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Adventure Game, The

WHAT [cref 1521 NOW GET OUT OF THAT] was to BBC1 evenings, THE ADVENTURE GAME was to BBC2 teatime. Basically, an alien-planet-set game show, where a team of three comprising child-friendly celebs (FRED HARRIS, DEREK GRIFFITHS, MAGGIE PHILBIN – you know the score) and affable boffin-types (IAN “MICRO LIVE” MACNAUGHT-DAVIS, world Rubik Cube champ DAVID SINGMASTER) are forced to work their way through impenetrable series of logic games by human-impersonating aliens (including, at one point, MOIRA STUART). But it wasn’t a simple as that. Wildcards included the Drogna Game involving logic-stepping-stone floorplan and geometrically-themed plastic ‘local currency’ called Argond (the only alien available to ask about the currency was usually mute, and merely pointed to a sign saying “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain”). Later additions to the mix included much banter between the ‘aliens’ about “grandad turning into an aspidistra”, green cheese rolls, and moles, or something; LESLEY JUDD as a two-timing alien saboteur; backwards-talking aussie bushwacker BILL HOMEWOOD, aka Ron Gad; and a bizarre version of tag against an invisible vortex on a gantry suspended in space to guarantee their safe return to ‘Earth’. Which is being a bit harsh, even for us. The bizarre “charm” was maintained pretty well throughout the entire run, bolstered immeasurably when there was someone of the calibre of Derek Griffiths or Johnny Ball to play off. All alien names were derived from ‘dragon’ – Arg (The planet), Drogna, Gronda (traditional salute), Rangdo (the aspidistra-like “uncle”) and Dogran (little BBC Buggy-derived thing, notionally controlled by Fred or whoever – always one of the blokes in the team – via a state-of-the-art BBC micro around a pitch black maze). Suffice to say, if you never saw it, you missed a minor gem.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Lee James Turnock

    August 10, 2011 at 3:46 pm

    I seem to remember Graeme Garden sailing through some of the puzzles with such ease that the contestants thought he was the “mole”.

  2. Rob Morris

    November 16, 2012 at 11:05 am

    Always liked the fact the contestants would enter a lift in BBC Midlands Pebble Mill studio and be transported directly to Arg. This was the programme the crystal maze could only dream of being

  3. Terry

    March 28, 2015 at 9:42 am

    The vortex gave me the willies.

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