About this season
Bad Influence! is an early to mid-1990s British factual television programme broadcast on CITV between 1992 and 1996, and was produced in Leeds by Yorkshire Television. It looked at video games and computer technology, and was described as a "kid’s Tomorrow's World". It was shown on Thursday afternoons and had a run of four series of between 13 and 15 shows, each of 20 minutes duration. For three of the four series, it had the highest ratings of any CITV programme at the time. Its working title was Deep Techies, a colloquial term derived from 'techies' basically meaning technology-obsessed individuals.
Episodes (14)
1. Update on the Super Consoles
Aired 6 September 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Panzer Dragoon (Saturn) Features: A update on the super consoles; Virtual Violet on sequels; The Virtual Guitar accessory Report: Dave Perry and Earthworm Jim 2
2. Games based on TV Shows
Aired 13 September 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Comix Zone (MD) Features: Games Based on TV Shows; Virtual Violet on Websites; A look at Nickelodeon Director’s Lab Report: Community access cable TV show Video Game Slams
3. Serial Play Multiplayer Gaming
Aired 20 September 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Donkey Kong Land (GB) Features: Serial Play multiplayer gaming; The Bad Influence! web cam; Virtual Violet on live web cams Report: SIGGRAPH ‘95
4. The Sony Playstation
Aired 27 September 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Wipeout (PS) Features: The Playstation, its games and peripherals; Virtual Violet on Development of Joypads; A look at a Doom editor Report: The birthplace of videogames, Silicon Valley
5. The History of Pool Games
Aired 4 October 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Command & Conquer (PC) Features: The history of Pool Games; A look at the flight sim EF2000; Virtual Violet on Endorfun; The Nintendo Virtual Boy Report: Virtual World in LA
6. Worms
Aired 11 October 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Shinobi X (Saturn) Features: Getting Worms noticed by publishers; a look at The Net film and its website; Virtual Violet on viewers’ feedback Report: A motion capture studio in Sheffield
7. The Cheat Boy
Aired 25 October 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Killer Instinct (SNES) Features: Cheats and tips with Cheat Boy; A new 3D imaging system without special glasses; Virtual Violet on science fiction Report: Using GPS to aid the visually impaired
8. How a Laser Display is created
Aired 1 November 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Tekken (PS) Features: Game Pro magazine’s worm lollypop cover mount; How a laser display is created; A look at Doom-style games; Virtual Violet on playing bad guys Report: Filming The Darkening at Pinewood Studios
9. Telephone calls over the Internet
Aired 8 November 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Powerdrive Rally (Jaguar) Features: A look at new gadgets; Making phone calls over the Internet and the latest Internet technology; Virtual Violet on viewpoints in 3D games Report: Guide to turn an idea into a game
10. Clothes designed on Computer
Aired 15 November 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Worms (PS) Features: Clothes designed on a computer; A look at the latest football games; Virtual Violet on cheats available on the Internet Report: Shooting video sequences for games
11. Cyber Pets
Aired 29 November 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Vectorman (MD) Features: Cyber pets; A new technique to model virtual hair Report: The Nintendo Ultra 64
12. Games for the Sega Saturn
Aired 6 December 1995 • 20 min
Main Review: Earthworm Jim 2 (SNES) Features: Games for the Sega Saturn; A look at Simply 3D scene designer software; Virtual Violet on Consoles Versus Computers Report: A Royal Navy helicopter simulator
13. Motion Capture Animation
Aired 13 December 1993 • 20 min
Main Review: Extreme Games (PS) Features: A look at Card Studio and Animated Greetings packages; Motion Capture Animation; Virtual Violet on her top 10 games of 1995; The best places to buy a console this Christmas Report: Tokyo’s National Games Day
14. New Games for 1996
Aired 2 January 1996 • 20 min
Main Review: Yoshi’s Island (SNES) Features: The best things to do with a computer; A look at games coming out in 1996; Using the Atari ST as a music computer; The highs and lows of 1995; A look at Juggling Master package; The Shamen sing Heel the Separation