For the Christmas special the team asked all the major video games companies to supply their main mascots from their games in costume form for a studio party, about 20 companies drive their mascots in full costume up to Leeds and the show featured Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Zool, Cool Spot and many others. Many of the games companies couldn't find someone to wear the costume for the filming and had to hire someone quickly so they went to model agencies and booked models to put the costumes on. So underneath the full headed character costumes were some of the countries most well known photographic models and no one knew.
The show was filmed in studio 4 at YTV, the same studio that was used for classic British sitcom Rising Damp.
One of the Biggest video games companies, Rare, gave their only UK interview and behind the scenes filming access to Bad Influence! As they were big fans of the show. They never allowed any other to show access to their HQ.
The show was filmed in Leeds at Yorkshire TVs Kirkstal Road studios. It was shot in the same studio as the classic prime time entertainment show, 3-2-1 years before and the stage door still had Dusty Bin painted on it... the same Dusty Bin that used to start the beginning of the game show as the door pulled open.
Associate Producer Steve Keen went on to produce and direct many other video game shows, including the world longest running video game show, Cybernet as well as Thumb Bandits for Channel 4 and Fish n Chips, which he co presented with Violet Berlin.