The Gadget Show: World Tour

The Gadget Show: World Tour
Titlecard (2010-present)
Also known as	The Gadget Show (Series 1-16)
Format	Lifestyle, Technology
Created by	Ewan Keil Richard Pearson James Woodroffe
Developed by	Ewan Keil
Written by	Ewan Keil
Directed by	Alex Armstead Tom McTaggart John Boam David Leighton Jessica Matthews Karen O'Donovan Mark Corden Bob Jefford
Creative director(s)	Ewan Keil
Presented by	Jason Bradbury Pollyanna Woodward
Theme music composer	Suzi Perry
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of series	16
No. of episodes	212 (as of 9 January 2012)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Ewan Keil
Producer(s)	Christine Butler Liz Rumbold Colin Byrne
Editor(s)	Ajay Bhadresa Brian Charles Keith Brown James Hey Adam Humphries Leigh Nicholls Neil Parkinson
Location(s)	North One Television, Birmingham
Running time	30 minutes (Series 1-2) 45 minutes (Series 3-6) 60 minutes (Series 7-)
Production company(s)	North One Television
Distributor	All3Media
Broadcast
Original channel	Channel 5
Picture format	16:9 576i
Original run	7 June 2004 (2004-06-07) – present
External links
Website

The Gadget Show: World Tour is a British television series focusing on technology and is broadcast on Channel 5. Originally a thirty minute show, it was extended to forty-five minutes, then later to fifty five minutes. Repeats have also aired on the digital channels 5*, Dave (in edited down half-hour versions) and Channel 5's Internet on-demand service Demand 5. In Australia, it is aired on The Lifestyle Channel. Until 2012, the show was known simply as The Gadget Show before changing to its current format.

Format

The show previews and reviews the latest gadgets, and broadcasts the latest technology news. The show is aimed at giving the mass consumer an insight into the gadget world and in addition, it aims to give enough information for the more "geeky" or knowledgeable audience, but still making it accessible to the more casual viewer. The show has featured Blu-ray Discs, video cameras, MP3 players, Internet multi media tablets and other technologies. A segment showing viewers how to get the most out of their technology is also often included along with a competition to win anything from £5,000 to £31,000 worth of new gadgets. Each series usually contains a special episode focusing on a particular technology conference or expo. Past conferences include CeBIT and The Next Fest.

Series 5 saw a slight tweak in the format, with the three presenters hosting from a studio base, although a lot of the show still takes place outside of the studio. The studio sections were filmed at The Custard Factory on Gibb Street in Birmingham, England. This was until a new set was introduced and the studio was then moved to inside The Gadget Show's offices located inside North One Television in Digbeth, Birmingham, England. A recurring theme in the updated format is a regular challenge between Jason and Suzi (and occasionally Jon and / or Ortis), typically set around particular gadget(s) and their testing or use based around it. Another addition is that now the week's main featured gadget(s), typically reviewed by Jon, is given a 'G rating' from one to five. The seventh series, which started on 29 October 2007, saw the programme promoted to a 8pm start time (previously 7:15pm), and running increased from forty-five minutes to one hour.

From series 8, there is also a new "Top 5" feature which consists of the Top 5 gadgets in a certain category. At the start of the eleventh series, a new item was introduced, called the "Wall of Fame" where Ortis or Suzi and Jason pick their favourite gadget from a particular category that they think changed the face of modern gadgetry, and then Jon picks the one to win and go up on the wall. There are also several other recurring features (such as aforementioned "Top 5", and 'The Focus Group' - testing products with various groups of people, who vote for their best one) which are featured in episodes on a semi-regular basis.

The show also offers a competition, (answering a multiple choice question, by phone, SMS or postal entry) that gives the winner on some occasions up to 200 prizes.

For 2010, the programme received a rebrand centred on the Museo typeface. This included refreshed titles and break bumpers.

Also in 2010, the show saw the release of a supporting magazine called 'The Gadget Show Magazine'.

Despite advocating HD content and reviewing high definition television sets, cameras and other devices, the show continues to be produced and broadcast in standard definition. The Gadget Show is upscaled on the Channel 5 HD simulcast channel. No statement has been made as to when the show will begin broadcasting in native HD format, however, presenter Jason Bradbury has suggested on his Twitter account that after talks with his boss, it is 'highly likely [The] Gadget Show will be in HD next year'.^{[citation needed]}

In August 2011, it was announced a new series of The Gadget Show would be shown on Fridays. However, from 26 September 2011, the show reverted back to Mondays, due to strong competition on Friday nights.

