Consolevania is, it actually has some of the most insightful and intelligent gamingeditorial ever squeezed into the audio-visual format, so it was no surprise that the gaming community leapt lustfully upon it with a rabid enthusiasm.

Then in 2005, BBC Scotland wisely signed up Florence and McCleod for a new show on 'proper' TV. The result was a six part series of ten minute episodes called Videogaiden. It exploded in popularity and has just finished its third series. The first two runs were given simultaneous TV and online releases, wheras series three was online only. All of it can be found righthere.The episodes might be short, but they pack more entertainment and relevence into their ten to fifteen minues than most gaming shows have managed in a whole series.

David Houghton
David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.