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ANNOUNCING DIGITISER: THE SHOW

14/2/2018

38 Comments

 
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As we get closer to fulfilling one Kickstarter campaign - the epic year-and-a-half project that was Mr Biffo's Found Footage - so we approach the start of a new one; Digitiser: The Show is coming.

Interestingly, as we've been putting the final pieces in place, Channel 4 announced Playing For Time, a four-part series in which comedian Rob Beckett and celebrities are stranded in the past, and will need to complete a level of a classic game in order to return to the present day. It might end up being amazing, but... on paper at least, it's seems to be the antithesis of what we're aiming for with Digitiser: The Show.

Many of you backed, and watched, Found Footage, so you know by now that I don't do things by halves. My aim with Digitiser: The Show is nothing less than a full-blooded web series that wouldn't look out of place on TV.

It's oft mentioned that the gaming show people most want to see is effectively "Top Gear for games"... yet nobody has tried it thus far. Because I'm clearly insane, that's the level of ambition we're aiming for. Albeit imbued with the essence of the video game shows we used to see on TV - Games Master, Bad Influence! - and the spirit of Digitiser.

I'm hopeful that if enough of you get behind this, we can produce the show that we all want to watch.

LESSONS
I learned a lot from doing Found Footage, but I also met a lot of talented people. All of that combined with my own 20-odd years of experience working in TV will hopefully result in a slick, professional, but anarchic, end product.

Obviously, that's only going to be possible if we manage to raise a big chunk of money (the biggest lesson I learned on Found Footage is that telly isn't cheap). Whatever happens, we'll still be making a show... but if we don't reach our goals, it'll just be the three of us sat on a sofa talking about old things.

The three of us? Yes: because Digitiser: The Show will have three hosts.

Aside from myself, there'll be Paul Gannon - a self-confessed non-gamer, who many of you will recognise from Barshens, Cheapshow and Found Footage. I first met Paul last year at a comedy night held at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, where he did a very funny, very warm and likeable, stand-up set. 

After Paul hosted the Found Footage premiere last year, I knew I wanted him for the show.

Joining us will be none other than Gameplay Jenny, who some of you may know from the YouTubes, where her Let's Play videos showcase the grounded, but funny, demeanour she's going to need when Paul and I are misbehaving.

Alongside the core trio, we'll have a team of roving gaming hounds, who'll join us for certain segments. Many of them you should recognise... but more on those in due course, along with more details of what the show actually is. We've got some big ideas, some big name guests lined-up, and some big topics to tackle - none of which, as you'd expect, we'll treat with any degree of respect or reverence.

And characters? It's Digitiser. Of course there'll be characters...

The funding campaign will launch on Friday March 9th at 7am - one day before the famous Mario Day! In the meantime, enjoy the teaser video.
38 Comments
Andrew Armstrong link
14/2/2018 09:52:11 am

Paul, I should both praise you and curse you for this, after hearing you talk I didn't realise that this type of show had been missing in my life for decades. Now rather than just a general feeling of dissatisfaction you have given form to the spectre of televisual dread that will haunt my every waking moment until your show becomes a reality. Cheers for that.

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RichardM
14/2/2018 09:57:35 am

Looking forward to this a lot, as you might expect: it’ll be interesting to see how you, Paul and Jenny subvert our expectations of what a gaming show is.

While I’ll defibitely be chasing some sweet, sweet backer rewards, know also that I’ll be glad to help practically: if there’s anything you need done that requires someone with no relevant skills in another country, I’m your man.

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DEAN
14/2/2018 10:24:33 am

This all sounds like a great idea and absolutely something which makes a lot of sense to do right now.

For it to be the Top Gear of games it'll require a lot chemistry between the three of you - in truth I think this may very well be the single most important aspect.

I'd really like to see something with the three of you together - a proper kickstarter campaign vid with you all in!

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Mr Biffo
14/2/2018 10:29:57 am

The chemistry is something we thought about a lot - as you say, it's crucial - and spent a lot of time debating, and moving different people around, and talking about plenty of potential co-hosts. Knowing Paul and Jenny, I'm pretty certain that we've got the mix right at last. Let's hope so anyway!

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RG
14/2/2018 11:05:51 am

"...the grounded, but funny, demeanour she's going to need when Paul and I are misbehaving."

