Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi's Castle

Now, to start it off, this review isn't going towards the reboot itself, which I have seen bits and pieces of in its original Japanese, and I think it's quite good with some of the best Takeshi games recreated for a new generation and some brand new ones too (and keeping faithful to the original Japanese by retaining the Japanese names for the games), similar to that of the Thailand and Indonesian versions. However, the main issue I have with the reboot comes with the commentary duo of comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis.

Now, with Craig Charles in the Challenge TV edit of the original Takeshi's Castle, he was funny because he had the perfect voice and tone to set this show, and he had loads of funny lines and quips. He was the reason why the show became a cult classic in the United Kingdom. Lines like "You Wazzok!", "Keshi Heads", "In the Drink!" and "No winners this time!" never get old. He basically acts like he is actually in the game.

For the reboot, all it feels like is Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis doing a YouTube-styled reaction to the show. All they do is point out what's going on with unfunny jokes and that's pretty much it. They try too hard to be like Craig Charles but fall flat on their face, right into the drink.

Still, you may like their kind of commentary, but I am not a fan. I think once the subtitled version of the reboot releases on Prime Video, I'll be watching that instead.

As a massive fan of the original 80s Takeshi's Castle I had high hopes for this reboot, especially after watching a behind the scenes video on YouTube showing how they've revamped the show with a return of some classic games, while introducing new ones. It really seemed to retain the spirit and fun of the original show, and I was really looking forward to seeing this.

As a viewer from the UK, I watched the version hosted by Craig Charles. His style really suited the show, and while he laughed and joked along, he was never disrespectful.

The same can't be said of the new hosts Romesh and Tom. They absolutely love the sound of their own voices and just don't know when to give it a rest. Their "commentary" comes across as disingenuous and at times downright disrespectful of both the contestants and the show itself, being very critical of both the performance of the contestants with their costumes and even their age, and of the games and the look of the sets. Their "humour", for want of a better word, also misses the mark by a country mile. While the original Craig Charles show was a family show, this version certainly isn't, with often smutty comments by the duo that just come off as brash, which is totally out of step with spirit of the show - such as the entirely predictable comments made during the tug of war game.

I thought the show itself was a really great update of the original format, but unfortunately I could only manage to get through the first episode, and due to the terrible hosts, I won't be watching any more. I'd have preferred a subtitled version of the Japanese version over these two so-called "comedians".

The actual game show is so amusing and has all of the madcap charm of the original series.

The hosts unfortunately made it feel like pulling teeth. My friend gave up after 10 minutes, I managed to last one entire episode and felt relieved when it was over.

If Tom Davis were the host on his own I feel like it would have been just fine - he has a lot of energy and seemed ready to engage unironically in the show like a good commentator should. Romesh Ranganathan with his constant smug snarking was a total killjoy throughout and at times downright disrespectful of the contestants. I felt like towards the end even Tom was getting annoyed with him for bringing the tone down. A few witty comments here and there couldn't make up for the atmosphere of gloom he created.

Again, the show itself, superb. Extremely surprised they aired it with this commentary. It looks like they may be releasing the original Japanese version soon and I'll happily watch that with subs over this.

I had hoped for so much more from these two. Get Limmy in for the next season please.

The commentary falls short of what this awful gameshow deserves,.

There is no way Michael Jackson is the biological father of these two people.

Two episodes in and no tissue paper tanks, livid.

Risotto enjoys widespread popularity as a dish that strikes just the right balance between the fancy and the achievable.

In fact, nothing demonstrates more clearly the near-universal status this Northern Italian delicacy has acquired in modern society than what has to be one of the more memorable lines in recent TV history:

Fantastic Easy Going Light Entertainment

It's Takeshi's Castle, it's absurd and bonkers, an unpolished production that leaves itself open to ridicule. In one game 100 attackers attempt to go over the wall and 107 get through, another event is rated as 140% difficulty. Romesh and Tom did a great job of adding random wit to every episode, with Tom acting the Takeshi fan boy and Romesh calling out all the absurdities on the show and coming out of Tom's mouth. An absolute perfect match and choice for the show. Watch it at the end of the day to wind down instead of some depressing crime drama. Our family loved it and we hope they make some more very soon.