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Has anyone on ILE been a contestant on this quiz programme? And do you like Paxman's interpretation of what a questionmaster should be like "Come on! You must know!" etc?

― MarkH, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

RIckyT was on it! "GIRTON, TUNNICLIFFE!" said the voiceover and we fell off our chairs with excitement. i was nearly on it in that i got on to our college team but then went to India instead CHIZ! me and RickyT = unbeatable combination as you will find out on Wednesday, those of you who are going to SOAS pub quiz!!

― katie, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

Last night I watched my alma mater, Bristol University, get beaten by Downing College Cambridge...boo!

― MarkH, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

it's just a pale imitation of Mark and Lard's pop upstairs/downstairs. plus it wasn't on when i was at college. grrr.

― Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

Is it a rule that each programme must have at LEAST one of the Oxbridge colleges on it? GOSH now that makes it TWO people I know who haf been on it! This was a fact about RickyT I did not know but I am surely amused by it! By no chance did he get to use the word 'frottage' by any chance?

― Sarah, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

Fuck off you and your 'any chances'!

― Twatbag, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

Wow, RickyT! Is there video evidence?? Unfortunately, my time at uni was in the hiatus between the show's ITV & BBC incarnations. I would've wuvved to be on it. I suppose doing a Masters or doctorate specially is a bit drastic!

― MarkH, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

I also knocked about in the hiatus - but used its impending return to play a very, very funny practical joke on a good friend of mine (and was mortified when she actually picked me for her fictitious team). But the crux of the joke was that they were trying out new presenters which included Paxo, Mark Radcliffe(!) and Les Dennis (Kitsch value).

― Pete, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

the thought of Les Dennis on UC is almost as funny as the thought of Paxo on Family Fortunes.

― MarkH, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

Toxteth O'Grady, USA.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

i was on it about three years ago; we made it to the quarter finals and then got stuffed by durham. paxman drank a suprising amount between takes, as i recall.

i had a ridiculous haircut (black/white striped) at the time, which loads of people seem to remember when i mention it ("ohmygodyouwerethatfreakonuniveristychallengewiththeweirdhair!!" etc).

― toby, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

Since I'm an American, my only thoughts about UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE is the episode of the YOUNG ONES where they go on. Which, I think, it's too bad of an introduction.

― Gage-o, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

"Is it true Bambi? Did you do a Disney nasty?"

― DG, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

*is very embarassed*

― RickyT, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

I think TVU and Norf London always got knocked out in the prelims (think, I know!)...I can only answer questions on sport, music, art and geography on University Challenge! I thought Ricky T looked familiar when I saw him at the ILe awards!!

― jel, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

I very much doubt it's UC you remember me from, Jel. I had a lot more hair, a lot less lard and a pair of specs back then.

― RickyT, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

The damning evidence. Are you still in contact with your teammates?

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

"I've got a Porsche!!"

― mark s, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

DOES THE PEOPLES COURT COUNT?

― Mike Hanle y, Tuesday, 8 January 2002 01:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink

two years pass...

I fell in love last night. It was with the woman from the Foreign Office on University Challenge.

She had an Italian name, but I have forgotten it, so no stalking for me.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:12 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

she didn't do it for me.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:17 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Well that's fine.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:20 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Good victory for OUP.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:21 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Boring bunch of bastards. Foreign Office 4ever.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:24 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

i was on it about three years ago; we made it to the quarter finals and then got stuffed by durham. paxman drank a suprising amount between takes, as i recall.
i had a ridiculous haircut (black/white striped) at the time, which loads of people seem to remember when i mention it ("ohmygodyouwerethatfreakonuniveristychallengewiththeweirdhair!!" etc).

-- toby (toby_ge...), January 8th, 2002.

My mate David was on it the year Durham won it - he was UCL, who were you with toby?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:25 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

That woman was called Francesca something. Altobelli?

As part of the Lancaster team we made it to the final round of auditions two years ago. They actually interview you as if you're going onto an actual game show ("What books have you been reading recently?"), which I found vaguely disconcerting, but answers to the questions on the test we sat included "Tony Hawkes" and "Sixpence None The Richer". So that's alright then.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:44 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

This is where someone should say "Liz :x to thread"

― Mooro (Mooro), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 16:27 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Most of us Yanks only know University Challenge from the Undertones' "My Perfect Cousin."

OK, that may be just me.

― mike a, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 18:19 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

one month passes...

