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.
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.
HOSTS OF DELIGHT
So, first things first... here's who's involved.
MR BIFFO
That's me. As well as being part of the main presenting team, for better or worse, I'll be shepherding the whole thing as I did with Found Footage, and have done with Digitiser - on and off - for 25 years. I think I've earned the right to be the final arbiter on what does and doesn't constitute a Digitiser "thing".
LARRY BUNDY Jr
Larry I've known for a few years now. He wrote to me once, many years ago, and I never replied. This is his revenge. Larry is an absolute gentleman, a bona-fide gaming guru, and he's even presented actual, proper, TV shows.
GAMEPLAY JENNY
Blink-and-you'll-miss-her in Mr Biffo's Found Footage, but Digitiser The Show will mark Jenny's first real on-screen debut. I couldn't be more chuffed that she's agreed to be part of this. You should really watch some of her Let's Play videos, because she's brilliant... and sometimes she sings.
PAUL GANNON
Paul appeared in almost every episode of Found Footage, because he is funny. Which you'll know if you've seen him on Barshens, or listened to his Cheapshow podcast. He hosted the Found Footage premiere last year, and I had such good fun with him on stage that he was the first person I asked to be involved.
So, first things first... here's who's involved.
MR BIFFO
That's me. As well as being part of the main presenting team, for better or worse, I'll be shepherding the whole thing as I did with Found Footage, and have done with Digitiser - on and off - for 25 years. I think I've earned the right to be the final arbiter on what does and doesn't constitute a Digitiser "thing".
LARRY BUNDY Jr
Larry I've known for a few years now. He wrote to me once, many years ago, and I never replied. This is his revenge. Larry is an absolute gentleman, a bona-fide gaming guru, and he's even presented actual, proper, TV shows.
GAMEPLAY JENNY
Blink-and-you'll-miss-her in Mr Biffo's Found Footage, but Digitiser The Show will mark Jenny's first real on-screen debut. I couldn't be more chuffed that she's agreed to be part of this. You should really watch some of her Let's Play videos, because she's brilliant... and sometimes she sings.
PAUL GANNON
Paul appeared in almost every episode of Found Footage, because he is funny. Which you'll know if you've seen him on Barshens, or listened to his Cheapshow podcast. He hosted the Found Footage premiere last year, and I had such good fun with him on stage that he was the first person I asked to be involved.
GUESTS OF WIND
We must not forget the guests! Some of these folk will need no introduction, but those who've pledged their commitment to coming on the show (availability and scheduling permitting) include:
Stuart "Ashen" Ashens, a YouTube sensation, and one of the loveliest, most generous and genuine people I know.
Violet Berlin, former Digitiser columnist, gaming TV legend, and one of my oldest friends.
Others included DJ Slope, Kim Justice, Nostalgia Nerd, Big Boy Barry, presenter and writer Danny Wallace, and Edinburgh Comedy Festival nominee Imran Yusuf - a Digi fan since the Teletext days.
Octavius Kitten will be helping us out in the studio in a variety of ways, not least standing in when my back and knees give out. She's a rising star of YouTube and a proper gamer to boot.
We'll be talking with the guests about their gaming history - but we won't just be doing dry, dull interviews; they'll also be part of debates - for example, which was better: Commodore 64 or Spectrum? Are Q*Bert and Hungry Horace the same species? - and competing against us in challenges.
Challenges? Yes. Challenges. But no: not like you think.
We must not forget the guests! Some of these folk will need no introduction, but those who've pledged their commitment to coming on the show (availability and scheduling permitting) include:
Stuart "Ashen" Ashens, a YouTube sensation, and one of the loveliest, most generous and genuine people I know.
Violet Berlin, former Digitiser columnist, gaming TV legend, and one of my oldest friends.
Others included DJ Slope, Kim Justice, Nostalgia Nerd, Big Boy Barry, presenter and writer Danny Wallace, and Edinburgh Comedy Festival nominee Imran Yusuf - a Digi fan since the Teletext days.
