Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis to voice Takeshi's Castle
Challenge show Takeshi's Castle is being rebooted by Amazon Prime Video, with Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis acting as the commentators for UK viewers.
Amazon confirmed today the pair will "provide a uniquely British perspective on the new Prime Video Japanese reboot of the physical challenge show".
Due to launch on Amazon at the end of August, the new series is still based on the premise of the original which ran in Japan in the 1980s. 100 contestants must try and make it past obstacles and guards to get to the castle at the centre of the game. The "attacking army" must fight off all manner of guards, devils, and giant foam mushrooms along the way. "Only the bravest and luckiest will make it through to take on Takeshi himself, and potentially bank 1 million yen."
Amazon say: "Davis, a Takeshi's superfan, and Ranganathan, a fan of watching people fall off things and humiliate themselves, will guide viewers through the hilarious, dramatic, and, at times, utterly baffling world of Takeshi's Castle 2023 with their usual combination of infectious enthusiasm and world-weary cynicism."
The show has previously appeared on UK television on the Challenge channel with Craig Charles, and then Dick & Dom, proving the commentary. Most recently Jonathan Ross has voiced over the Thailand series for Comedy Central.
Ranganathan and Davis, who also co-host the Wolf and Owl podcast and starred together in King Gary, say of the new version of Takeshi's Castle: "Nothing is more magical than a reboot of a successful show from yesteryear, heavy though is the pressure in bringing back the wonder that is Takeshi's Castle. We are honoured to be bringing back the maddest show of all time to a whole new generation; hopefully they can take away the life lessons we learnt from the original."
Amazon Prime Video's Dam Grabiner adds: "Takeshi's Castle has a special place in the hearts of UK viewers, and Tom and Romesh's ingenious new take on the show makes it as incomprehensible as ever, and very, very funny."
Launching on 30th August, the eight-part series produced by Rumpus Media will be titled Romesh And Tom Take Takeshi's Castle.