After six years following its shutdown, 'G4 TV,' an American TV channel once synonymous with gaming/tech culture, is returning in 2021. However, no word on what the new format for the once deceased channel will be.
They never stopped playing
The announcement came in a teaser trailer shown at Comic-Con@Home digital event with the slogan, "We never stopped playing." The trailer shows a warehouse with crates labeled after some of the shows that aired on the channel--all have been long canceled since its shutdown in 2014-- and a TV with coded messaging that eventually delivers an all too familiar logo.
Following the announcement, the channel's once deceased Twitter account has been fully reactivated, sharing the trailer as its first tweet since the shutdown. In a second tweet, the company promises more information on the revival will be provided by Blair Herter, Vice President of Content Partnerships, and Brand Development in a "Mystery Warehouse-themed AMA," scheduled for Friday at noon PST.
"To paraphrase Morgan, we're glad someone remembered the passwords too," reads the tweet. The name 'Morgan' obviously eludes to Morgan Webb, a former 'G4 TV' personality who acted as a game critic and host of X-Play alongside fellow personality Adam Sessler.
In related news, WWE Superstar Xavier Woods has attached himself to the relaunching of 'G4 TV' by promoting his bid to become a host on the channel once it launches. The WWE superstar made his message clear in a video he posted over on his own Twitter account.
The game ended too soon
'G4 TV' was a 24-hour cable channel that got its start back in 2002 under the smaller title' G4.' It was owned by the G4 Media company formed under a joint venture between NBCUniversal and Dish Network and was based in Los Angeles.
The channel was created to target the young male demographic with video game-centric content. It also served as a replacement for 'Tech TV' after merging with it in 2004. As such, it was also called 'G4techTV." However, the channel would eventually transition into broader entertainment by adopting genres like drama, comedy, action, and sci-fi shows and movies.
In late 2012, 'G4 TV' began discontinuing its own programming following its planned rebranding as the Esquire Network. This was the result of a new licensing deal between NBC Universal and Hearst Corporation, owner of the Esquire Magazine. But in a strange twist, the deal fell through after Esquire found its original programming floundering and replaced Style TV instead. Both companies agreed to terminate the vacant 'G4 TV' channel in Winter 2014 following the split.