Nickelodeon Greenlights The Crystal Maze, All-New Version of UK Hit Game Show

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BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nickelodeon is bringing the legendary UK hit game show The Crystal
Maze to the U.S. in an all-new version, co-produced by Bunim/Murray
Productions (The Real World, The Challenge, Born This Way) and
RDF Television (Secret Life of 4 Year Olds, Wife Swap, Shipwrecked),
all under the Banijay Group. A longtime staple of British pop culture
and family entertainment, The Crystal Maze–considered the
forerunner to the current escape room craze–is a competitive challenge
featuring a family team who must utilize physical and mental skills to
successfully navigate an elaborate labyrinth of four giant and immersive
themed zones.

Casting is underway on the new series (10 one-hour episodes) which
begins production on the original set in Bristol, England, this summer.
The show’s host, who guides the family through each challenge and
adventure, and the series premiere, will be announced at a later date.

“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,
Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Unscripted Content.

“The Crystal Maze has long served as a staple of the UK
entertainment landscape and we could not be happier to be reinventing
the show for a younger demo alongside our sister companies, RDF and
Stephen David Entertainment. Acting as the first series for BMP’s Kids
and Family Division, the show will build on our reputation in the
competitive game space and we’ve no doubt by partnering with
Nickelodeon, we can build a new audience for this brand in the U.S.,”
said Gil Goldschein, Chief Executive Officer, Bunim/Murray Productions.

Nickelodeon’s version of The Crystal Maze will feature a team of
family members tackling a range of challenges in zones collectively
known as The Crystal Maze. Each successful game is rewarded with a ‘time
crystal’ that equals five seconds in the centerpiece Crystal Dome. The
adventure culminates in a spectacular finale, as the team enters the
Dome to grab a cash prize as it flies around them during a dramatic
clock countdown.

A current ratings smash in the UK, The Crystal Maze has been a
beloved family and cult favorite since the mid ‘90s, with the current
global popularity of the escape room phenomena reigniting interest
further. The show was recently rebooted to great success with celebrity,
charity and family seasons in UK, Australia and beyond.

The Crystal Maze is executive produced by Gil Goldschein and
Maria Pepin from Bunim/Murray Productions, Neale Simpson from Fizz, part
of RDF Television, and Stephen David from Stephen David Entertainment.
Production of The Crystal Maze for Nickelodeon is overseen by Rob
Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.

About Bunim/Murray Productions

Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) is the leading producer of innovative
entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited
with creating the reality television genre with its hit series The
Real World, which is moving to Facebook after 32 seasons on MTV. BMP
continued to innovate with the first reality game show, Road
Rules (MTV), in 1995; the first reality sitcom, The
Simple Life (E!), in 2003; and the first reality soap opera, Starting
Over, in 2003. BMP’s current programming includes Keeping up
with the Kardashians, Total Divas and Total Bellas (E!),
The Challenge and Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club (MTV), Born
This Way (A&E), Earth Live (National Geographic), The
Real World and Ball in the Family (Facebook Watch), Endless
Summer and Growing Up is a Drag (Snapchat), Miz and Mrs. (USA
Network), and Family or Fiance (OWN). BMP has also produced They
Call Us Monsters (PBS), Valentine Road (HBO), Pedro (MTV)
and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical (HBO) for BMP
Films. Based in Glendale, CA, the company was founded in 1987 by
Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into
the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined
Banijay Group in 2010.

About Nickelodeon:

Nickelodeon, now in its 40^th year, is the number-one
entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by
putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television
programming and production in the United States and around the world,
plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing
and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.
Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks
of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

Contacts

Ariana Urbont (Nickelodeon)
Ariana.urbont@nick.com

Kate
Humphreys (Banijay)
k.humphreys@banijay.com