A pivotal early step for video game journalism and demystifying the influence of gaming for millions of households, G4TV was a network that appealed to a surprisingly vast and receptive demographic as far back as its first iteration in 2002. Fast forward through an uncertain rebranding as the Esquire network and the official closing announcement in 2014, G4TV is slated to return this year with the slogan "we never stopped playing."
Where enthusiasm for a January 2021 return was in abundance from longtime fans of G4TV, sparking interest in an entirely new generation of viewers unfamiliar with network staples such as X-Play and Attack of the Show, personality Gus Johnson has donned the mantle of G4TV's CEO "Jerry_XL" to shed some light on the network's return. While progress is happening a little slower than many eager fans might prefer, Johnson's antics do wonders in making the pill easier to swallow.
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Delivering an absolutely on-brand performance, Gus Johnson explains to the viewer that everything the new G4TV has planned needs a little more time to prepare. While the most official return date information from G4TV anticipates a summertime return, Johnson stokes enthusiasm for the outlandishly ambitious new additions to the network, such as monitors large enough for airplane pilots to watch esports broadcasts from the air on. Curiously, this is only one of a few celebrity appearances heralding the network's return, a noteworthy addition being WWE Superstar Austin Creed's role as one of the network's new hosts.
Spearheading the return on Twitter via #B4G4, the majority of the effort on the network's part seems to be focused on its two most successful series, the aforementioned X-Play and Attack of the Show. As of now, news of bringing back other network exclusives, such as Cinematech or re-runs of the original Japanese Ninja Warrior contest, is non-existent, though it stands to reason why the network would allocate the majority of its resources in ensuring its most beloved programs make the best first and second impressions for the time being.
Prefacing any promotional efforts of 2021, last November marked a G4TV cast reunion for Thanksgiving, bringing together the channel's most iconic personalities for the first time in over a decade in some cases. While the mainstays have all been confirmed for the return, things are looking very promising in the realm of acquiring new talent eager to grow alongside the new G4TV long after the initial push of nostalgia lands them onto more screens than ever before.
G4TV is scheduled to return sometime in summer 2021.