
15th December 2016 Award winning entertainment channel Dave has ordered a second and third series of the hit UKTV Original gaming panel show Dara O Briains Go 8 Bit, extending its run to ten episodes per series. Host Dara O Briain will be returning alongside team captains Steve McNeil and Sam Pamphilon and resident gaming expert Ellie Gibson. The 20x60 commission follows the success of series one, which was one of Daves five biggest shows of 2016.
Each episode, Dara O Briain will preside over five rounds of computer gaming inspired mayhem as two celebrity guests reveal their truly competitive natures and whether theyre secretly brilliant players, fast learners, or incredibly sore losers. Once again games featured will vary all the way from the very earliest, ground-breaking names up to the latest blockbuster titles and advances in technology, while also taking in the cult classic titles that challenge conventional gaming rules. And of course every episode ends with a super-sized, physical challenge that tests the competitors in all-new, ingenious ways.
Dara O Briains Go 8 Bit started life as an Edinburgh show created by Steve McNeil and Sam Pamphilon, and made the leap to TV earlier this year, with the likes of Russell Howard, Rachel Riley, Jason Manford, Bob Mortimer and David James all taking part.
Dara O Briain said,
What bittersweet news. The more time I spend making this fun exciting show about video games, the less time I have to play fun, exciting video games, and Im already pretty bad at video games. In fact, the more I make this show the less qualified I am to be a guest on it. Now theres an irony.
Iain Coyle, UKTV senior commissioning editor, said,
Im so made up were making more of these. Its been a real breakout hit for us and Im so delighted its been embraced by the gaming community and Dave viewers alike. I guess that means my kids are gonna carry on pushing for that revolving sofa.
Steve North, Dave general manager, said,
Its really exciting to be able to make more Go 8 Bit on Dave. We had a fantastic response to the first series, and with Taskmaster returning next year as well, weve got arguably two of the most exciting, individual panel shows on television.
Donald Taffner Jr., executive producer and president at DLT Entertainment, said,
Our team did a fantastic job of adapting a live Edinburgh Fringe show into the first video game driven TV show that has been embraced by viewers of all ages and critics alike. UKTV took a chance on this format when others did not. They have been a great partner and we all look forward to producing the next two series and beyond.
A DLT Entertainment production, series two and three of Dara O Brians Go 8 Bit have been ordered by director of commissioning Richard Watsham and Dave general manager Steve North, and executive produced for Dave by Iain Coyle. Executive producers for the series are Donald Taffner Jr. and Michaela Hennessy-Vass. The series producer is Darren Sole and the series director is Steve Smith. Dara O Briains Go 8 Bit joins other exciting 2017 UKTV Originals for Dave such as Red Dwarf XII, Taskmaster series four and five, Dave Gorman Modern Life Is Goodish series five, Crackanory series four and all-new Used Car Wars, Lizard Lick Touring and Joy Of Techs with Marcus Brigstocke and Alexis Conran.
Dara O Briains Go 8 Bit will return to Dave next year. Series one is available to catch up on UKTVPlay.
END
For more information, please contact:
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications Ben Duncan, Publicist
Pictures - http://pictures.uktv.co.uk Press Office - http://pressoffice.uktv.co.uk
About Dave Sky 111/246, Virgin 128/194, Freeview 12, BT & TalkTalk 12 On demand on Sky, Virgin and UKTV Play
Daves had a haircut and shave in recent years as it grows from awkward teenager to fully-fledged commissioner of new and original shows. And its not just comedy these days but entertainment and even some knock-out live sport. Hit UKTV Original commissions include Taskmaster, Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, Dara O Briains Go 8 Bit and Crackanory, all laden with the biggest names in British comedy. Dave enjoyed critical success with two series of Hoff the Record, a mockumentary ensemble comedy led by the living legend David Hasselhoff.
As well as home-grown delights Dave also goes stateside, cherry-picking cult US Shows including the sharp-witted and sharp-suited Suits and much-loved Parks and Recreation along with Emmy-nominated The Last Man on Earth. This all contributed to Daves award win at the 2016 Broadcast Digital Awards for Best Entertainment Channel.
Dave is the UKs most watched non-PSB channel broadcasting to over 27 million people per month, and viewers continue to enjoy the ludicrously addictive American Pickers and UK remake of Storage Hunters. The channel continues to grow its original commissioning slate with political show Unspun With Matt Forde, Red Dwarf XI, fantasy comedy Zapped! and Celebrity Storage Hunters.
About UKTV UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK.
The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for 9.31% of the British commercial TV market. The companys most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £319m and EBITDA of £82m. It invested £148m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, V
Most recent headlines
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
01/05/2025
WASHINGTON The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has filed a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from firing three of its board members, claiming the pre...
01/05/2025
HONG KONG Riedel Communications today said it has opened a new office in Hong Kong, enhancing its presence in the Asia-Pacific region....
01/05/2025
MUMBAI, India & BALTIMORE In a development that could advance efforts to bring NextGen TV to cellphones, FreeStream Technologies, Lava International and HMD hav...
01/05/2025
01 05 2025 - Media release Screen Australia empowers 100 distinctive Australian narratives
All The Boys Are Here writer/director Goran Stolevski and It s All...
01/05/2025
How PFX Delivered 750 VFX Shots in Just Four Months For Anthony Hopkins Thriller...
01/05/2025
Careline's New Wave Makeup Commercial Shot With URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton May 1, 2025
0 Comments
CAD Studios relies on large format, full fram...
30/04/2025
Film elements held at the Deluxe warehouse in March of 2015. Photo by Luis Silva...
