We are in a time where originality is practically nil and âReality Showsâ and pink programs take up almost the entire television schedule. But it was always like that for us. Surely every person at least 19 years old has memories of contests such as âThe Talisman Rescueâ, âThe Night of the Castlesâ, âThe Goose Gameâ or âYellow Humorâ.
The Rescue of the Talismanâ (1991)
El Rescate del TalismĂĄn was a contest that aired on TVE in 1991 and was based on the English contest called âKnightMareâ whose mechanics were the same. The approach to the contest was simple: a young man was blindfolded and walked through a type of virtual scenario (an achievement for the time for a Spanish contest) while the rest of the players guided him to prevent him from falling into traps or being caught by enemies. When that happened, another of the contestants took his place. When only one player remained the game ended.
After passing all the tests, they had to face the Lord of Evil, I think with a sword and reciting some magic words, and, if they won, I think they got a computer as a prize.
This program can be seen on TVEâs Canal 50 Años, and the SEGA logo at the beginning draws attention.
You can see more videos HERE.
The Night of the Castlesâ (1995)
La Noche de los Castillos is another example that TVE in the early nineties made an effort to make quality programming. It began airing in 1995 and was the most expensive television contest to date.
Its development was divided into three parts:
The first was done by car, and consisted of three teams arriving at the castle, passing various tests that appeared along the route and obtaining the OMD (Magnetic Directional Objects) that would be necessary to successfully complete the adventure. The first team to finish the test was the one that moved on to the next phase.
The second part was the castle, and it basically consisted of earning as much gold as possible and then melting it down and making a golden key with which to open the princessâs dungeon. The OMD, after placing them on pedestals, indicated the direction they should take to find the princess.
As in any self-respecting adventure there must be a bad guy, and in this case it was Torque (Like that bad movie about motorcycles, yes), a man who dressed in black and who was always accompanied by an executioner and whose objective was to execute the princess.
I donât think I ever got to see the whole part of the last part, since I was very little and had to go to sleep, but I think it consisted of cranking an elevator to reach a platform and, if they arrived before the princess (I donât remember the reason, but now it seems quite absurd to me) King Folof (Anthony Queen) would give them 4 million pesetas (âŹ24,000).
You can see more videos HERE.
The Great Goose Game (XXXX)
I donât particularly have many memories of this contest, but I found it very entertaining the few times I saw it. (It took a long time for Antena 3 and Tele5 to arrive at my house).
See more videos HERE.
Yellow Humor (XXXX)
Like the previous contest, I donât have too many memories of it. I simply remember being at my grandparentsâ house having donuts and milk for breakfast while watching the âChineseâ (they were all Chinese at that time) running down a hillside while huge stones fell behind them.