With less than a week before the Takeshi’s Castle revival hits screens, many people are no doubt wondering how it will fare against the beloved original series – which became essential TV viewing for hungover uni students after it returned to screens in the early 2000s.
Well, why not be the judge yourself with this exclusive first look clip?
The show originally ran in Japan in the 1980s and built up something of a cult following with its It's a Knockout style challenges.
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After making their way through various bizarre obstacles – many of which included great heights and large bodies of rather murky water – whoever was left took part in the ‘Cart Battle’, facing off against Count Takeshi and his henchmen.
While the Japanese show came to an end in 1990, it was brought back to life in the UK in 2002 with Craig Charles narrating.
It was ADDICTIVE.
And now it’s back, this time airing on Amazon Prime Video with comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis providing a ‘uniquely British perspective’ on the action.
Commenting on their involvement in this Prime Video reboot, Ranganathan and Davis said: “Nothing is more magical than a reboot of a successful show from yesteryear, heavy though is the pressure in bringing back the wonder that is Takeshi’s Castle.
“We are honoured to be bringing back the maddest show of all time to a whole new generation; hopefully they can take away the life lessons we learnt from the original.”
In the first look clip, shared exclusively with LADbible, we can see that things are still as weird and wonderful as they always were.
A contestant emerges from the mouth of a giant shark, dressed appropriately in black-and-white leggings and pink sparkly hotpants – clearly ready for action.
“Okay, I hope he goes straight in,” Ranganathan says in the voiceover as the bloke comes out, while Davis disagrees: “I don’t, I think he smashes it – he seems so cool.”
The competitor has to make it around a course on a surfboard, dodging obstacles along the way.
However, not only does it not take long before he tumbles into the murky water below him, he also ends up taking half of the set with him.
“He is literally straddling that inflatable sausage to the ground,” Ranganathan continues.
As the bloke is interviewed for a post-course debrief, he suddenly throws himself onto the muddy floor in despair.
“Look at him, he’s taking it badly,” Davis adds.
It’s back, ladies and gentleman. Watch the new series of Takeshi's Castle on Amazon Prime Video from 30 August.
Topics: TV and Film, Amazon Prime
Jess Hardiman