Octavius Kitten will be helping us out in the studio in a variety of ways, not least standing in when my back and knees give out. She's a rising star of YouTube and a proper gamer to boot.
We'll be talking with the guests about their gaming history - but we won't just be doing dry, dull interviews; they'll also be part of debates - for example, which was better: Commodore 64 or Spectrum? Are Q*Bert and Hungry Horace the same species? - and competing against us in challenges.
Challenges? Yes. Challenges. But no: not like you think.
LET'S (NOT) PLAY
Let's Play videos are popular, but we've already seen those. There are a billion places out there where you can watch people playing games. We've got to be bigger, better, more original and far more ridiculous.
Of course, we'll be looking at games, and playing games, and doing things with games... but we'll also be using them as jumping off points for real-world challenges and nonsense, and strapping ourselves to electrodes while trying to play, say, Jumping Flash.
Without wanting to give too much away, we may try curling with a ZX Spectrum, attempt to build models of Sonic out of a pineapple and some blue paint, try to identify what's in Mario's box by scent alone, see how far away from the screen you can get with a Super Scope before it stops working, or guess the debris splash radius if you drop an Amiga from a crane...
We also want to go big with on-location stuff. Some of the ideas we have planned are budget dependent, but among those we've been in the early stages of discussing are how to recreate Pilotwings, Donkey Kong and Destruction Derby - all in real life, on a grand scale. Oh, and we hope to finally settle whether old media is better than new media, by pitting 90s games journalists against YouTubers in a battle that will need to be seen to be believed.
If it sounds ambitious... that's because it is.
Let's Play videos are popular, but we've already seen those. There are a billion places out there where you can watch people playing games. We've got to be bigger, better, more original and far more ridiculous.
Of course, we'll be looking at games, and playing games, and doing things with games... but we'll also be using them as jumping off points for real-world challenges and nonsense, and strapping ourselves to electrodes while trying to play, say, Jumping Flash.
Without wanting to give too much away, we may try curling with a ZX Spectrum, attempt to build models of Sonic out of a pineapple and some blue paint, try to identify what's in Mario's box by scent alone, see how far away from the screen you can get with a Super Scope before it stops working, or guess the debris splash radius if you drop an Amiga from a crane...
We also want to go big with on-location stuff. Some of the ideas we have planned are budget dependent, but among those we've been in the early stages of discussing are how to recreate Pilotwings, Donkey Kong and Destruction Derby - all in real life, on a grand scale. Oh, and we hope to finally settle whether old media is better than new media, by pitting 90s games journalists against YouTubers in a battle that will need to be seen to be believed.
If it sounds ambitious... that's because it is.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
I've long believed that it was possible to make a gaming TV show which was for gamers, but was also entertaining in its own right - and that gaming TV doesn't have to be dull for people who aren't into games.
I see it as a mix of Top Gear, Loose Women, Games Master, Bad Influence and Tiswas... all wrung through the Digitiser mangle. That eclectic mix of ingredients should assure you that it won't really be like any of those things, but will stand alone as its own anarchic, unpredictable, entity.
I want to prove to broadcasters that a show like this can work - and that they're wrong to have absolutely no faith in gaming. I've given up hope that they'll give it to us, which is why I'm taking it upon myself to make my own - recruiting a team I trust and believe in.
Obviously, with all the in mind, Digitiser The Show is potentially going to be expensive.
I've learned how to stretch a budget through doing Found Footage, but this won't have the same challenging, lo-fi, aesthetic. We're setting our initial target relatively low. If that's all we raise... you'll still get something, of course - we have contingency plans! But the more we make, the better we're going to be able to realise our grand ambition. If you can afford to back it, consider yourself part of the team. If you can't afford to back it, but still want to see a show like this, please help spread the word. We'll still appreciate it.
We're not in this to make money, or get famous. I'm doing it because I want the sort of gaming show which currently doesn't exist - and perhaps never has. I see no other way to make it happen unless we all pull together to realise it ourselves. This could be our one chance.