Last night, questions on

1. Stream of Consciousness

2. Greil Marcus's Mystery Train

3. something else interesting - what was it?

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:12 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Also, did anyone see the deaf fellow on Mastermind?

I thought he did well.

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:13 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Jarlr'mai to thread

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:38 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

>3. something else interesting - what was it?

1970s video games? paxman was aghast that people knew all these, i thought they were piss-easy. (pong, tetris, asteroids, snake)

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:13 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

No, I wasn't thinking of them, but thanks for the reminder.

Perhaps we should not be surprised that you thought they were easy?

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:15 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

The deaf guy did great given that he had 2 minutes of questions the same as everyone else and John Humphrys had to speak each question slowly and fully for the guy to lipread it, i imagine some lipreading is about context so predicting and interupting questions may have been a little difficult given his subject (Wild cats of the world) also he asked John to repeat 2 long questions again, it may have been worth his while to pass on questions he couldnt read 1st time.

I'd like to see how many questions he was actually asked as compared to the others.

Uni Chal Mastermind and Buzzocks makes Monday night the best BBC2 line up all week.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:23 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I liked the longshore drift questions amd the computer languages one, I should have got that Dirac antimatter one as well, kicks self.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:25 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I missed University Challenge in order to see my mate Ernie on Changing Rooms. His best moment was "Fair play to them, it doesn't look like a cupboard any more. But I now have a shed in my bedroom."

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:36 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

ONG that shed looked dreadful (in the 10 seconds of the show i saw)...

"what's 'amped' mean then?"

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:39 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

It was sweet, the way he did wild cats of the world. Nice.

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:39 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I liked the longshore drift questions amd the computer languages one.

I found it strange that they didn't know what COBOL or SQL were yet got the (IMO) more obscure Ada question right.

University Challenge makes me realise how much stuff there is that I don't know. I'm usually chuffed to bits if I get a run of Starter + 3 Bonuses correct.

Discovered a fairly good quiz show called Eggheads yesterday while I was off work. A team of "boffins" (I think most of them are former champions of 15-to-1 or similar) is challenged by a different team of plebs every episode. Plebs can win £20000, boffins just get to be smug about being clever. Plebs won yesterday for the first time in umpteen episodes.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:43 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I thought he was blind. Why did he have the stick? He reminded me a little of Mark Hester, facially.

UC was good, I knew more answers than usual (ie, about 5). The Greil Marcus question reminded me of RJG. I liked the set of questions where they had to say who ruled in a X-ocracy, and one of the words sounded very much like phallocracy, and they dithered and snickered and then it was something not rude at all.

I like Eggheads too.

― Cathy (Cathy), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:53 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

UC should have more rude word questions just to put off the geekier students.

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:55 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

too bad the questions about video games did not permit a contestant to answer "Jeremy, Pacman" or indeed, en francais

― Brigadier Rainham Steele, Mrs (blueski), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:56 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I found it strange that they didn't know what COBOL or SQL were yet got the (IMO) more obscure Ada question right.

That was because it's named after Ada Lovelace innit. I didn't know the others but I know who the daughter of George Gordon, Lord Byron was. Hung out with Babbage, nice one.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 15:01 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I can never remember what SQL stands for, even though I use it every day. I always think it's "Server Query Language".

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 16:09 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

as long as you don't pronounce it 'sequel' 8)

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 16:11 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

It's how Americans say "squirrel"

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 16:18 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

My boss pronounces it "sequel". I wince.

(still, not as bad as the cow-orker who pronounces "spamhaus" "spamhorse")

― caitlin (caitlin), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 16:25 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Yeah, the deaf MM chap had a collapsible white cane - and yet he was lipreading. Extraordinary. All I could think about was how difficult it would be to subtitle Mastermind (Uni Chal moreso).

My old drama teacher got to the semis on MM in '86 or so.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 17:31 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

So he was definitely deaf then? If he needed a stick to walk, how was he lipreading? I am confused and curious.

― Cathy (Cathy), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:01 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

The deaf guy did great given that he had 2 minutes of questions the same as everyone else

Didn't he get a wee bit more time than the others - Humphrys explained something by way of explanation about the lipreading thing but I was in the other room so missed most of what he was saying.

I wondered about the cane too.

Was the other interesting thing the karaoke backing tracks of cheesy ballads (all of which I recognised, much to the amusement of my husband and parents)? Wasn't there a Smiths lyrics question too, or was that last week?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:08 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

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Never heard of Iron Maiden. Kids today, huh?

