OR YOU COULD WATCH...

ASIDE FROM BITS, THE HISTORY OF VIDEOGAMES ON TV IS GENERALLY ABYSMAL. BUT A FEW NOTABLE ATTEMPTS ARE WORTH A SECOND VIEWING

GAMESMASTER

It’s strange to think that a generation of schoolchildren watched ageing astronomer Patrick Moore pretend to be a cybernetic, all-knowing videogames being and thought nothing of it. But the show’s weirdness was arguably its greatest strength – that and Dominik Diamond’s withering put-downs. Dexter Fletcher, not so much (sorry Dexter).

BAD INFLUENCE!

The pairing of cardigan-clad Andy Crane and spiky-blonde-haired Violet Berlin was surprisingly successful, even if the Saturday-morning-tv-style ‘busy set’ was a little bit clichéd. Bad Influence ran for four seasons and had some of the highest viewer ratings on CITV as well as some notable exclusives, like an early look at Rise Of The Robots. Nam Rood wasn’t a patch on Patrick Moore, mind.

THUMB BANDITS

Aleks Krotoski copresented Thumb Bandits with Retro Gamer regular Iain Lee, and it occupied a similar latenight slot to Bits on Channel 4. In many ways, it was a slightly more serious sequel to Bits, with a mix of games reviews, interviews and competitions – but sadly it was a short-lived affair.

CHARLIE BROOKER’S GAMESWIPE

Charlie Brooker started out as a reviewer for PC Zone back in the Nineties, and his lifelong passion for videogames came across loud and clear in this one-off BBC show in 2009. Gameswipe was a heady mix of games reviews and enjoyable ranting, but although the idea of it becoming a fully-fledged series was mooted for a while, it currently remains a one-episode affair.

DARA Ó BRIAIN’S GO 8 BIT

Originally conceived by comedians Steve Mcneil and Sam Pamphilon as an Edinburgh Fringe show in 2013, Go 8 Bit made a successful transition to the small screen in 2016, with Dara Ó Briain and Eurogamer writer Ellie Gibson as hosts. It was an excellent mix of comedy and insightful gaming knowledge, so naturally it was cancelled after three seasons.