I've long believed that it was possible to make a gaming TV show which was for gamers, but was also entertaining in its own right - and that gaming TV doesn't have to be dull for people who aren't into games.
I see it as a mix of Top Gear, Loose Women, Games Master, Bad Influence and Tiswas... all wrung through the Digitiser mangle. That eclectic mix of ingredients should assure you that it won't really be like any of those things, but will stand alone as its own anarchic, unpredictable, entity.
I want to prove to broadcasters that a show like this can work - and that they're wrong to have absolutely no faith in gaming. I've given up hope that they'll give it to us, which is why I'm taking it upon myself to make my own - recruiting a team I trust and believe in.
Obviously, with all the in mind, Digitiser The Show is potentially going to be expensive.
I've learned how to stretch a budget through doing Found Footage, but this won't have the same challenging, lo-fi, aesthetic. We're setting our initial target relatively low. If that's all we raise... you'll still get something, of course - we have contingency plans! But the more we make, the better we're going to be able to realise our grand ambition. If you can afford to back it, consider yourself part of the team. If you can't afford to back it, but still want to see a show like this, please help spread the word. We'll still appreciate it.
We're not in this to make money, or get famous. I'm doing it because I want the sort of gaming show which currently doesn't exist - and perhaps never has. I see no other way to make it happen unless we all pull together to realise it ourselves. This could be our one chance.
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
The ultimate reward, of course, is the show itself. However, we'll also be offering a bunch of actual rewards to backers - t-shirts, tickets, DVDs and posters, plus a bunch of digital exclusives, including a special episode, a brand new Man's Daddy Joke Book - and more.
A lot of these will be going out early - before the show launches - as soon as we're funded and Found Footage backers have received their DVDs of that series. This way, we'll know exactly what we have to play with budget-wise, and ensure it doesn't spiral out of control. Some of the rewards are strictly limited, so be sure to get in early.
The campaign goes live tomorrow morning at 7am, and will last 30 days. As is the way with most crowd-funding, you won't be charged immediately - and there's a two week period following the end of funding for you to fulfil your pledge.
I'm really, really excited at the possibility and potential of Digitiser The Show. It feels like it's the right time. There's an over-saturation of YouTubers all doing very similar things, the only games show we really have on TV is Go 8-Bit - which is a game show, not a gaming magazine show - or the occasional rather dry bit on BBC iPlayer.
I get the sense that we're all hungry for this. I want to make a show that you all love, but I also want to make one that's true to me, and true to the spirit of Digitiser. I've thought long and hard about how to make this work, and I'm confident I know how to do it.
Now - with your help - it's time to make proper gaming TV a reality again.
The ultimate reward, of course, is the show itself. However, we'll also be offering a bunch of actual rewards to backers - t-shirts, tickets, DVDs and posters, plus a bunch of digital exclusives, including a special episode, a brand new Man's Daddy Joke Book - and more.
A lot of these will be going out early - before the show launches - as soon as we're funded and Found Footage backers have received their DVDs of that series. This way, we'll know exactly what we have to play with budget-wise, and ensure it doesn't spiral out of control. Some of the rewards are strictly limited, so be sure to get in early.
The campaign goes live tomorrow morning at 7am, and will last 30 days. As is the way with most crowd-funding, you won't be charged immediately - and there's a two week period following the end of funding for you to fulfil your pledge.
I'm really, really excited at the possibility and potential of Digitiser The Show. It feels like it's the right time. There's an over-saturation of YouTubers all doing very similar things, the only games show we really have on TV is Go 8-Bit - which is a game show, not a gaming magazine show - or the occasional rather dry bit on BBC iPlayer.
I get the sense that we're all hungry for this. I want to make a show that you all love, but I also want to make one that's true to me, and true to the spirit of Digitiser. I've thought long and hard about how to make this work, and I'm confident I know how to do it.
Now - with your help - it's time to make proper gaming TV a reality again.
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