The return of the show once dubbed ‘television's toughest quiz' follows a spate of revivals. ITV itself has rehashed Mr & Mrs, as a celebrity format, and Challenge Anneka, while Sky1 returned Gladiators to our screens earlier this year. Five, meanwhile, has also resurrected Superstars and said it will revive Minder next year. UKTV has also got in on the act with the announcement that a new Red Dwarf special will make an appearance on Dave.
ITV's plans to revive its old quiz comes as broadcasters place more emphasis on reality formats and live-events television, which offers more lucrative advertising returns due to the higher audience shares they deliver. The X Factor, for example, continues to dominate Saturday night television for ITV – 10.5m viewers tuned in to the show last weekend.
ITV is to hold auditions around the UK to find contestants for The Krypton Factor, which will go on air next year. No presenter for the show has been named yet for the quiz which has hosted by Gordon Burns for 18-years and co-hosted by GMTV's Penny Smith for its last series in 1995.
The show featured four contestants who were tested on their physical and mental abilities. Mental agility was tested with memory tests and puzzles, often involving 3D shapes. Physical challenges included a gruelling army assault course and the use of a flight simulator.
In a Marketing feature earlier this year, we asked key senior broadcasting executives what shows they would like to be returned to the screens. The Krypton Factor came out on top. The others suggested were:
- Blind Date
- Knight Rider
- The A Team
- The Crystal Maze
- TFI Friday
- The Generation Game
- Quantum Leap
- Brookside
- Baywatch
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