Ep 1. The Walls Are Closing In!

The Crystal Maze is a British game show where teams of contestants work together to complete challenges and puzzles in themed "zones" in order to earn crystals which they can trade in for time in the final round, the "Crystal Dome."

In episode 1 of season 1, titled "The Walls Are Closing In!," host Richard O'Brien greets the first team of contestants as they enter the maze. The team consists of five friends, all dressed in brightly colored tracksuits, and they seem excited and a little nervous as they take in the maze's futuristic set design.

The first challenge takes place in the "Aztec Zone," which looks like an ancient Mesoamerican temple. The team must cross a pool of water using only a few floating platforms. The catch? The platforms are booby-trapped, and if someone steps on the wrong one, they'll be sprayed with water and have to start over. The team works together to cross the pool without incident, earning their first crystal.

Next up is the "Medieval Zone." The team is tasked with navigating a maze of walls that close in on them. To escape, they must find a key and unlock a door at the other end of the maze. Along the way, they encounter a knight who challenges them to solve a riddle. They successfully answer the riddle, and the knight gives them a clue to finding the key. After some frantic searching, they find the key and make it out of the maze just in time, earning a second crystal.

In the "Futuristic Zone," the team is faced with a high-tech challenge. They enter a room with a giant grid on the floor and must work together to light up each square by stepping on it in the correct sequence. But there's a twist: some squares trigger a trapdoor that will send a team member plummeting to the floor below. The team uses their agility and quick thinking to complete the challenge and earn their third crystal.

In the "Industrial Zone," the team faces a particularly challenging task. They must navigate an obstacle course consisting of twisting metal pipes while avoiding obstacles like swinging pendulums and blowing gusts of steam. The team works together, using hand signals to communicate and avoid the traps, but they're unable to complete the challenge before time runs out.

Finally, it's time for the final challenge in the "Crystal Dome." The team must grab as many of the gold and silver tickets flying around in the dome as possible while avoiding the blue and yellow ones. The more tickets they collect, the more prizes they'll win. The team works hard, grabbing tickets left and right, but they also make a few mistakes and collect some blue and yellow tickets, which will detract from their final score.

In the end, the team emerges from the maze with a respectable haul of prizes and a sense of accomplishment. They may have encountered some bumps along the way, but they worked together and proved themselves to be a formidable team.