GamesMaster: The Oral History

The definitive history of the iconic ‘90s videogame TV show, written by host Dominik Diamond.

GamesMaster: An Oral History charts the highs and lows of Channel 4’s anarchic UK videogames entertainment show. Guided by show host Dominik Diamond and with a foreword by one-time games playing champion Robbie Williams, GamesMaster: An Oral History features over forty contributors including production crew, celebrity guests and the games-playing members of the public who became either playground heroes or defeated outcasts vying for the iconic Golden Joystick prize.

Spanning seven chapters covering each of the show’s distinctly themed series, the book documents the instant and phenomenal success of the show, the creativity behind its inception, and the ups and downs experienced behind the scenes. The lineup includes: Dominik Diamond (show host), Robbie Williams, Dexter Fletcher, Jane Hewland (executive producer), Mike Miller (head of sport, Channel 4), Dave 'The Games Animal’ Perry (commentator), Jonny Ffinch (producer), Danielle Woodyatt (Virgin Games), Violet Berlin, Pat Sharp, Vic Reeves, Uri Geller, John Regis MBE, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring, Zig and Zag, and many more.

First broadcast in 1992 amid a brash youth television takeover, the ambitious and sometimes chaotic production of GamesMaster is also a story of the 1990s, set against a backdrop of videogame console wars, Britpop, and a curious new thing called the World Wide Web.