When G4TV was announced to be coming back I didn’t understand why someone thought it’d be a good idea but at the same time I wanted to check out what would come out of it. The channel was not relevant because of the internet in its last years of existing and it would only be worse now. Especially since many things that made the channel interesting were a product of their time. Nevertheless, I checked it out and gave it a fair chance, I was surprised by how much of the original G4 feel and mood they were able to re-create but overall it was just not good. It lasted less than a year and I consider it to be something different from the original G4, and that’s because it is so it gets its own appendix article since this nu-G4 is not G4, just a failed revival. That’s not to say there weren’t interesting things here and there.
A Very Special G4 Holiday Reunion Special
This was the first thing they gave us and it was fantastic, it was fun, nostalgic, it included the main people we wanted to see back which was Kevin, Morgan Webb, Adam Sessler and Olivia Munn. A few others as well, and the chemistry was still there, the wit. It felt like the G4 reunion we deserved. This alone made the whole revival worth it if you were a G4TV fan. It’s a nice thanksgiving reunion of an old tv channel you used to love.
B4G4 beach house
Because of the pandemic we got something called B4G4 and the Beach House. The concept seemed cool but overall it was just live streams with contest trivia quizes etc. It was AOTS -esque. Not too fun but could be worse. It was definitely missing sex appeal, that would’ve helped it. It also started to show that none of the new younger cast really had it much in them the spirit or the energy of what the old G4 was.
The Catastrophic Launch Special
I don’t know if this was edited to a shorter version for the tv channel but the full unedited online version is tough to watch because of how long it is. Some segments are great and really enjoyable but to get to them you have to suffer through a bunch of amateurish filler and unfunny segments and just peope screaming I think an hour special would’ve been fantastic instead of trying to make it as long as it was at 4 hours.
nu Xplay
Well it always feels like X-Play when Adam sessler is talking and that’s because he IS X-Play. His reviews and commentary were exactly like what you’d expect from him and he delivered. Adam did all he could and brought all he could to the show and because of that at times it feels like what X-Play should be. The set looked pretty awesome but at the same time in parts it looked like a streamer set and not the same. The long form reviews and long episodes that they had were not what X-Play was and it felt weird. I don’t think the old format would’ve worked either but something could’ve been built around that. It really should’ve had a different name and it felt amateurish and like a video podcast. It didn’t ave the same energy or feel the same as a gaming show.
Sometimes it did feel like classic G4 but it felt odd with the new hosts. The Completionist for example had some fun segments but they felt like a youtube show and looking at his channel yeah, that’s what he’s good at. It felt out of place in G4. Frosk was never interesting in the show and never seemed to fit. Xavier Woods was the one that perhaps because of his WWE background felt the most comfortable and fun to be there. Other shows like Scott the Wozz well felt like his youtube show as well, it wasn’t bad just…why?
nu Attack of the Show
AOTS had great produciton values. Austin Creed felt like he belonged and while old Kevin Perreira doing the same schtick as before was ok since he “got it”. Gina Darling was ok but she definitely needed to have a bit more sex appeal to help hide the fact she wasn’t that good.. How did a 5 minute segment in AOTS become a 45 minute segement with Around th Net? It’s way too much and not that interesting, I understand it was for those online and they would trim it for TV once they saw who was the best host for that segment but it made something you wouldn’t want to see online. I do love DJ Catastrophic Fiona. But since online you could only watch the online version and not the TV edit I can only judge what I can watch, I mean who even watches regular TV? 2 1/2 hours of AOTS is too much.
There was too much improv, it was too long and not enough skits. The “games’ t hey played shoudl’ve been 5 minutes tops, that’s how long it was for not go for over half an hour on them. It feels they just wanted to film as much as they could to see how much they could use. Kasseem was funny some time but only in some specific context, he’s the other only salvagable new host.
Nu G4 had a tough time in general, the idea of a channel I mean who even watches tv channels anymore..everything they did is already on youtube and of course the pandemic. It needed the appeal of a new generation and at the same time have the same energy as before. And they seemed to be doing that,t hey had some old hosts with some new but the new ones just never really integrated well. I tried to like some of them but it wasn’t possible, they’re youtubers or streamers If I wanted to follow them I would’ve. I’m not saying all of them were bad, I just wasn’t interested. Some were indeed horrible and it felt fake but not all of them, some were just in their own comfot zone and cringe youtube culture with them. Watching some 1 hour versions of the show sadly weren’t much better.
It also felt more like a podcast, in fact that’s what it seems they were going for and it sucked. I wasn’t interesed in that way. AOTS was great in its original shorter form. Stretching it did not help it out just like with Xplay. The sets were cool and as I mentioend sometimes they did nail the G4 way though most of the time i twas with the old cast. G4 had been really good originally with finding new blood even after Kevin Perreira left but not for this revival. Frosk was indeed the worst of them all which is funny since she is blamed for bringing down the channel and based on the research she did hurt the numbers of subscribers after her rant. In the end I think even a perfect new G4 was doomed to fail but the circumstances that they had only sped up the process. A shame since some did get it and some did understand what the channel is about.