The Crystal Maze was created by Jacques Antoine, based on his format for the French game show Fort Boyard. It is notable for the use of golf ball-sized Swarovski glass crystals as a reward for each challenge successfully completed by contestants. The show originally consisted of six series, including five Christmas specials involving teams of children, which aired between 15 February 1990 to 10 August 1995. A 10-episode American version of the show, filmed on the same set as the UK version, aired on Nickelodeon in 2020.