University Challenge (also featuring Only Connect and other BBC quiz shows)

celebrities: they're dumber than us

Worth it just for the answer 'Doctor Spock' to the question asking for the name of the killer in the Halloween films.

I'm always struck by how badly the journalist contestants perform -- most of the journalists I know are deep-knowledge savant-quiz-types.

But not these ones, I guess.

> Doctor Spock

the clue mentioned william shatner, but this is another level of wrong

Rolled my eyes that between the four of them they didn’t know that Frank Capra made “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

That was the one that got me. And that they appeared never to have heard of Delft, ffs.

There's nothing like shouting "Frank fucking Capra, you arseholes!" at the television to let you know Christmas has started.

Yeah there was a team on regular UC who were so bad at culture questions, and had an attitude towards them that was probably just sheepish but felt smug to me. The one where they guessed that Kant's philsophical stance was "postmodern existentialism" or something along those lines, really made me think "why are you even here".

NB I would surely do even worse at STEM-y questions and am a horrible hypocrite.

worst of last night's UC was the two minutes they were taking to not answer some of the questions

I think the new headmaster has been doing a fine job but it is true he lets the students go on a bit, one misses the iron grasp of Paxman. Always going to be worse with alumni, the older the student the more disruptive they get imo.

postmodern existentialism" or something along those lines, really made me think "why are you even here".

the best thing about the Christmas UC episodes seems to be missing this year - the olden days pictures

(they also all seem to be a bit more c-list than usual)

I was thinking they were more interesting than usual tbh

is it me or are the questions a bit tougher than usual christmases

yesterday's groaner was the person who answered "nevada" to the question that began "where in california..."

Was that the death valley one?

yep

Rolled my eyes that between the four of them they didn’t know that Frank Capra made “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

― Dan Worsley, Tuesday, December 19, 2023 7:26 AM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

OK, I didn't know this :( but I did know it was set in Seneca Falls, NY because I lived near there while in college.

Worth it just for the answer 'Doctor Spock' to the question asking for the name of the killer in the Halloween films.

― Ward Fowler, Tuesday, December 19, 2023 6:41 AM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

This was amazing.

we don't get the photos from when they were fresh faced youths any more? (in some cases just a few years ago)

Slightly surprised that there was a round in Dario Argento, not so surprised that nobody knew ‘Giallo’ as a genre.

wasn't giallo a clue or an answer just days ago (possibly on oc)? colours in foreign languages

Yeah it was on the OC wall, colours in Italian

two rounds on names of mathematical things that they were both terrible at

imaginary, irrational / i, zeta

I love it when I answer a question even faster than the teams (an extremely rare event) and then the quizmaster praises them for being so quick. "That's right, bitch!" I may have shouted at Amol.

i only catch UC when i’m over here for the holidays but i really like amol? it was cracking me up the other day when he was getting really pissed at the teams for conferring during the starter question. i really liked the team that won this year, was laughing when the losing team last night just had no idea who dua lipa & issa rae were. turn on the telly, academics!

Nice to see that they’ve ditched Amol’s Flintstones monitor and given him a better sized chair. We normally skip the Xmas specials, but he’s so adorable that we’ve watching them this year. Something about the whole tone of the show has evolved since he’s joined, and it’s a better show for it.

I hate every other media iteration of Amol Rajan, but he's really good at this, in terms of both reading and engagement (both with the teams and with a nod to the viewers), and it is much more enjoyable and much less stuffy while still being a tough quiz.

feel like the determinations made by the questioner are making the difference here so far sheff vs aberdeen, which i think ive not seen before

Bit freaky to see Bobby Seagull on Indian Matchmaking.

1/ This post has given rise to 3 days of creative brilliance across social media, which is so humbling. It gives me particular joy because jungle and raving was a big part of my life for years. Thanks to all who have mixed the sample.. P.s..#jungleimafraid #UniversityChallenge https://t.co/iCZqtuxKff

— Amol Rajan (@amolrajan) January 10, 2024

KING

ha, love that

I know it's ITV, but is anyone else watching (and enjoying) Jeopardy? It's genuinely of a really good standard and deserves better than the Tipping Point slot, but a Quizzy Monday BBC slot wouldn't provide the prize money, and prime time ITV would require different casting and a different vibe, I think. It's the same fate which befell Toksvig-era Fifteen to One - a decent prize fund for a cerebral quiz on daytime TV isn't going to fly over here.

I think it would work promoted to the Chase slot when the Chase is on its holidays.

(and I need it to continue so I can apply for the next series)

Ooh, are they trying Jeopardy again? Obviously the US version is the king of teatime quizzes. I don't see it on the Irish version of ITV. Must have a look. Thanks for the heads-up.

i'm fascinated if jeopardy catches on over there! my bf (british but lives in the states) really came to love it, but when we were in the UK recently his mom asked me if the jeopardy answering convention -- having to do it in the form of a question -- was an american cultural thing and i was like, well no that's just jeopardy. and then she was asking me questions about it & i was like, look it makes no sense i'm not sure what to tell you. it's definitely our driest game show tho so i hope it does catch on over there

What it has going for it is that they are casting people who are good at quizzes. And, by extension, who are aware of Jeopardy. This seems to be baffling some people on Twitter, amplified by clickbait media who like to quote three contrary weirdos with no followers and push this as narrative. It's good, just leave it be.

the answer as a question thing puts me off, I'm not sure why. as does Stephen fry being the host.

Oh no, is Stephen Fry the host? My interest just waned rapidly. Wow, these last few posts have been a rollercoaster.

i'm fascinated if jeopardy catches on over there!

I vaguely remember they tried it in the Nineties with Paul Ross or someone. I might well be wrong, but I am not going to check.

Not wrong, they definitely did it on morning ITV at some time in the past

In the Crosswits slot, for the real heads

I'm enjoying Jeopardy and not minding Stephen Fry, though he does seem to think that if a contestant is Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish then that's their sole character trait.

Yes, that's really annoying.

I record it and zip past anything that isn't questions so don't hear any of the contestant bantz, which is good that it's all concentrated in its own bantz zone and not peppered about randomly - once a question session starts, all you get are the question bit of the programme.

It's just not the same. I don't think it will survive. There are so many quiz shows already. What makes Jeopardy! work so well in the US is that it's the only quiz show we have really. Oh I guess maybe millionaire is still on there? I can't remember but there really isn't anything like it whereas here there are so many similar things.

the tv listings mag tells me wheel of fortune is back (with graham norton) and that's an american format (and another that has only ever been niche in the uk)

yeah I noticed that too

Wheel of Fortune was pretty big when yon domestic abuser was hosting it

It's a long time since I saw Wheel! Of ! Fortune! I tend to lump it in more with game shows than quizzes.

though he does seem to think that if a contestant is Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish then that's their sole character trait.

I wonder if he has the same writers as Roman Kemp had on the one he did with Sarah Greene, where if a contestant wore a bright colour or had once been on a plane, they were basically "ooh, where's me shades" or "will you FLY away with the prize today?" every time they had to talk to them. It's very wearing, and so obviously scripted. I think Omid Djalili is the only one who gets away with this kind of thing, because he just bellows non sequiturs at people and they're not sure if he's kidding or not. Keep 'em on their toes.