The magician holds a dice in El Rescate del Talisman.

International Knightmare Differences

By Keith McDonald

The French and Spanish adaptations make for an interesting contrast with the original gameshow. See the 10 key differences.


The similarities lie in the dungeon. Based on the much-loved Series 3 (1989), the handpainted backdrops enchanted European viewers just as they did UK viewers.

While the French version had a smaller cast and fewer characters, the Spanish version developed an expansive cast. Like Knightmare, several supporting cast members played (or voiced) multiple characters.

The differences lie in the gameplay. In most cases, quests lasted for a single episode. Each team had several 'lives' rather than one, making it a very different sort of game.

With multiple lives came greater difficulty. Despite the set-length quests, French and Spanish knights would regularly encounter Level 3 challenges - some rarely seen in Knightmare!

See the 10 key differences below.

The magician (El Mago) played by Eduardo MacGregor in the first series of El Rescate del Talisman.

1. Extra lives

2. Turning back

3. The set

4. Levels

5. Prizes

Le Chevalier du Labyrinthe board game, by MB.

6. Music

7. Magic

8. Continuity

9. Seasonal

10. Winners

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Computer Images Magazine, which ran from the mid-to-late 1980s, examined how Knightmare was made after Series 1.

Promotional Press Pack from 1988

Test shot of a dungeoneer with helmet in the Dragon Room from Series 2 of Knightmare (1988)

A promotional press pack for the second series of Knightmare, published by the Anglia Television Press Office in 1988.

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The inn, The Crazed Heifer, as shown in Series 4 (1990).

A popular location in the dungeon, Knightmare's tavern was a regular source of supplies, information and gossip.

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