A second TV show about video games is coming to Dave
'Go 8 Bit DLC' promises "lively debates and reviews."
The glory days of GamesMaster might be long gone, but finally it seems there's renewed interest in video game-focused programming. Broadcaster UKTV has announced the second series of Go 8 Bit will begin airing on Dave on May 15th, and what's more, it'll be joined by a new spin-off show that takes a slightly more serious approach to games coverage. Go 8 Bit, hosted by Dara Ó Briain and games journo Ellie Gibson, pits button-bashing comedians and other celebs against each other in various video game challenges. The appropriately titled Go 8 Bit DLC, on the other hand, will complement that with "lively debates and reviews."
The half-hour show will air immediately after Go 8 Bit on Dave and will be presented by Ellie Gibson, who'll be flanked by the familiar faces of Steve McNeil and Sam Pamphilon. Celebrities will also join the discussions and Dara Ó Briain will make cameos to talk about his all-time favourite titles. "After the great success of Go 8 Bit, it's a logical move for us to further engage with the gaming audience," UKTV's senior commissioning editor Iain Coyle said of the spin-off.
Video games are a extremely popular form of entertainment, but one mainstream broadcasters are traditionally lukewarm on, possibly because there's so much competing content online. That's slowly changing, however. BBC Radio 1 started airing a monthly gaming show last year and Sky/Virgin Media now have the 24-hour GINX eSports TV channel. Competitive gaming is proving particularly attractive to linear sports channels, and BT Sport will be showing coverage of the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship Series later this month.