In February 2012, it was announced that the 17th series of the show will be in a new, revamped format. It is going to be called The Gadget Show: World Tour. It is due to start airing in April 2012. The show will see presenters Jason Bradbury and Pollyanna Woodward travelling the world to test the latest gadgets and partake in a number of challenges. Suzi Perry, Ortis Deley and Jon Bentley were dropped from the new show.

Guinness World Records

During the challenge section of The Gadget Show, the team is sometimes asked to set new Guinness World Records. So far, they have set records for:

• The fastest speed reached by a slot car racer achieved by Dallas Campbell while filming for The Gadget Show. This has since been beaten on numerous occasions.
• The fastest speed reached by a internal combustion powered radio-controlled model car is 137.86 km/h (85.66 mph), controlled by Jason Bradbury (UK) on the set of The Gadget Show in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, on 29 October 2008.
• The fastest speed in a water jet–powered car is 26.8 kmh (16.65 mph) and was achieved by Jason Bradbury (UK) on the set of The Gadget Show at Wattisham Airfield, Ipswich, UK, on 15 March 2010.
• The longest ramp jump performed by a remote controlled model car is 26.18m achieved by an HPI Vorza, controlled by Jason Bradbury (UK) on the set of The Gadget Show in Birmingham, UK, on 25 March 2010.
• The largest game of Tetris measured at 105.79 m² and was played on The Gadget Show in Birmingham, UK on 15 September 2010.
• The heaviest machine moved using a brain control interface weighs 56.2 tonnes (61.95 tons), as demonstrated on the set of The Gadget Show, Studley (UK) on 17 March 2011.
• The fastest speed attained on a jet-powered street luge is 115.83 mph (186.41 km/h), achieved by Jason Bradbury (UK) on the set of The Gadget Show's 200th episode in Bentwaters Parks, Suffolk, UK, on 9 August 2011.

Campaigns

The show launched a campaign for free WiFi access across the country. Viewers were urged to register their support on the show’s website; Jason Bradbury promised to take the issue to 10 Downing Street if the need arose, which it did, but got a reply rejecting his petition after over 30,000 names were sent in.^{[citation needed]}

Presenters

Current presenters

• Jason Bradbury (2004-present)
• Pollyanna Woodward (2010-present)

Former presenters

• Tom Dunmore - 3 episodes
• Dallas Campbell - 22 episodes
• Gail Porter - 7 episodes (due to Suzi suffering ectopic pregnancy)
• Dionne South - now presents Gadget Show Web TV (Pollyanna Woodward - cover presenter)
• Ortis Deley (2009-2011)
• Suzi Perry (2004-2011)
• Jon Bentley (2004-2011)

Theme tune

The original theme tune used from 2004 to 2011 was composed by Barrie Gledden and was entitled "In the Machine".

In Episode 4 of Series 16, Suzi and Jason were challenged to create a new theme tune for The Gadget Show which would replace the current used since the shows first broadcast using only consumer tech. Jason decided that he would use DJing software and equipment to compose his theme, whereas Suzi opted for using Apps available on the iPad 2 to compose her version. After the show, viewers were encouraged to vote for their favourite of the two on The Gadget Show website, with the version receiving the most votes being chosen as the new theme. At the start of the next episode, it was revealed that Suzi's version was chosen by viewers and was first used in the opening titles of that episode.

Website and YouTube channel

The Gadget Show website, which now is part of Channel 5's 5FWD website, contains information on topics and products discussed and featured on the show. In addition, the site contains product reviews, how-tos, news, and free 'web episodes', containing extra material not featured on the TV programme.

The Gadget Show also has a YouTube channel which features special behind the scenes videos and Web TV episodes.

The Gadget Show Live

The Gadget Show Live is a yearly event that takes place at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre in April. The show features an exhibition with all the year's must-have gadgets. The show also features a super theater, sponsored by Sony, which features an exclusive 1 hour show presented by Suzi Perry, Jason Bradbury, Jon Bentley, Ortis Deley and Pollyanna Woodward. In 2011, the show took place between April 12 and April 17.

See also

• Bang Goes the Theory
• Click
• Daily Planet
• DIY
• Gadget Geeks
• Tomorrow's World

External links

• The Gadget Show at Channel5.com
• The Gadget Show Live
• The Gadget Show YouTube Channel
• The Gadget Show at the Internet Movie Database
• The Gadget Show at TV.com