GamesMaster put video games in front of a studio audience and treated them as entertainment worthy of their own television show. First broadcast on 7 January 1992, it mixed player challenges, guests and reviews, with Dominik Diamond presenting and Patrick Moore appearing as the GamesMaster. Successful contestants could leave with the programme’s Golden Joystick.
Why It Mattered
As Britain’s first television programme dedicated to gaming, it moved games out of bedrooms and computer magazines and into a mainstream broadcast format. Challenges made skill visible, while reviews and guests gave players a shared television culture around a rapidly growing medium.
First episode
- First transmitted on 7 January 1992.
- The BFI catalogue gives a 24-minute duration and names Dominik Diamond as presenter.
Programme format
- Players attempted video-game challenges before a studio audience.
- Reviews, celebrity guests and the Golden Joystick prize formed part of the format.
Broadcast history
- Channel 4 says the original launched in January 1992 and ran for seven series.
- Channel 4 describes GamesMaster as the first British television programme dedicated to gaming.
- Patrick Moore portrayed the original GamesMaster.
Associated With
Channel 4; production authorship not fully established in the retained records - creator or operator
Defining Feature
Studio video-game challenges combined with reviews and a Golden Joystick prize
Status
Reintroduced - Original run lasted seven series; Channel 4 commissioned a reboot in 2021
Primary Records
- [**Gamesmaster [07/01/92]**](https://replay.bfi.org.uk/video/29/7826719e-65e3-5664-8989-863491fe0ee6)
- **GamesMaster to reboot on E4**
Image Sources
- All one image sources are not yet verified — editorial review required.
Rights Notice
Images are included for historical and archival reference.
Rights holders may contact Forgotten Archive through the publishing account to request a credit correction or removal.
GamesMaster programme image; reproduced by Retroheadz
Licence
Historical Ephemera
Displayed for commentary and research. Fair dealing under the UK CDPA 1988 applies only where its conditions are met. No permission for reuse is granted.
Caption
GamesMaster's imposing virtual host gave video-game advice and challenges a distinctive television persona, making gaming expertise part of mainstream entertainment.
