Otis Singleton
Electric Playground is a TV show that focuses on gaming and geek-related news, reviews, and commentary. It was founded and launched by Victor Lucas in 1995 as an online news magazine and made its television debut in September 1997. The show has aired on various channels throughout its run, including Space, Razer, A Channel, OMNI.1, the Science Channel, and G4 in the United States, and G4 Network and City in Canada. It has also been known as EP Daily since July 2012 and is available on the Electric Playground Network's YouTube channel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Premiere | 1997 |
| Founder | Victor Lucas |
| Co-Hosts | Tommy Tallarico, Kelly Benson, Scott Jones |
| Format | Weekly half-hour broadcasts |
| Channels | G4 Canada, City, Space, Razer, A Channel, OMNI.1, Science Channel, G4, ABC, SCI FI Channel Australia |
| Current Status | No longer airs on G4 and City, but content is available on the Electric Playground Network's YouTube channel |
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What You'll Learn
Electric Playground's TV debut
The Electric Playground made its TV debut in September 1997, airing across Canada and the US west coast. The show was hosted by Tommy Tallarico and featured Victor Lucas and Kelly Benson. It was a weekly half-hour broadcast that focused on gaming and geek-related news, reviews, and commentary. The show was created and executive-produced by Victor Lucas, who also co-hosted it.
The Electric Playground began as an online news magazine in 1995, founded by Victor Lucas, John Shaw, and Torben Rolfsen. It was then brought to television in 1997 when Scott Barrett joined the team as director for the first two seasons. At the end of the second season, Scott moved on, and Victor took on the additional roles of producer and host.
The show has gone through several transformations over the years. In 2002, the reviews segment of the show, "Reviews on the Run," was spun off into its own show on the G4 Network while remaining "Reviews on the Run" in Canada. The Electric Playground expanded its television partnership with Rogers Media and transformed into a daily program called "EP Daily." New hosts and production personnel were added in various cities across North America.
In 2008, "EP Daily" premiered in a daily format, while "The Electric Playground" remained a weekly show, wrapping up the week in video games, technology, and entertainment. The show returned to America in September 2010, airing on ABC stations in select cities. It featured two specials that aired in January 2011, and weekly episodes began airing in September 2011. Daily episodes started airing on select stations in September 2012.
As of 2016, "EP Daily" no longer airs on G4 and City, but the show continues to produce content on the Electric Playground Network's YouTube channel.
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The show's original online format
The Electric Playground began as an online news magazine in 1995, founded by Victor Lucas, John Shaw, and Torben Rolfsen. It was originally a website called elecplay.com, which offered video game news, reviews, and commentary. The website featured written content as well as video footage, trailers, and other multimedia content related to the latest games and gaming technology.
The show's online format focused on providing in-depth reviews and analysis of video games, with a particular emphasis on console video games and PC games. The reviews were well-thought-out and discussed the pros and cons of each game, providing a clear indication of how good or bad a game was through their 1 to 10 review scale. Victor Lucas, the creator and host, along with co-hosts like Tommy Tallarico, provided interviews with game designers and programmers, offering insights into the hottest games coming out on various platforms, including the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and PC.
The website also included news from the gaming industry, previews of upcoming games, and gaming information about popular stars or gaming influencers. This made Electric Playground a staple for gamers looking for the latest updates and insights into the world of video games. The online format allowed for interactive elements, with user engagement through comments, forums, and social media interactions.
In 1997, The Electric Playground expanded to television, bringing its unique brand of gaming content to a wider audience. However, even after its television debut, the website continued to be updated with fresh content, ensuring that its online presence remained strong and that its audience had access to the latest gaming information through their preferred platform.
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Rebranding to EP Daily
The Electric Playground was a television show that began airing in September 1997. It was hosted by Tommy Tallarico and featured Victor Lucas and Kelly Benson. The show aired weekly half-hour broadcasts across Canada and the west coast of the United States. The Electric Playground focused on video game news, reviews, and coverage.
In 2002, the reviews segment of the show, "Reviews on the Run", was spun off into its own show. It began airing on the G4 Network as "Judgment Day". The Electric Playground continued to undergo transformations, including splitting into two daily half-hour shows in 2010.