30/04/2025
EA SPORTS FC 25 fans in Australia and Saudi Arabia, get ready to immerse yourselves in the beautiful game like never before. Spotify is excited to announce a n...
30/04/2025
The past year has been nothing short of a whirlwind for Tucker Wetmore. After th...
30/04/2025
Mexico's love for podcasts is no longer a trend-it's a lifestyle. With m...
30/04/2025
Slam poet Huda the Goddess wins 2025 Les Murray Award
30 April, 2025
Media releases
Australia for UNHCR and SBS are proud to announce that Huda Fadlelmawla...
30/04/2025
SBS, NITV and NIDA partner to empower the next generation of screen creatives
30 April, 2025
Media releases
SBS, National Indigenous Television (NITV) and ...
30/04/2025
By Joyce JC Cataldo
The media and entertainment industry is evolving faster than ever. Technology is shifting the way we create, distribute, and experience c...
30/04/2025
An image of Valencia, Spain, in the OneAtlas Living Library...
30/04/2025
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. WPSD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Paducah, Ky., has selected Bitcentral's Central Control playout system to upgrade the station's mast...
30/04/2025
AMSTERDAM Zero Density, a global provider of virtual studio productions and on-air graphics, has appointed Baris Zavaroglu as its new CEO. Zavaroglu succeeds Of...
30/04/2025
The Avit Group, a forward-thinking audio-visual technology company, is bringing over 50 years of combined experience in delivering audio-visual design and insta...
30/04/2025
NXTGENbps will be showcasing its latest sustainable battery power solutions at this year's Media Production & Technology Show (MPTS), appearing alongside pa...
30/04/2025
Van Dyke skates and operates on Shoresy | photo by Dave Ferguson
Toronto-based Cinematographer Brett Van Dyke (Heartland, Jann, Carter) stepped into the rink...
30/04/2025
Leading provider of media playout solutions PlayBox Neo will exhibit a vast array of significant upgrades to its range of smart media innovations at CABSAT from...
30/04/2025
ITV Studios is renowned for its award-winning productions, including the reality TV phenomenon I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Produced by Lifted Ente...
30/04/2025
The UK's presence at this year's CABSAT brings together 20 innovative companies under the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland banner. From advanced infra...
30/04/2025
Lightware continues to strengthen its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives by fostering diversity, inclusion, and community engagement within...
30/04/2025
LiveU is demonstrating for the first time in the UK, its revolutionary technological breakthrough in IP-video transport, LiveU IQ (LIQ ) and bringing its expand...
30/04/2025
Stand: A40
Calrec has been putting sound in the picture for more than six decades and is still pushing the boundaries of audio broadcasting with a full range o...
30/04/2025
Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) has opened its new virtual production studio, designed and integrated by CJP Broadcast. The installation equips students wi...
30/04/2025
Independent news producer in India focuses on delivering stories
nxtedition has supplied a complete newsroom system to Collective Newsroom, based in New Delhi,...
30/04/2025
Connecting the present, building the future
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, will showcase it...
30/04/2025
DAD by NTP Technology reports a successful NAB Show in Las Vegas where the company focused on upcoming expansion options in development for its Thunder | Core a...
30/04/2025
CVP and Canon UK & Ireland are proud to announce the winning projects from the third annual Stories in Motion Young Filmmakers Awards, which took place on the e...
30/04/2025
Leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced that beIN MEDIA GROUP ( beIN'), one of the foremost global sports and entertainment broadcasters...
30/04/2025
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) today launched a new-look website and app, offering supporters of Canada's men's domestic professional soccer league a...
30/04/2025
WASHINGTON In a wide-ranging press conference, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr had both good and bad news for broadcasters, stressing that ...
30/04/2025
TORONTO Cignal TV is relying on Quickplay's Shorts tool for its recently launched Pilipinas Live Shorts service, available to millions of users of Pilipinas...
30/04/2025
NEW YORK Steve Lanzano will retire as president and CEO of the Television Bureau of Advertising at year-end, the group said....
30/04/2025
The news production tech provider nxtedition is reporting that it supplied a complete newsroom system to Collective Newsroom, an independent news producer based...
30/04/2025
NEW YORK As part of a major push to advance the role that artificial intelligence (AI) plays in the advertising industry, the Interactive Advertising Bureau has...
30/04/2025
Uzbekistan Airways is the latest airline to choose SES's network, while Thai...
30/04/2025
Loaded Uses Blackmagic Design for shroud Subathon Live Streams
Brie Clayton April 29, 2025
0 Comments
Blackmagic Studio Cameras and Micro Studio Camer...
30/04/2025
Help shape the future of video creator tools with MIDiA
Brie Clayton April 29, 2025
0 Comments
After a successful debut in 2024, MIDiA is calling once...
30/04/2025
Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee&...
30/04/2025
Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College ...
30/04/2025
Damien Molony will head back to Jersey for a second series of Bergerac, written by Toby Whithouse alongside Ashley Sanders, Emilie Robson and Faebian Averies
D...
30/04/2025
Advancing multi-domain EW operations: Rohde & Schwarz unveils latest innovations...
30/04/2025
Rohde & Schwarz pioneers the future of automotive Ethernet using Analog Devices&...
30/04/2025
Wuppertal April 30, 2025
Riedel Communications Expands Asia-Pacific Presence with New Office in Hong KongRiedel Communications, a global leader in real-time v...
30/04/2025
Back to All News
Mad Unicorn' Trailer Reveals a Riveting Rags-to-Riches Sa...
30/04/2025
Back to All News
Get Ready to Get Wild: Netflix Announces Mating Season, a New ...
30/04/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 30, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that...