The Crystal Maze to return with Richard Ayoade as host
The actor-director will present 20 hour-long episodes later this year
Beloved game show The Crystal Maze is returning to Channel 4 with Richard Ayoade on presenting duties.
The actor-director will host 20 hour-long episodes taking over from Stephen Merchant who oversaw a one-off celebrity version in October 2016 in aid of Stand Up to Cancer.
Excitingly, the new run will take place at a purpose-built maze in Bristol that's being devised by original designer James Dillon; it'll span over 30,000 feet.
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017
The TV shows you'll be bingeing in 2017
1/27 Game of Thrones season 7
Cast: Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke
Plot: With the HBO fantasy series gearing up to a close, this penultimate season will pick up where the last left off; with Cersei in power and the Mother of Dragons en route to Westeros.
Premiere date: June 2017, Sky Atlantic
2/27 Taboo
Cast: Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Jonathan Pryce, Michael Kelly
Plot: Set in 1814, the drama follows James Delaney, an adventurer who uncovers a dark family conspiracy upon returning home from Africa with the aim of avenging his father's death.
Premiere date: 7 January, BBC One
3/27 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Malina Weissman
Plot: This adaptation of Daniel Handler's best-selling children's novels follows a trio of Baudelaire orphans as they find themselves perpetually hounded by the mysterious and sinister Count Olaf, hell-bent on landing the orphans' inherited fortune.
Premiere date: 13 January, Netflix
4/27 Homeland season 6
Cast: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend, F Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Marvel
Plot: Carrie and Saul are back, this time in New York, attempting to foil conspiracies in the run-up to the inauguration of president-elect Elizabeth Keane.
Premiere date: 23 January, Channel 4
5/27 Fortitude season 2
Cast: Richard Dormer, Sofie Gråbøl, Dennis Quaid, Michelle Fairley, Parminder Nagra
Plot: The quiet, isolated community is rocked by a terrifying new threat as the Antarctica noir drama returns
Premiere date: 27 January, Sky Atlantic
6/27 Legion
Cast: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Jean Smart, Aubrey Plaza
Plot: This X-Men spinoff focuses on David Haller, a mutant diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age.
Premiere date: 9 February, FOX
7/27 The Walking Dead season 7B/8
Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus, Khary Payton, Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Lennie James
Plot: Following on from the fateful events seen in the chaotic midseason finale, Rick begins to recruit an army in his war against Negan and the Saviours.
Premiere date: 13 February, FOX
8/27 24: Legacy
Cast: Corey Hawkins, Miranda Otto, Jimmy Smits, Teddy Sears
Plot: This spin-off replaces Jack Bauer with war hero Eric Carter who enlists the aid of CTU with preventing one of the largest terrorist attacks on US soil.
Premiere date: 15 February, FOX
9/27 Billions season 2
Cast: Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff, Malin Åkerman
Plot: District Attorney Chuck Rhoades Jr returns as he continues with his attempts to prove hedge fund manager Bobby 'Axe' Axelrod is corrupt.
Premiere date: February TBC, Sky Atlantic
10/27 Girls season 6
Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver
Plot: The final season of the drama will see Hannah and friends attempt to put things right with their troubled lives.
Premiere date: February TBC, Sky Atlantic
11/27 Iron Fist
Premiere date: 17 March, Netflix
12/27 Broadchurch season 3
Premiere date: Spring 2017, ITV1
13/27 Sherlock season 4
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Toby Jones, Sacha Dhawan
Plot: Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are back for three more episodes of the Beeb's beloved series that'll replace Moriarty with a new villain played by Toby Jones.
Premiere date: 1 January, BBC One
14/27 I Love Dick
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Hahn, Griffin Dunne
Plot: The Transparent creator's new show centres on a married couple whose relationship is put to the test when they both fall for the same professor.
Premiere date: Summer 2017, Amazon Prime
15/27 Twin Peaks season 3
Cast: Everyone
Plot: The majority of the original cast plus a host of new faces are returning for one of the most anticipated TV revivals of all time.
Premiere date: 2O17 TBC, Sky Atlantic
16/27 Riviera
Cast: Julia Stiles, Monica Bellucci, Lena Olin, Iwan Rheon, Amr Waked
Plot: The widow of a billionaire is shocked to discover that the fortune that maintained his immaculate, ever-so-tasteful lifestyle is tainted with dishonesty, double-dealing, crime, and ultimately murder.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC
17/27 Catastrophe season 3
Cast: Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan, Ashley Jensen, Carrie Fisher, Mark Bonnar
Plot: Sharon and Rob return as the two wayward souls thrown together after a brief affair. Carrie Fisher will posthumously appear as Rob's mother in one of the actor's final screen roles.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Channel 4
18/27 Tin Star
Cast: Christina Hendricks, Tim Roth
Plot: This ten-part thriller, set in the Canadian Rockies, sees an expat British police officer take a stand against an oil company fronted by the mysterious Mrs Bradshaw leading to unprecedented bloodshed.
