We're into the final stretch now. Next Sunday, Digitiser the Show comes to the end of its first run, and I think it's fair to say that over the course of the past five episodes we've come a long way. We've definitely established what the show is, won many of you over who weren't convinced by the first episode, and talked about old games - a lot. 

I'm immensely proud of this series. The amount of work it has taken is above and beyond what I could've predicted, but we delivered exactly what we promised. I'll save the real thankyous for next week, but a quick shout-out to Paul, Jenny, Octav1us and Larry, who are the glue which hold it all together on-screen.

You can't underestimate what a daunting prospect this must've been for them - to walk into a studio of people they barely knew, with immense pressure on them to be informative, funny, and professional. Jenny and Octav1us had never done anything remotely like this before, but you simply wouldn't know.

You're extremely exposed in a situation like that - especially in this day and age - where it's your face on screen. Putting yourself out there takes a huge amount of bravery. The fact that they overcame all that and performed not just adequately, but brilliantly, is genuinely humbling. I don't take it for granted.

Anyway... let's take a look behind-the-scenes of Episode 5.... BEWARE: SPOILERS!

Oh, and incidentally, if you're wondering where Episode 1 has gone to, I've taken it down temporarily so that we can fix the sound and frame-rate issues. It does mean we'll lose all those lovely views, but - let's face it - half of them were from wankers anyway. 

It's getting better and better isn't it? For me, last night's ep of Digitiser is the best one yet. In terms of balance between all-out stupid stuff, chemistry between the hosts, and talking about games, it absolutely nails it. 

We know we've already won back a few people who buggered off after ep 1, but the general consensus seems to be that, well, people just want more. In all honesty, I don't know what happens after the series ends.

At the moment all I can think about is the next couple of episodes, and then taking a break, but just know that we would love to build on what we've achieved, and we're open to suggestions as to how we fund it. I'm a bit off the notion of doing another Kickstarter at the minute... 

For now, the best thing you can do is tell people about this show. We've found a core, passionate, audience - but there have to be more people out there who'd love this. We're well aware that we've made something very special here. 

Anyhow. Time to reveal some of these: secrets.

If you've yet to see the episode, be aware that this article contains spoilers...

I get to every Sunday and think "Well, that episode was a nightmare to edit - at least the next one won't be". And then it is.

Ep 3 was indeed a nightmare of an edit, and the final final version - still warts and all - wasn't uploaded until a few hours before the ep went live (allowing just enough time for YouTube to process it). Before that happened, some of you over on Twitter may have noticed that Paul Gannon and I found ourselves in the midst of a wee brouhaha.

Earlier in the week, Paul had come up with a plan to drum up a bit of extra interest in the episode by pretending we'd had some sort of big falling out. He was going to announce his resignation following the episode, with a special video, I was going to respond - then we'd carry on the charade throughout this week, before kissing and making up, and him rejoining the series just in time for next week's episode. I thought it was genius.

We're both big fans of Gregg Turkington and Tim Heidecker's On Cinema At The Cinema, and they offer a similar sort of meta narrative, which spills out of the show and into the real world. And it's great - it kind of extends the show beyond the boundaries of a just-once-a-week thing.

Unfortunately... it appears we may have been too subtle, and as fun as it was for us to do... well, we won't be doing it again.

I mean, I thought my over-the-top Trump-style tweets were a pretty clear indication that this was all a big joke. And that saying Paul Gannon "nearly dies" in the episode was obviously OTT clickbait hyperbole. Not to mention the fact that the series was filmed six months ago, and if Paul had nearly died, or harboured some issue with what we'd done, he'd have quit long before now. Besides, if we'd really had a falling out I wouldn't have been part of CheapShow Live etc. etc.

Certainly - as grown men - we wouldn't have aired our dirty laundry on social media. I mean... give us some credit.

