Tournament
Contents |
Host
Voiceover: Mark Halliley
Co-hosts
Broadcast
Wall to Wall for Channel 4 and Discovery (USA), 19 February 2005
Synopsis
In a kind of sequel to Chariot Race, this one-off featured four competitors - two British, two American - training for and taking part in what was claimed to be the first authentic medieval-style jousting tournament held on British soil in 400 years (though murmurs of dissent on various internet forums suggest that medieval-style jousting was not in fact the lost art implied by the programme after all).
Mike Loades (from Time Commanders) was the historical expert, trainer and judge for the contest, and at first glance it's not obvious why he didn't just present the thing as well. That's until you realise that this had been sitting on the shelf at Channel 4 for the best part of two years, and that it had actually been made in 2003, before Loades' appearances on Time Commanders, and before his series The Weapons That Made Britain. Mark Haliley's narration didn't really hit the right tone for us, but didn't detract from an interesting one-off curio.
See also
Not to be confused with daytime quiz The Tournament.