19/27 Britannia
Plot: The first co-production between Sky and Amazon is ten-part Roman revenge drama set in 43AD.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Sky Atlantic
20/27 The Defenders
Cast: Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Élodie Yung ,Sigourney Weaver
Plot: This mashup will see the lead characters of Netflix's four Marvel shows - Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist - unite in a bid to overcome forces in New York City.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Netflix
21/27 Stranger Things season 2
Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown
Plot: The fate of Eleven is resolved as we return to Hawkins fo0r mote otherworldly shenanigans that'll undoubtedly involve the Upside-Down.
Premiere date: Late 2017, Netflix
22/27 The Punisher
Cast: Jon Bernthal, Ben Barnes, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Amber Rose Revah, Deborah Ann Woll
Plot: Daredevil character Frank Castle returns as the vigilante who uses lethal methods to fight crime.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Netflix
23/27 The Leftovers season 3
Cast: Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston, Amy Brenneman, Margaret Qualley, Chris Zylka, Liv Tyler, Regina King, Kevin Carroll
Plot: The sorely underrated drama, focusing on the aftermath of a world which saw 2% of the world's population disappear, returns for a final time with the action relocated to Australia. Can Kevin Garvey find enlightenment following the climactic events of season two?
Premiere date: April TBC, Sky Atlantic
24/27 American Gods
Cast: Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning
Plot: This long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel focuses on Shadow Moon, who accepts a job offer from a strager who turns out to be the Norse god Odin.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Amazon Prime
25/27 Fargo season 3
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Thewlis, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scoot McNairy
Plot: The Coen Brothers spin-off returns, this time following brothers Emit and Ray Stussy who get caught up in a tangle of corruption and deceit.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Channel 4
26/27 Curb Your Enthusiasm season 9
Cast: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, JB Smoove, Cheryl Hines, Ted Danson, Mary Steenbergen
Plot: Earlier this year, Larry David announced the return of his acclaimed HBO comedy series to the relief of fans the world over. There's no current release date but rest assured knowing David is currently somewhere in the world getting himself into awkward trouble for your viewing pleasure.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Sky Atlantic
27/27 House of Cards season 5
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Joel Kinnaman, Molly Parker
Plot:<.b> There's no current airdate for Kevin and Claire Underwood's fifth outing but, going by the closing moments of season four (war's been waged and the First Lady has the upper hand over her husband), things will be more fraught than ever.
Premiere date: Spring TBC, Netflix
1/27 Game of Thrones season 7
Cast: Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke
Plot: With the HBO fantasy series gearing up to a close, this penultimate season will pick up where the last left off; with Cersei in power and the Mother of Dragons en route to Westeros.
Premiere date: June 2017, Sky Atlantic
2/27 Taboo
Cast: Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Jonathan Pryce, Michael Kelly
Plot: Set in 1814, the drama follows James Delaney, an adventurer who uncovers a dark family conspiracy upon returning home from Africa with the aim of avenging his father's death.
Premiere date: 7 January, BBC One
3/27 Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Malina Weissman
Plot: This adaptation of Daniel Handler's best-selling children's novels follows a trio of Baudelaire orphans as they find themselves perpetually hounded by the mysterious and sinister Count Olaf, hell-bent on landing the orphans' inherited fortune.
Premiere date: 13 January, Netflix
4/27 Homeland season 6
Cast: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend, F Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Marvel
Plot: Carrie and Saul are back, this time in New York, attempting to foil conspiracies in the run-up to the inauguration of president-elect Elizabeth Keane.
Premiere date: 23 January, Channel 4
5/27 Fortitude season 2
Cast: Richard Dormer, Sofie Gråbøl, Dennis Quaid, Michelle Fairley, Parminder Nagra
Plot: The quiet, isolated community is rocked by a terrifying new threat as the Antarctica noir drama returns
Premiere date: 27 January, Sky Atlantic
6/27 Legion
Cast: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Jean Smart, Aubrey Plaza
Plot: This X-Men spinoff focuses on David Haller, a mutant diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age.
Premiere date: 9 February, FOX
7/27 The Walking Dead season 7B/8
Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus, Khary Payton, Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Lennie James
Plot: Following on from the fateful events seen in the chaotic midseason finale, Rick begins to recruit an army in his war against Negan and the Saviours.
Premiere date: 13 February, FOX
8/27 24: Legacy
Cast: Corey Hawkins, Miranda Otto, Jimmy Smits, Teddy Sears
Plot: This spin-off replaces Jack Bauer with war hero Eric Carter who enlists the aid of CTU with preventing one of the largest terrorist attacks on US soil.
Premiere date: 15 February, FOX
9/27 Billions season 2
Cast: Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff, Malin Åkerman
Plot: District Attorney Chuck Rhoades Jr returns as he continues with his attempts to prove hedge fund manager Bobby 'Axe' Axelrod is corrupt.