See? SEE? Aren't you glad now that you stuck with the show beyond the teething troubles of ep 1? And we're just hitting our stride with Ep 2. Which, admittedly, was a nightmare to edit - but we got there (in part thanks to some assistance at the 11th hour from the brilliant Chris Bullock). It was such a scramble to get this done that I hadn't even seen the full, finished, episode in one go before I had to upload it.

To be honest, after the technical issues with ep 1 (which I'll re-render, mix and re-upload at some point), I didn't care what anybody thought of the content of this week's ep; I just wanted it to look and sound okay. That bothered me with ep 1, because it's something that you can't attribute to personal taste. 

This week I've had quite a few people telling me not to take YouTube comments to heart, but I do need to stress that I really don't. They just wash over me, and this isn't just a "He doth protest too much" thing.

I don't get even slightly affected by the negativity (unless it's aimed at somebody I care about); either the person making shitty comments doesn't like what I've done (which is fair enough), or they're acting out (which sort of signifies something a bit sadder and deeper). Either way... whatever. I don't lose sleep over it. 

And, of course, the overwhelming majority of comments have been positive anyway.

I'm proud of what we've made here, I know it's good, it's true to what I wanted to make, and I'm also acutely aware that it won't be for everyone. Somebody said to me last week that we're living in a world of niches, and Digitiser is a niche. It always has been, for 25 years now. 

If you see me talking about shitty comments, it's just what Digitiser has always done. We often printed letters on Teletext saying how much people hated us, so this is comfortable territory for me.

Also, lest we forget, I wrote Pudsey The Dog The Movie. If even that hate-storm didn't get to me... this is nothing! So please... I appreciate the concern, but you really, really, really don't have to tell me to not read the comments. I know I'm old/fat/scruffy, I know my sense of humour is weird, I know some people will think Digitiser is shit. They can't tell me anything I'm not already aware of!

I wouldn't be doing this if I thought I couldn't handle it. And my wife wouldn't let me either. 

​And with that... on with my breakdown of this week's ep...

Well, that was episode 1 out of the way, and I feel utterly emotionally drained. I'm not used to being in the spotlight like this, having so many strangers talking about me or my work. It's really weird and uncomfortable, and makes me want to hide in a tree. But I'm sure I'll get used to it. 

Nonetheless... loads of you seemed to love the first ep, and I'm very pleased it has gone down so well. The feedback makes the exhaustion worth it. It has been one heck of a journey getting it to this point, and so many people have been kind and helpful along the way. Not least the backers, and everyone who has shared it.

Here then, is a sort of commentary from me on last night's debut episode. Beware: SPOILERS.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel, click the button for notifications, and share the living heck out of this. The full series launches next month! 

Bloody hell. Thank you. In 24 hours you not only smashed the funding goal for Digitiser The Show – more than three times over – but also beat what we achieved on my last Kickstarter at the end of the entire funding period.

I sort of don’t know how to thank you really, beyond getting into being a bit gushy, but hopefully you know how sincerely I appreciate this. I’ve said it before, but I don’t see this entirely as you backing me personally… more that you’ve put your faith in me to shepherd something you want to see.
 
The last 24 hours were chaotic and overwhelming, but amazing. We’ve already had interest from a bunch of potential new guests, offers of amazing filming locations, and other help.
 
The brilliant Gameplay Jenny described what we’re trying to achieve to me as nothing less than a cultural shift; showing that there’s still a place on YouTube for well-written, funny, ambitious, well-produced, and original gaming content.
 
We’ve already reached our first three stretch goals – Mr T, me eating a load of goujons, and a Christmas Special, and now we’re closing in on the fourth one, a regular Datablast of info at the end of each ep. If we can raise £25,000 – and I’m actually confident that we can – you’ll also get a scary Halloween ep.
 
When we get to £30,000… the stretch goals are going to start getting a lot more mental. I’ll tell you here exclusively that for the £30,000 stretch goal we’re going to beat Elon Musk at his own game and put a goujon in space. Or, at least, try to. It’ll make sense within the context of an episode. Or won’t. Don’t matter.
 