In August 2008, the Electric Playground was rebranded as EP Daily. This new iteration of the show continued to be hosted by Victor Lucas, who was joined by new co-hosts and production personnel in various cities across North America. The format of the show shifted to focus on delivering daily news and previews spanning "geek culture", including topics such as toys, games, comics, and gadgets.
EP Daily initially aired on G4 Canada and City. It was previously aired in Canada on Space, Razer, A Channel, and OMNI.1, and in the United States on the Science Channel and G4. In September 2010, EP Daily returned to America on ABC stations in select cities. The show aired daily episodes on select stations beginning in September 2012.
As of 2016, EP Daily no longer aired on G4 and City but continued to produce content on the Electric Playground Network's YouTube channel.
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Expansion to the US
The Electric Playground was founded and launched by Victor Lucas in 1995. It began as an online news magazine, before making its television debut in September 1997. The show aired weekly half-hour broadcasts across Canada and along the US west coast. It was syndicated in Canada and was also aired in the United States on the Science Channel and G4.
In 2002, the reviews segment of the show, "Reviews on the Run", was spun off into its own show. It began airing on the G4 Network as "Judgment Day" while remaining Reviews on the Run in Canada. The Electric Playground expanded its television partnership with Rogers Media and transformed the show into a daily program, rebranding it as "EP Daily". The show added new hosts and production personnel in various cities across North America.
In September 2010, the show returned to America on ABC stations in select cities in the United States. It featured two specials that aired on Sunday, 16 January 2011: "Everythings Cool Awards" and "Cool Things For 2011". Weekly episodes began airing in September 2011. Each episode was an hour long and was split into two parts, either airing back-to-back or at separate times, depending on the station.
Daily episodes began airing on select stations on 3 September 2012. However, as of January 2015, none of the US broadcasters, including Reelz and Youtoo channels, were continuing to broadcast EP Daily in the US markets. Some American stations replaced EP Daily with televised versions of Q starting in September 2014. As of 2016, EP Daily no longer aired on G4 and City, but the show continued to produce content on the Electric Playground Network's YouTube channel.
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Cancellation and new content
The Electric Playground, created and executive produced by host Victor Lucas, debuted in September 1997. The show, which was initially an online news magazine, was brought to television in 1997. It aired weekly half-hour broadcasts across Canada and the US West Coast.
Over the course of its television career, The Electric Playground underwent several transformations. Notably, in 2010, it split into two daily half-hour shows. The flagship show, EP Daily, focused on delivering daily news and previews spanning "geek culture," including toys, games, comics, and gadgets.
In 2006, Greedy Productions cancelled its contract with CHUM Television, which had broadcast Electric Playground and Reviews on the Run on SPACE and A-Channel. Greedy Productions then signed an exclusive deal with Rogers Communications to broadcast the shows on G4 Canada and other Rogers-owned TV stations.
In 2008, EP Daily premiered in a daily format, while The Electric Playground remained weekly. Beginning in December 2010, EP Daily aired every weeknight at 8 pm on the SCI FI Channel Australia. This ceased in December 2013 when SFTV Australia closed.
In September 2010, the show returned to America on ABC stations in select US cities. Weekly episodes began airing in September 2011, and daily episodes started airing on select stations in September 2012.
As of 2015, none of the USA broadcasters were continuing to broadcast EP Daily in the US markets. Late in 2014, Shaun Hatton left the series, and Reelz decided not to renew the series on its network. As of 2016, EP Daily no longer aired on G4 and City, but the show continued to produce content on the Electric Playground Network's YouTube channel.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric Playground has been aired on multiple channels since its premiere in 1997. It was aired in Canada on Space, Razer, A Channel, and OMNI.1, and in the United States on the Science Channel and G4.
Electric Playground premiered in Canada and along the US west coast in a 30-minute weekly format.
In 2006, Electric Playground moved from SPACE and A-Channel to G4 Canada and other Rogers-owned TV stations.
In 2007, Electric Playground aired on City Toronto and City Vancouver.
In 2010, Electric Playground aired every weeknight at 8 pm on the SCI FI Channel Australia.