Can Jenny not join in and misbehave too? Does she have to be the Sue to your Sooty and Sweep? Sorry to nitpick, but that stood out to me. Might be something to watch out for...

Otherwise sounds very exciting!

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Mr Biffo
14/2/2018 11:25:52 am

She's not the Soo! She'll be a part of all the nonsense, not sitting there and tut-tutting. Paul and I were "cast" first, and we realised pretty much immediately that we needed somebody who a) Knew their games, and b) Would fit in with and complement our personalities. Equally could've been a male host, but Jenny was just right for us... so don't go lobbing no accusations of sexism now!

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RG
14/2/2018 12:07:24 pm

I know - it's just that sentence that stood out.

Clive peppard
14/2/2018 12:18:09 pm

There’s nothing to watch out for. That sentence was absolutely fine and perfectly summed up the characters in question. Anything that stood out in it was purely in your head. Stop.

Chris
14/2/2018 12:25:57 pm

So, Biffo is Clarkson, Paul "Calamity" Gannon is May, and "Spinning" Jenny is Hammond. Have I got that right?

Mr Biffo
14/2/2018 12:31:28 pm

Nope!

DEAN
14/2/2018 12:41:39 pm

Biffo - Clarkson

Jenny - May

Ganno - 'Hamster' Hammond

Gotstabe!

Chris
14/2/2018 12:45:13 pm

So, Biffo is May, Gannon is Clarkson and Jenny is That Bloke Off Friends Who Is In It Now.
How many combinations are there? This might take a while.

Mr Biffo
14/2/2018 01:38:05 pm

Don't overthink it too much! We're not literally doing Top Gear - we'll just be ourselves.

Nick
14/2/2018 01:41:14 pm

Hah! Fifth Gear then... Who's Tiff Needell?

treacle
14/2/2018 01:21:17 pm

Paul Gannon already fills a similar role on the excellent Spooktator podcast with Hayley Stevens and Charle Revelle-Smith, so he should be a perfect fit. Really looking forward to seeing Gameplay Jenny complete the power trio.

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Dan F link
14/2/2018 06:36:34 pm

I have no mouth and I must grin! Also drink as I am starving to death.

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Col. Asdasd
14/2/2018 07:36:51 pm

I'd rather see the Consolevania of car shows.

Not really. Cars are shit. Looking forward to this Mr. B!

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Adam
14/2/2018 07:56:09 pm

Will Mr Hairs be a part of this? As one of the founders of Digi it feels like he should be in there.

Also - i'm currently reading Richard Porter's book about his time as script editor on Top Gear. He speaks a lot about the process of finding out what did and didn't work on the show and how important the chemistry was between the presenters. You might find it of interest.

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David W
14/2/2018 09:31:33 pm

Ironically, Mr. Hairs was preoccupied with driving an old car across America.

https://social.ford.com/en_US/story/ownership/travel/traveling-coast-to-coast-in-a-model-t.html

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Chris
14/2/2018 11:18:41 pm

We've found our Stig!

Robobob
14/2/2018 08:17:28 pm

If you're going to be all Top Gear (yes, yes I know not literally!) then you need a faceless comedy mascot to, y'know, give a fair and proper exacting games test standard (and to use to market the moneyspinning toothbrushes and annuals, too, natch).

"Some say his penis is LITERALLY a joystick, and that he can burp the theme tune to Magicland Dizzy. All we know is he's called..."

Anyway, you get the idea with that.

"Whatever happens, we'll still be making a show... but if we don't reach our goals, it'll just be the three of us sat on a sofa talking about old things."

That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing...I much preferred Dave's Go 8-Bit: DLC cheap spin off show, compared to Go 8-Bit itself. That was basically just folk sat on a soft talking about old things, but it won because of its humour and its gentle piss-taking of it's big brother show. Unfortunately though it appears to have dropped out of the schedules with the new run of the main show on Monday there.

Out of interest (and apologies if I've missed discussion of it before, relatively new to the site) what is the Mr. Biffo thinking on Go 8-Bit?

Mine is rather summed up as "nice idea, shame about the execution", but on balance I prefer that it does exist rather than it doesn't.