Anyhow… if we’re going to make this as big and noisy and ambitious as I think it can be, we need as many people to hear about as possible. Already I’ve been amazed at how many old Digi readers are discovering this.
 
So, a quick call to action. Please keep spreading the word. Tell friends, tell family, spread it across your social media accounts. We’ve barely had any press, despite my best efforts – thank you, Gizmodo and Retro Gamer for being the only major sites to run articles – so we have to do this by word-of-mouth alone. But hey; that’s how Digi did it back in the day. Wouldn’t feel like our thing as much if the mainstream media gave us attention, right?
 
Thank you, again. So much. More news soon. Moc-on!
 
Biffs

It was a year ago this week that the second episode of Mr Biffo's Found Footage went live. It was an epic project (that still isn't quite over yet), and I loved every second of it. Given the generosity of so many of you, it was a no-brainer that I'd do something else through crowd-funding. 

Following the end of the series, it took me a while to realise what it might be. I kind of knew I had the whole glitchy, challenging, deliberately-Marmite-y, bum-heavy, thing more or less out of my system, but it was a while before I hit upon my next major project.

In some ways, Digitiser The Show feels like a no-brainer. It's exactly what I wanted - something that challenges me, but also brings together all the tools in my box. To wit: 25 years writing about games,, close to 20 years working in TV, as well as orchestrating and directing an epic 9-part comedy/sci-fi series. 

I couldn't consider doing Digitiser The Show if it wasn't for those of you who've supported me since I launched Digitiser2000 three-and-a-bit years ago, whether it was backing me via Patreon, or on Found Footage, or just by saying nice things. If it wasn't for everyone who asked me to appear on a podcast, or speak on a panel, I wouldn't have felt confident enough to put myself out there like this... 

I feel supported, like there are lot of you that have my back, and that's why Digitiser The Show is happening, and it's a privileged position to be in. Digitiser The Show will be for all of us - and for everyone who wants a proper, full-blooded, gaming show again, one which doesn't take itself too seriously, and embraces the potential of games as a way to entertain.

So, here's everything I'm able to tell you about Digitiser The Show prior to tomorrow's launch.

Oh, and if you haven't already... please go and subscribe to our YouTube channel. It's really important.

No Digi article today. Sorry.

But... in case you haven't heard - hah! As if... - the Kickstarter campaign for Digitiser The Show launches on Friday.

​Freshly announced to be joining the main presenting team is the one and only Larry Bundy Jr. 

Larry - also known as Guru Larry - is, as many of you will know, one of the biggest retro gaming YouTubers around. His encyclopaedic knowledge of games puts my own to shame... and he's very funny to boot. He'll make a brilliant addition to the team.

Right. More coming soon... but in the meantime - sign up below to be the first to hear Digitiser The Show news. Oh, and please go and subscribe to our YouTube channel. That's where it'll all be happening.

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.

Knackered... but it was worth it.

I've done a few of these retro gaming events now, though I think Play Expo Blackpool was the first time I really 'got it'... and I barely had the opportunity to play any games (just one quick two-player go on Asteroids - narrowly beating my friend Mark). 

So, my review of the event itself wouldn't be very interesting - though I was deeply envious of everyone who got to spend time in the sprawling gaming area. I had to rush home early, so there wasn't the time to play even on the Sunday, or attend any of the other panels. I would've loved to have been at the Spectrum Next and YouTuber chats.

However, I can talk about the atmosphere - which, for the most part, felt warm, communal, and welcoming. I hope I get the chance to go again as a punter.

Ostensibly, I was there to be interviewed by The Retro Hour podcast boys, but either side of that I was running from one meeting to another all day, giving interviews, and trying to piece together the component parts of the Digitiser web series Kickstarter (among other things). I really enjoyed the panel, and tried to find new ways to tell stories I know I've told before.