Premiere date: February TBC, Sky Atlantic
10/27 Girls season 6
Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver
Plot: The final season of the drama will see Hannah and friends attempt to put things right with their troubled lives.
Premiere date: February TBC, Sky Atlantic
11/27 Iron Fist
Premiere date: 17 March, Netflix
12/27 Broadchurch season 3
Premiere date: Spring 2017, ITV1
13/27 Sherlock season 4
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Toby Jones, Sacha Dhawan
Plot: Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are back for three more episodes of the Beeb's beloved series that'll replace Moriarty with a new villain played by Toby Jones.
Premiere date: 1 January, BBC One
14/27 I Love Dick
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Hahn, Griffin Dunne
Plot: The Transparent creator's new show centres on a married couple whose relationship is put to the test when they both fall for the same professor.
Premiere date: Summer 2017, Amazon Prime
15/27 Twin Peaks season 3
Cast: Everyone
Plot: The majority of the original cast plus a host of new faces are returning for one of the most anticipated TV revivals of all time.
Premiere date: 2O17 TBC, Sky Atlantic
16/27 Riviera
Cast: Julia Stiles, Monica Bellucci, Lena Olin, Iwan Rheon, Amr Waked
Plot: The widow of a billionaire is shocked to discover that the fortune that maintained his immaculate, ever-so-tasteful lifestyle is tainted with dishonesty, double-dealing, crime, and ultimately murder.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC
17/27 Catastrophe season 3
Cast: Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan, Ashley Jensen, Carrie Fisher, Mark Bonnar
Plot: Sharon and Rob return as the two wayward souls thrown together after a brief affair. Carrie Fisher will posthumously appear as Rob's mother in one of the actor's final screen roles.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Channel 4
18/27 Tin Star
Cast: Christina Hendricks, Tim Roth
Plot: This ten-part thriller, set in the Canadian Rockies, sees an expat British police officer take a stand against an oil company fronted by the mysterious Mrs Bradshaw leading to unprecedented bloodshed.
19/27 Britannia
Plot: The first co-production between Sky and Amazon is ten-part Roman revenge drama set in 43AD.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Sky Atlantic
20/27 The Defenders
Cast: Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Élodie Yung ,Sigourney Weaver
Plot: This mashup will see the lead characters of Netflix's four Marvel shows - Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist - unite in a bid to overcome forces in New York City.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Netflix
21/27 Stranger Things season 2
Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown
Plot: The fate of Eleven is resolved as we return to Hawkins fo0r mote otherworldly shenanigans that'll undoubtedly involve the Upside-Down.
Premiere date: Late 2017, Netflix
22/27 The Punisher
Cast: Jon Bernthal, Ben Barnes, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Amber Rose Revah, Deborah Ann Woll
Plot: Daredevil character Frank Castle returns as the vigilante who uses lethal methods to fight crime.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Netflix
23/27 The Leftovers season 3
Cast: Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston, Amy Brenneman, Margaret Qualley, Chris Zylka, Liv Tyler, Regina King, Kevin Carroll
Plot: The sorely underrated drama, focusing on the aftermath of a world which saw 2% of the world's population disappear, returns for a final time with the action relocated to Australia. Can Kevin Garvey find enlightenment following the climactic events of season two?
Premiere date: April TBC, Sky Atlantic
24/27 American Gods
Cast: Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning
Plot: This long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel focuses on Shadow Moon, who accepts a job offer from a strager who turns out to be the Norse god Odin.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Amazon Prime
25/27 Fargo season 3
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Thewlis, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scoot McNairy
Plot: The Coen Brothers spin-off returns, this time following brothers Emit and Ray Stussy who get caught up in a tangle of corruption and deceit.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Channel 4
26/27 Curb Your Enthusiasm season 9
Cast: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, JB Smoove, Cheryl Hines, Ted Danson, Mary Steenbergen
Plot: Earlier this year, Larry David announced the return of his acclaimed HBO comedy series to the relief of fans the world over. There's no current release date but rest assured knowing David is currently somewhere in the world getting himself into awkward trouble for your viewing pleasure.
Premiere date: 2017 TBC, Sky Atlantic
27/27 House of Cards season 5
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Joel Kinnaman, Molly Parker
Plot:<.b> There's no current airdate for Kevin and Claire Underwood's fifth outing but, going by the closing moments of season four (war's been waged and the First Lady has the upper hand over her husband), things will be more fraught than ever.
Premiere date: Spring TBC, Netflix
Ayoade, star of C4 sitcom The IT Crowd and director of films Submarine and The Double, will bring his irreverent wit to proceedings, taking over from past hosts Richard O'Brien and Ed Tudor-Pole. Following Channel 4's acquisition of The Great British Bake Off, Ayoade was bandied around as a potential replacement for hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.
The series' format will remain largely the same with teams of five contestants putting their physical and mental skills to the test in a bid to make it to the crystal dome.
Details on how to be a contestant will be revealed soon, but in the meantime, get your practice in at the London live attraction.
The Crystal Maze originally ran from 1990 to 1995.
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