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Mr Biffo
14/2/2018 08:26:13 pm

I confess that I've not seen a lot of Go 8-Bit. What I have seen, for me, gets slightly overshadowed by the celeb shiny floor show-ness of it - and I prefer the more rough-and-ready Wifi Wars it's based on. But it's fine really. I think any concessions it makes are inevitable and understandable given that it's a proper telly show rather than something online.

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RoboJamie
14/2/2018 10:22:26 pm

This sounds great and I'll be keeping an eye out for the fundraiser.

One concern though - I have to say I question the wisdom of having a non-gamer as one of the 3 presenters. It follows the attempts by previous mainstream gaming shows to have a 'normie' there to explain what's going on to outsiders. Digitiser's loved because it was written by guys like us - not Andy Crane types who had to fumble over explaining what '8-bit' meant every week.

I mean Paul was fine as the presenter for the FF premiere, but to use your own analogy, Top Gear wouldn't have one of their 3 presenters as a non-driving socialist vegetarian.

Christ I sound like a grumpy fucker.

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Mr Biffo
15/2/2018 05:54:27 am

Yeah you do. Now is not the time to start telling us we’ve got it wrong when you know so little about the show’s format, or why a non-gamer fits in. Stop taking the Top Gear analogy literally.

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Dominic
15/2/2018 10:22:02 am

You probably shouldn’t have mentioned top gear in hindsight.

And left out the ‘grounded but funny’ sentence.

I’m not having a pop at you Biffs! Just something to take on board moving forward.

David W
15/2/2018 11:31:58 am

Stick with Top Gear. You'll get fewer letters about the Amiga.

Mr Biffo
15/2/2018 12:21:00 pm

Dominic... "thanks", but I fully intend to ignore what everybody tells us we should be doing with the show, and go with my gut making something that I would want to watch. Because it really ain't helpful.

But yeah, shouldn't have mentioned Top Gear.

RoboJamie
15/2/2018 05:42:56 pm

Fair dos, I look forward to seeing more in March!

Dominic
15/2/2018 10:16:15 pm

I didn’t give any suggestions on how you should do the show.

“You’re welcome”

Mr Biffo
15/2/2018 10:21:31 pm

Well alright, smarty-hole. But you did advise. As you were.

Dominic
15/2/2018 11:20:19 pm

Biffo called me smarty-hole.

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Matthew Long
15/2/2018 12:46:40 am

That little video made me so happy! I can't wait for this.

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Nick
15/2/2018 09:45:20 am

This is all very exciting isn't it? I like the line-up. From what I've seen of Jenny's and Paul's videos you all share a similar... erm... view of humour... if you know what I mean. Not the same sense of humour as such but certainly playing on the same team.

Complimentary senses of humour? Is that what I'm fishing for (I'm a natural wordsmith me)?

And, as for any worry about a non-gamer wasn't Mr Hairs also not that fussed about games when he started at Digi? I seem to remember him saying such at the Digifest panel.

He also said he didn't like cycling so there you go.

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Mr Biffo
15/2/2018 09:59:22 am

Indeed... Mr Hairs wasn't a gamer. We intend to have fun with the fact that Paul isn't! Though he didn't once appear on Games Master as a contestant...

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Mr Biffo
15/2/2018 05:14:23 pm

* DID once appear...

Bruce Flagpole
15/2/2018 03:34:22 pm

Hey Mr Biff...what you should do is ignore anyone telling you what you should do.
Except for me obviously, because if you ignore this then it stands to reason that you'd have to do what everyone else suggests.

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Mr Biffo
15/2/2018 05:18:47 pm

Precisely! We're not going to start trying to please everyone because we're not going to be able to. I'm making the sort of games show I want to make, and want to watch.

I hope that others like the end result too, but - as with Found Footage - that's not really the end goal. I'm going to be putting my fingers in my ears and doing my best to block out the noise and chatter.

Though if they way people have already gotten touchy about this article is anything to go by, we're going to be knee-deep in opinions and "advice", and that'll be easier said than done...

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Nikolay Yeriomin link
17/2/2018 02:32:25 pm

I was excited for this project from the very first announcement but I am now twice as excited seeing a bit more detailed plans and imagining Paul Gannon as a co-host.

I wonder whether there will be some sweet FF easter eggs, weird post-credits bits etc. Although, knowing Mr. Biffo I'm pretty sure there will be plenty. And a really warm, cozy style.

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