Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe confirmed

By Robert Purchese Published 8 May, 2009

Comedian to pick apart industry on telly.

British comedian Charlie Brooker is poised to tackle videogames in a new TV series called Gameswipe.

Telly companies Endemol and Zeppotron confirmed as much to IncGamers, but said that production is closed and offered no dates nor details on the project.

Gameswipe will follow in the footsteps of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe and Newswipe. Each picks apart the relevant subject - television and news, obviously - to expose the obsessions and preposterous goings-on of the industries in a scabrous, comic way. They're quite funny.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (26) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Markusdragon #1 3 years ago

    It was a pretty transparent twitter post though. "I need ideas, send them to an address at my production company that sounds like the title of my last 2 shows but for videogames, make what you will of that, hint hint."

    Anyway, this should be excellent as ever.

  • Rizzle #2 3 years ago

    That twitter could have been idea-storming for a possible show/piece of writing, though, rather than an actual programme we can expect to see shortly.

    Should be fun.

  • smartgun #3 3 years ago

    This equals maximum woo. Brooker is great.

  • danathjo #4 3 years ago

    To be fair it actually been confirmed news until today right? Would EG make a news stories out of rumour?....Okay maybe

    But this rumour has actually been floating about since last year

    edit: and i've just re-read what you wrote, so ditto! :)
    Edited by 1 at 08/05/09 @ 18:53

  • Wyrm #5 3 years ago

    A return to the PC Zone days! Hooray! Brooker is a titan of broadcasting.

  • m0thr4 #6 3 years ago

    @MrED209

    You're right about Eurogamer being slow with the news - three days on and they still haven't run the story about 3D Realms going bankrupt.

  • Ansob. #7 3 years ago

    Brooker's a journalist, not a comedian, but 'sall gravy. So far, the game-related references in Screen- and Newswipe have been enjoyable, so let's hope he can make something interesting out of this.

  • Dave52 #8 3 years ago

    V cool...

  • RedSparrows #9 3 years ago

    yay!

  • suicida #10 3 years ago

    Awesome news!

  • DFawkes #11 3 years ago

    I've loved it when he's touched on games before (as well as hid stints in games mags), I'll be watching these :)

    I'm guessing it'll have more stuff about the industry as a whole, should be interesting stuff.
    Edited by 1 at 09/05/09 @ 11:05

  • stoopidgreg #12 3 years ago

    sweeet! brooker is a legend

  • johnny_death #13 3 years ago

    Sounds like goooood watchin.

  • kinky_mong #14 3 years ago

    Ahh this is fantastic news! Can't wait for this!

  • LazyDan #15 3 years ago

    Screenwipe and Newswipe are absolutely brilliant - a move to at least BBC 2 for those shows is long overdue. If anyone can make an interesting and non-patronising show about videogames, it'll be Brooker - can't wait.

    Speaking of video game shows though, where's Videogaiden got to? That was also an interesting and non-patronising show about videogames, with the added bonus of Rab and Ryan being hilarious.

  • Smiggs #16 3 years ago

    This is great news, I've a stack of old pc zone magazines which Brooker features heavily in, needless to say he knows his stuff. He was pretty much the reason to buy the magazine back in the day. Interesting to see the BBC put games on any of their channels even if it is BBC4 (I suppose it might be bbc3).

  • Triggerhappytel #17 3 years ago

    It will be good to get a proper TV show with a proper famous person presenting, but Charlie Brooker isn't as funny as he thinks he is.

    Screenwipe was generally very good, although I felt Newswipe was often a little lacking. Especially since one of the six programmes was a 'best of' clip show!

  • keep #18 3 years ago

    I would work free for this man, can somebody post the twitter link?

  • StooMonster #19 3 years ago

    Loved Charlie Brooker's work since his days as games writer through his legendary TV reviews for The Guardian on Saturdays -- to his two very good television shows. Another compilation of his TV reviews has just been published.

    Gamewipe sounds great already. :)

  • superdelphinus #20 3 years ago

    the man is a genius

  • amv71 #21 3 years ago

    This is superb news. Brooker never fails to entertain and is completely on my wavelength, whether it's tvgohome, the grauniad columns or screen/newswipe. One talented man.

    [Er, not so much Nathan Barley tho.]

  • Moribundman #22 3 years ago

    @amv71 Nathen Barley is undervalued, I reckon. People just fixated on "Morris" and "Brooker" (or even the Booshers) in the run up to release (or before viewing the DVD) and didn't get what they were expecting. Dunno, maybe you have to have lived in London or worked around those sort of twats to fully appreciate how accurate it all is.

  • cam_guin #23 3 years ago

    @Moribundman - Living in London and the area does help...wether intended or not (i suspect the former) Nathan Barley seems to have been adopted as a post-ironic figurehead of the culture from the area.

    Still Brooker cut his teeth at CEX, used to pen all those cartoon ads in ther back of CVG & Super Play...his gaming credentials are water tight in my book.

  • superdelphinus #24 3 years ago

    nathan barley/ dead set both great

  • Sonic_D #25 3 years ago

    If he pulls this off (as he did with Newswipe by the end) I'll forgive him for Dead Set fo' sure. And he is definitely a gamer. Plus he plugged The Wire in the UK way before it was cool to do so.

  • Hummy #26 2 years ago

    I'm definitely looking forward to this!