Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle on Prime Video is the revival of a classic show from the 1990s. Millions of us grew up watching the classic Japanese game show Takeshi’s Castle back then, and it turns out that superfan Tom Davis was one of them. Now he and his comedy pal Romesh Ranganathan, who is "a fan of watching people fall off things and humiliate themselves", are at the helm of this brand new reboot on Prime Video.
The pair, who often appear on one another’s shows, including King Gary, Judge Romesh and Romantic Getaway, will guide viewers through the mayhem as over 100 contestants, known as "the attacking army", attempt to storm Takeshi’s impenetrable castle to get to the man himself and grab the opportunity to win one million yen.
Romesh and Tom say: “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 honored 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.”
Here’s all you need to know about Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle…
Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle release date
Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle is an eight-episode series that launches on Prime Video in the UK from Wednesday August 30.
is there a trailer for Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle?
Yes there's now a trailer for Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle released by Prime Video and you can see all the crazy action and obstacles if you take a look below...
What happens in Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle
Each episode of Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle will see over 100 contestants try to fight their way into Takeshi’s castle, battling their way past guards, demons, giant mushrooms and all manner of crazy obstacles. For the chance to get through to the final, the ‘attacking army’ of contestants must take on challenges such as ‘stepping stones’, where they try to cross a lake on foam stepping stones whilst being chased by villains, and a bizarre version of the children’s game Grandmother’s footsteps. And many of the challenges are almost impossible to conquer.
Tom and Romesh will narrate as they fall off bridges, crash into water and find themselves being chased down. Those who manage to get into the heart of the castle face a final battle with Takeshi and his guards for the chance to win a million yen.
Interviews: Tom Davis and Romesh Ranganathan on Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle
No one is more delighted than Tom Davis and Romesh Ranganathan to be commentating Romesh and Tom Take Takeshi’s Castle. This is what they told us...
"This show is a mad circus," says Tom. "It doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s silly, it’s fun and the world needs shows like that at the moment. It was a joy to sit there with Rom and immerse ourselves in the bedlam."
"There’s a lot of humiliation and for me, personally, plug that into my veins," says Romesh. "It’s a complete loss of dignity, which is all obviously incredibly enjoyable, but weirdly it doesn’t feel cruel at all because these people know what they’ve signed up for"
Both Tom and Romesh have fond memories of watching the original show, which back then had commentary from Red Dwarf’s Craig Charles followed by children’s presenters Dick and Dom. "I remember being hungover and it being perfect Sunday morning television, knocking the cobwebs off a busy night out while I was still eating the remnants of the kebab from the night before and drinking Lucozade," says Tom. "Watching other people suffer made my hangover feel a little bit better."
The lowdown on Takeshi’s Castle the original series
Dubbed the ultimate hangover TV show, cult Japanese game show Takeshi’s Castle ran from 1986 to 1990 and starred Japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano. It was rebooted in the UK from 2002 to 2004, with Red Dwarf’s Craig Charles commentating before he was replaced by Dick and Dom. Roman Kemp then hosted a celebrity version. In the show, the contestants would take on madcap physical challenges for the chance to take on Takeshi in a final challenge and win
All about hosts Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan is best known for his shows The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, The Ranganation and Rob and Romesh Vs. He’s the host of A League of their Own and The Weakest Link. Romesh has also starred in Romantic Getaway, King Gary, The Reluctant Landlord, Cinderella and Avoidance.
Tom Davis' breakout show was Murder In Successville, where he played DI Sleet, He’s since starred in Paddington 2, King Gary, The Curse, the Virtues and Romesh’s show The Getaway. Tom took part in The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C in 2023.
