9 PM, Monday, December 12th, 2016, Marks the return to British Television of Time Commanders. The Game Show/Let’s Play from the early 2000’s returns!
Once upon a time,there was a TV show. That TV show took a version of Creative Assembly’s Rome: Total War and turned it into a proto-let’s play. It was called Time Commanders. A team of three non game playing contestants, comprising a general and two captains, would be presented with a scenario from history and given an army to command. The general would have an overall view and give the orders, the captains would translate commands to their own units. (And ask the nice man on the computer actually playing the game to make it happen). Meanwhile, a host and some historical experts would offer commentary on what was going on.
It worked. Somehow. You’d get all of those moments of success, gripping drama and the occasional spectacular failure that makes watching games so interesting. The Total War Engine that was originally supplied made for a janky, but charming depiction of historical battles.
Time Commanders was a turn of the millennium twist on a lan party. It was weird, and didn’t always work, and was so very very BBC.
They weren’t allowed to say it was a total war game. They were allowed to broadcast a TV show about people literally playing a strategy game on BBC 2 on a weeknight. In comparison to the modern age of Twitch and Youtube, this was a toe being dipped in the water of games as broadcast entertainment. It was a fascinating show.
And now it’s back.
Judging by the trailers, there’s a slight evolution in that now there’s going to be some focus on the actual historical aspect of the fighting, with weapons and tactics on display in cutaway segments. As well as that, Gregg Wallace seems to know his stuff and is really having a ball about all this. His enthusiasm is infectious. Beyond even that, This season of Time Commanders has the classical era and more, with the trailers having lots of footage of Napoleonic fighting.
And from the looks of the actual footage, it’s as weird and silly as ever.