# TV Fame at Last?

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2009-07-29  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/gadgetshow.html

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## Analysis

Pinball News reports on a UK TV appearance of a Medieval Madness machine on The Gadget Show (August 24, 2009), where it competed against a foosball game for a spot on the show's Wall of Fame. The machine, supplied by Pinball Heaven and set up by Phil Docker and Aid Cooper, represents a rare and high-profile television feature for modern pinball in the UK.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Gadget Show episode featuring pinball vs foosball airs Monday August 24th, 2009 on Five — _Direct announcement from Pinball News with specific air date and channel_
- [HIGH] Pinball on TV in the UK has been rare in recent years, often with overdubbed electro-mechanical chime sounds — _Pinball News editorial observation about UK television landscape_
- [HIGH] Medieval Madness was brought to The Gadget Show set by Pinball Heaven — _Confirmed by Pinball News with names of personnel involved (Phil Docker, Aid Cooper)_
- [MEDIUM] Pinball News readers won't be unhappy with the eventual winner of the competition — _Teaser statement suggesting pinball won the competition, though result not explicitly stated_

### Notable Quotes

> "Pinball on TV in the UK has been as rare as hen's teeth in recent years, and the few appearances modern games have made is usually accompanied by over-dubbed chime sounds from an electro-mechanical machine."
> — **Pinball News author**, Opening paragraph
> _Sets context for rarity of pinball TV coverage in UK and typical low-quality representations_

> "So it's good to see pinball turning up not as mere set dressing, but starring centre stage."
> — **Pinball News author**, Introduction
> _Highlights significance of pinball getting prominent TV exposure rather than background presence_

> "Fighting pinball's corner is just about the best machine you could hope for - a pristine refurbished Medieval Madness"
> — **Pinball News author**, Machine selection section
> _Editorial endorsement of Medieval Madness as ideal representative for pinball in competition_

> "We can't give away the result but we can say that Pinball News readers won't be too unhappy with the eventual winner."
> — **Pinball News author**, Closing section
> _Strong hint that pinball won the competition, creating anticipation for readers_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| The Gadget Show | event | UK television programme featuring product competitions; aired episode with Medieval Madness vs foosball on August 24, 2009 on channel Five |
| Medieval Madness | game | Pinball machine used for The Gadget Show competition, refurbished and supplied by Pinball Heaven |
| Pinball Heaven | company | UK pinball distributor/operator that supplied Medieval Madness for The Gadget Show and provided personnel for setup |
| Phil Docker | person | Pinball Heaven engineer who brought Medieval Madness to The Gadget Show and set it up on set |
| Aid Cooper | person | Assisted Phil Docker in transporting and setting up Medieval Madness at The Gadget Show |
| Suzi Perry | person | Presenter on The Gadget Show who met with Pinball Heaven team during Medieval Madness setup |
| Jason Bradbury | person | Presenter on The Gadget Show who participated in Medieval Madness evaluation |
| Jon Bentley | person | Presenter on The Gadget Show who played Medieval Madness during competition |
| Pinball News | organization | Independent pinball media outlet reporting on The Gadget Show feature |
| Phil Palmer | person | Owner/operator of Pinball Heaven who provided the Medieval Madness machine |
| Five | organization | UK television channel broadcasting The Gadget Show episode featuring pinball |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Television coverage of pinball, Medieval Madness (classic game), Pinball Heaven operator/distributor
- **Secondary:** UK pinball industry visibility, Pinball media and PR

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Article expresses clear enthusiasm about pinball receiving prominent TV coverage. Positive tone throughout regarding Medieval Madness selection, the personalities involved, and implied competition outcome. Celebrates this as a rare and valuable opportunity for the pinball community.

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Pinball Heaven operator and UK pinball community mobilized to support high-profile TV appearance, transporting and professionally setting up equipment at broadcast studio (confidence: high) — Phil Docker and Aid Cooper traveled to Five studios to set up Medieval Madness; editorial tone suggests community pride in representation
- **[event_signal]** Medieval Madness featured on mainstream UK television show The Gadget Show in prime-time competition format, representing significant media exposure for pinball (confidence: high) — Confirmed air date of August 24, 2009 on channel Five with named presenters and confirmed location shoot
- **[sentiment_shift]** Pinball News editorial expresses optimism about improved UK television representation for pinball after years of rare or low-quality appearances (confidence: high) — 'Good to see pinball turning up not as mere set dressing, but starring centre stage' indicates shift from background presence to featured content

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## Transcript

Date: 29th July 2009

Pinball on TV in the UK has been as rare as hen's teeth in recent years, and the few appearances modern games have made is usually accompanied by over-dubbed chime sounds from an electro-mechanical machine.

So it's good to see pinball turning up not as mere set dressing, but starring centre stage.

The set of The Gadget Show

The Gadget Show - a programme where the title tells you all you need to know - will air an episode on Monday August 24th where it will pitch a pinball machine against a table football (or foosball) game for a coveted position on the Wall Of Fame alongside such icons as the iPod, the Segway, Napster and Lego.

The pinball machine and the table football machine go head-to-head

Fighting pinball's corner is just about the best machine you could hope for - a pristine refurbished Medieval Madnesss from Phil Palmer at Pinball Heaven.

Pinball Heaven's Medieval Madness

The machine was brought to the Five studios - where the show is recorded - by Pinball Heaven engineer Phil Docker and Aid Cooper who set it up and then got to meet Gadget Show presenters Suzi Perry, Jason Bradbury and Jon Bentley.

The Gadget Show's Suzi Perry

Presenters Jon Bentley (playing) and Jason Bradbury

To find out which machine won, watch The Gadget Show on Five on the 24th.

Phil Docker and Aid Cooper meet Suzi Perry

We can't give away the result but we can say that Pinball News readers won't be too unhappy with the eventual winner.

Back to the News page

Back to the
front page

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 156b9b1c-06da-46c4-be46-ab4d319828c2*