The Crystal Maze adds new Eastern Zone
David Farnor | On 23, May 2019
The Crystal Maze is expanding with an all-new Eastern Zone joining its line-up.
Influenced by the historic art, architecture and monuments of East Asia, the zone will feature five games rooms for eight new games, set around a lily pond, cherry blossom trees and ornate vases. Replacing the Medieval Zone, it will join the Futuristic, Aztec and Industrial Zones, with all four featuring a host of challenging new puzzles in the forthcoming season.
It’s the first time a new realm has been added to the show since the Ocean Zone was introduced in the fourth season of the 1990s run. The Eastern Zone has been designed by production designer, James Dillon, who has designed all the zones featured on the series since the original episodes.
Dillon comments: “It’s very exciting to be asked to design a new zone for The Crystal Maze. The challenge, to create a zone referencing such an ancient and beautiful part of the world, and to bring those intense, rich colours and textures to the mix of zones that make up the Maze, has been most enjoyable.”
Richard Ayoade as Maze Master will also be welcoming teams of five celebrity contestants, who will take on a host of skill, physical, mental and mystery challenges, in the hope of winning crystals that can be exchanged for time in the iconic Crystal Dome. The celebrity specials will once again see the teams aiming to win a prize sum for Stand Up To Cancer.
The production of 13 new episodes will include a Christmas special, with filming taking place at the 30,000 sq. ft. studio space at The Bottle Yard Studios, Bristol. The Crystal Maze will return to Channel 4 later this year.