They do take it out of me though. My default mode is trying to be invisible and not draw attention to myself. I'm always happier when somebody takes the spotlight from me, but when I do panels, I kind of unconsciously switch into performance mode, and become a slightly more heightened version of myself. It can be a bit exhausting, but thank Gawd for adrenaline...!

In the evening we had a bit of a meet-up - preceded by a quick last-minute change of venue, which I hope didn't inconvenience too many people - and I remain blown away by how nice everyone was. I did my best to talk to you all and be coherent, despite my brain and body crumbling in on itself. Sorry if my eyes were rolling back in their sockets at any point.

So. That's it then. Mr Biffo's Found Footage is over. If you've not liked the series, because it's too weird, please give The Trojan Arse Protocol a go. It's VHS/glitch-free, it tells a story, has action, effects, monsters, and it looks bloody great. Yes, I would say that - but I'm still somewhat taken aback that it turned out so well. 

And it should go without saying that if you can help spread the word of this remarkable project - which I can't help but feel deserves a bigger audience than it has reached thus far (especially this latest one) - please do so. I'd really appreciate it.

Well, as ever... thank you to everyone who supported me in this - whether it was with the above, you were part of the cast and crew, with backing on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, or by just generally saying nice things. It has taken over a year to finish this series, and if it wasn't for all of you I don't think I'd have stayed the distance. Seriously cannot stress enough that this is a joint effort by all of us - and I feel immensely privileged. You've given me a gift that has really made a difference to my life.

Suffice to say, I want to do more. I've got some thoughts about what form it might take. But I'm going to take a few months to let them percolate as I try to recover. I really hope lots of you are up for being a part of something new, probably in early spring next year...

For now - here's a behind-the-scenes look at The Trojan Arse Protocol.

SPOILER WARNING: Do not read on unless you have watched The Trojan Arse Protocol!

This was a bastard of an episode to put together. Partly that was down to being ill at the moment, and partly it was down to having had much less stuff edited and ready to go for this episode; everything was in pieces, so there was more work to do than usual last week.

Anyhow. Enough waffle. If you wish to discuss the episodes, I suggest you head over to Facebook, where the Brannigan's Vortex group share their theories as to the greater conspiracy. Or post a comment below. 

SPOILER WARNING: Do not read on unless you have watched Brown Mirror!

This has been a funny old week for Mr Biffo's Found Footage. As you may be aware, we finally got a bit of media interest - in the form of an article on Polygon.

Suffice to say, it has had an immediate noticeable effect on the show, with new people watching, a surge in YouTube subscribers, and... unfortunately... a lot of people thinking a) The series was about to end (you've at least three more eps to come), and b) That Charlie Brooker had more to do with it than he did.

It was a bit embarrassing for me, as it did look like I'd gone on and on about him in the interview for the article, when he was merely a backer. Though I do appreciate that Polygon were trying to find an angle that would get people interested - and there's no question that it worked. Thankfully, I dropped Charlie a line, and he is fine about it. Plus, I'm hugely grateful to Polygon for taking a punt on the show, when nobody else has done so.

The effect a bit of coverage has had already makes it all the more frustrating that I've struggled to get anywhere else to cover us... but... hopefully word of mouth is now spreading. We're not going anywhere, so over time I'm hopeful that more and more people will discover it, and enjoy it as a complete piece with a beginning, middle and end.

If you do want to feature Found Footage on your site, podcast, or whatevs... please drop me a line at digitiser2000@gmail.com

The response to this ep has surprised me. I was worried that - because it puts more of an emphasis on plot over funnies - it might turn people off, but it seems to be a favourite for a lot of you. Which means you're finally seeing the pieces of the puzzle coming together.

Anyhow. Enough waffle. If you wish to discuss the episodes, I suggest you head over to Facebook, where the Brannigan's Vortex group share their theories as to the greater conspiracy. Or post a comment below. I like hearing what you thought.

SPOILER WARNING: Do not read on unless you have watched Manorak!