Nickelodeon US enters Crystal Maze

The Crystal Maze on Channel 4 in the UK

Kids’ cablenet Nickelodeon is bringing classic UK gameshow format The Crystal Maze to the US, with a new version being produced by two Banijay Group companies.

The Crystal Maze is a competitive gameshow format in which a team must use both physical and mental skills to successfully navigate a labyrinth of four giant and immersive themed zones.

Reinvented for a younger demographic, the 10×60′ US version for Viacom-owned Nickelodeon will feature teams of family members. Casting is underway and the show’s host will be announced at a later date.

The programme is coproduced by Banijay’s California-based Bunim/Murray Productions and UK-based RDF Television, with production due to begin this summer on the original set in Bristol in the UK. Gil Goldschein, Maria Pepin, Neale Simpson and Stephen David are exec producing.

The show marks the first series for Bunim/Murray’s kids’ and family division, said Goldschein, whose company is best known for its reality output such as The Real World on MTV and, more recently, Facebook Watch.

The original Crystal Maze series, devised by Jacques Antoine (Fort Boyard) and produced by Chatsworth TV, was a hit on Channel 4 in the UK in the 1990s, before returning to the same network in 2016 after an 11-year break.

“As Nickelodeon embraces co-viewing opportunities for every member of the family, The Crystal Maze brings a new type of action game and storytelling to audiences with its escape room-style gameplay and emphasis on collaboration and teamwork to win,” said Rob Bagshaw, Nickelodeon executive VP of unscripted content.