Bad Influence!
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.
Seasons
1. Computer Paint Packages
Air Date: 1992-10-29
Main Review: Joe+Mac Caveman Ninja (SNES) Features: Using a computer paint package; A look ahead in the series Report: Virtual Reality
2. Looking inside the Consoles
Air Date: 1992-10-05
Main Review: NHLPA Hockey (MD) Features: A look at Alone in the Dark; Looking inside the consoles Report: Exploring other worlds
3. The Amiga A1200
Air Date: 1992-10-12
Main Review: Super Aleste (SNES) Features: The Amiga 1200; Using a computer to create Ballet Report: The Future Entertainment Show
4. The Hidden costs of Handhelds
Air Date: 1992-11-19
Main Review: Sonic 2 (MD) Features: The Hidden Cost of Handhelds; Desktop VR Reports: Games shops in the US; Using VR in a special needs school
5. Creating music on the Atari ST
Air Date: 1992-11-26
Main Review: Super Mario Land 2 (GB) Features: A look at the Freewheel controller; Creating music on an Atari ST Report: Creating a morphing special effect
6. Video Editing on a Computer
Air Date: 1992-12-03
Main Review: Indiana Jones 3 (MD) Features: Video Editing on a Computer; ‘Fresh’ vs Bad Influence! Street Fighter 2 challenge Report: The Nintendo games help line
7. Christmas Buyers Guide
Air Date: 1992-12-10
Main Review: World of Illusion (MD) Features: Christmas buyers guide; Buying Consoles from the US Report: The Computer Museum
8. The Atari Falcon
Air Date: 1992-12-17
Main Review: Super Mario Cart (SNES) Features: The Atari Falcon; ‘Take That’ on Virtua Racing Report: A guide to gaming in Tokyo
9. Software on CD
Air Date: 1993-01-07
Main Review: Ecco The Dolphin (Mega Drive) Features: How powerful computers can be used to create special effects Report: Software on CD
10. Gaming cheat devices
Air Date: 1993-01-14
Main Review: Prince of Persia (SNES) Features: Gaming cheat devices; Robots; A first look at Sleepwalker Report: The CES in Las Vegas
11. Reducing the risk of Epilepsy
Air Date: 1993-01-21
Main Review: Streets of Rage 2 (MD) Features: A look at Mario Paint; Reducing risk of epilepsy; A look at Stunt Island Report: The latest in puppet technology
12. Surround Sound at Home
Air Date: 1993-01-28
Main Review: Super Star Wars (SNES) Features: Surround Sound at home; A virtual fish tank; The latest laser game Report: Universal Studios in Hollywood
13. Barcode Battler
Air Date: 1993-02-04
Main Review: Lemmings 2 (Amiga) Features: A look at the Barcode Battler game; The latest in British VR; A look at upcoming games Report: A Virtual Summer Camp
1. MPEG and the new CD Systems
Air Date: 1993-09-09
Main Review: Jurassic Pak (MD) Features: Personal computers that recognise handwriting; A look at the new CD systems and MPEG; A look at Mortal Kombat Report: The latest from the US including the 3DO
2. Composing Music on Deluxe Music
Air Date: 1993-09-16
Main Review: Rocket Knight Adventures (MD) Features: Composing music on The Deluxe Music Construction Set 2; Playing Air Warrior over the telephone lines with other players Report: How a Jean Michel Jarre concert is staged
3. Luxury Game Consoles
Air Date: 1993-09-23
Main Review: Super Mario All Stars (SNES) Features: A look at the Dinosaurs CD-ROM; The luxury games consoles Report: Industrial Light and Magic
4. The Amiga CD32
Air Date: 1993-09-30
Main Review: Asterix (SNES) Features: The Amiga CD32; Amiga Scrabble challenge and other games based on board games Report: The Virtual Geographic League
5. The Development of MPEG
Air Date: 1993-10-07
Main Review: Street Fighter 2 Turbo (SNES) Features: A Mega CD Karaoke add-on and a Karaoke Macbeth CD-ROM; The development of MPEG and the Reel Magic PC card Report: Turning movies into games
6. The Atari Jaguar
Air Date: 1993-10-14
Main Review: Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (SNES) Features: The Atari Jaguar; Reports: Back to the Future the Ride; The Computer Cavern
7. Computer based Animation
Air Date: 1993-10-21
Main Review: Aladdin (MD) Features: The Thunder Seat accessory; A look at a computer- based animation package Report: How photos can be manipulated in advertising
8. Voice Activated Software
Air Date: 1993-10-28
Main Review: Jurassic Park (SNES) Features: A look at new spooky games; Voice-activated software Report: Forthcoming Star Trek games
9. PC Firework Simulator
Air Date: 1993-11-04
Main Review: Sonic Spinball (MD) Features: Using a PC Firework simulator package; The appeal of Beat ‘em ups; Andy's Bad Influence! fireworks display Report: SIGGRAPH ‘93
10. A to Z Guide to Computers
Air Date: 1993-11-11
Main Review: Super Bomberman (SNES) Features: A look at the Oceans Below computer package; An A to Z guide to computers and computing Report: Thinking Machines' CM5 Super Computer
11. Rights and Wrongs of Video Game Piracy
Air Date: 1993-11-18
Main Review: Yoshi’s Safari (SNES) Features: A look at Make My Video games; The rights and wrongs of video game piracy; The Dual Turbo IR MD controller Report: Using computers in fashion design
12. Onyx Reality Engine 2
Air Date: 1993-11-25
Main Review: Jungle Book (GG) Features: A look at Theme Park; Creating graphics using an Onyx Reality Engine 2 Report: The Other Side VR Arena
13. Joysticks and Joypads
Air Date: 1993-12-02
Main Review: Lawnmower Man (SNES) Features: A look at joystick, joypads and other control devices; The latest football games Report: IS Robotics
14. Playing Arcade games at Home
Air Date: 1993-12-09
Main Review: FIFA International Soccer (MD) Features: How you can play arcade games at home; The Cam Net headset; Games you build yourself Report: Walsall Arboretum Laser show
15. Panasonic 3DO
Air Date: 1993-12-16
Main Review: Super Empire Strikes Back (SNES) Features: The making of Rise of the Robots; A look ahead at games coming in the New Year; The 3DO Report: The MIT Media Lab
1. The Super Gameboy
Air Date: 1994-09-08
Main Review: Donkey Kong (GB) Features: The Super Gameboy adaptor; Voice recognition software Reports: Dave Perry and Shiny Entertainment; ECTS
2. Print your own T-Shirts
Air Date: 1994-09-15
Main Review: Mortal Kombat 2 (SNES) Features: Print your own T-Shirt's using transfer paper; A look at the Woodstock CD-ROM; The 3DO Report: SIGGRAPH ‘94
3. Screensavers
Air Date: 1994-09-22
Main Review: Stunt Race FX (SNES) Features: Various screen savers; The making of Magic Carpet with Peter Molyneux Report: Flintstones the musical
4. VR Go Karting
Air Date: 1994-09-29
Main Review: Rebel Assault (MCD) Features: A look at the Way Things Work CD-ROM; 8-way VR Go-Karting Report: Silicon Valley
5. Game Specific Controllers
Air Date: 1994-10-16
Main Review: Earthworm Jim (Mega Drive) Features: 3D Design software & virtual modelling Report: Visual Computing
6. Click & Play
Air Date: 1994-10-13
Main Review: Earthworm Jim (MD) Features: Game-specific controllers; An architects virtual design package; The Primal Rage arcade game Report: Silicon Graphics
7. The Video Toaster
Air Date: 1994-10-20
Main Review: Alien Versus Predator (Jaguar) Features: The Video Toaster/Lightwave 3D software; A look at basketball games Report: Kodak’s film facility
8. 3D Imaging
Air Date: 1994-10-27
Main Review: Dynamite Headdy (MD) Features: Explanation of 3D imaging technique; A look at new spooky games Report: The Big One Rollercoaster in Blackpool
9. Weather Forecasting on the PC
Air Date: 1994-11-03
Main Review: Super Bomber Man 2 (SNES) Features: A weather forecasting package for the PC; How ASF created the music for Inferno Report: The Information Superhighway
10. VR Helmets
Air Date: 1994-11-10
Main Review: The Lion King (MD) Features: Various gun accessories; VR helmets/Virtual world software Report: Jim Henson’s British HQ
11. The History of Pinball
Air Date: 1994-11-17
Main Review: Donkey Kong Country (SNES) Features: The history of pinball and pinball sims; Robots Report: Exploring the moon and planets
12. Magic Eye Pictures
Air Date: 1994-11-24
Main Review: Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (SNES) Features: Creating Magic Eye pictures with new software; Video projectors; Testing fabric drapability Report: IMAX cinema
13. The Sega Saturn and 32X
Air Date: 1994-12-01
Main Review: Star Wars Arcade (MD32X) Features: A look at Artpad and Dabbler art package; The Sega Saturn, 32x and The Scorpion Megadrive Clone Report: A Motion capture studio
14. The Neo Geo CD
Air Date: 1994-12-08
Main Review: The Need For Speed (3DO) Features: The Neo Geo CD; The Twelve Days of Computer Technology Report: Recreating a Viking with the help of a computer
15. The Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn
Air Date: 1994-12-15
Main Review: Doom (Jaguar/MD32X) Features: Multiplayer gaming; The Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation Report: A Virtual trip below Loch Ness
1. Update on the Super Consoles
Air Date: 1995-09-06
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
Air Date: 1995-09-13
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
Air Date: 1995-09-20
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
Air Date: 1995-09-27
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
Air Date: 1995-10-04
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
Air Date: 1995-10-11
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
Air Date: 1995-10-25
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
Air Date: 1995-11-01
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
Air Date: 1995-11-08
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
Air Date: 1995-11-15
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
Air Date: 1995-11-29
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
Air Date: 1995-12-06
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
Air Date: 1993-12-13
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
Air Date: 1996-01-02
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
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Rating
7.0/10
Release Date
1992-10-29
Episodes
57 (4 seasons)
Status
Ended