― ailsa, Monday, 30 July 2018 22:23 (two months ago) Permalink

paxo not even familiar with modus ponens v tollens, smh

― kinder, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 21:14 (two months ago) Permalink

"you're a nice team"

― Number None, Monday, 13 August 2018 20:03 (two months ago) Permalink

Ugh patronising Paxman on top form tonight.

That New York kid was really something this round.

― Minister of the Pillow (fionnland), Monday, 13 August 2018 20:36 (two months ago) Permalink

Apparently he's quite the star on the quiz circuit. Total demolition, he's going to take some beating.

Enjoyed twirly moustache dude not knowing Nathan Barley.

― ailsa, Monday, 13 August 2018 23:25 (two months ago) Permalink

'bwa ha ha ha no"

― Mark G, Tuesday, 14 August 2018 06:50 (two months ago) Permalink

lol SOAS

― liberally social (darraghmac), Tuesday, 14 August 2018 18:54 (two months ago) Permalink

bonuses on 1997 AND Chris Morris, you are really spoiling us (although I didn't get the Mel C one)

New York guy basically ruining it for everyone else >:(

― kinder, Tuesday, 14 August 2018 19:23 (two months ago) Permalink

Love this show. I don’t always get everything that’s going on (being Dutch ;) but it’s almost always fun to watch. Being Dutch allowed for an LOL @ SOAS as that’s the dutch acronym for STDS.

― willem, Wednesday, 15 August 2018 11:55 (two months ago) Permalink

I saw an amazing grunge era show in SOAS student's union. MUdhoney, Nirvana, Napalm Death and I think at l;east one other band. people improvising on stage diving incorporating the pipe that runs down the ceiling.
Mark Arm going in crowd surfing and reappearing without his microphone which he needs tyo ask the crowd to return.

Shame the team from there 30 years later didn't really get a chance to start in Monday's show.

― Stevolende, Wednesday, 15 August 2018 12:02 (two months ago) Permalink

"The Beach Boys?"

anyway, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45217265

"University Challenge duo Monkman and Seagull get TV show"

― koogs, Monday, 20 August 2018 20:11 (two months ago) Permalink

That pronunciation of Beach Boys was the highlight of the night.

― ailsa, Monday, 20 August 2018 20:16 (two months ago) Permalink

kill granet with rocks

― flaneur brayin (darraghmac), Monday, 20 August 2018 20:32 (two months ago) Permalink

Jack Pollock you say?

― koogs, Monday, 27 August 2018 20:29 (one month ago) Permalink

Terrifying statues thread also v useful tonight.

― koogs, Monday, 27 August 2018 20:52 (one month ago) Permalink

Jack Pollock was in a rival team at our usual pub quiz yesterday. There were like six of them and two of us. We won. Clearly just getting him used to the losing feeling before having to watch himself back on the telly.

Durham were pretty good all round. Nice to see a good team who are all pretty good after the usual one-man-band teams that get all the media attention.

― ailsa, Monday, 27 August 2018 22:40 (one month ago) Permalink

The guy on the winning team looked like a character from rebel without a cause, leather jacket, hair greased back, collar turned up, stiletto in pocket. Seemed useful though.

Tonight I surprised myself with my anti-coagulant knowledge.

― koogs, Monday, 27 August 2018 22:57 (one month ago) Permalink

that guy in the brown fleece?
Yeah this week much more likeable than the self-congratulatory cleverclogs of last week

― kinder, Tuesday, 28 August 2018 19:56 (one month ago) Permalink

the white carrot things

― Number None, Monday, 3 September 2018 19:54 (one month ago) Permalink

People who are really good at brainy quizzing in their second language are amazing and baffling to me.

― ailsa, Monday, 3 September 2018 20:51 (one month ago) Permalink

Ohhhh...I thought he was American

― Number None, Monday, 3 September 2018 20:56 (one month ago) Permalink

yes?

― lee guacamole (darraghmac), Monday, 3 September 2018 22:27 (one month ago) Permalink

Thought he said he was from Berlin?

― ailsa, Tuesday, 4 September 2018 06:35 (one month ago) Permalink

Yeah, from Berlin.

Token brit was there to answer BAFTA round.

― Daniel_Rf, Wednesday, 5 September 2018 21:26 (one month ago) Permalink

I think he is actually American, but from Berlin. So we're all right.

― ailsa, Thursday, 6 September 2018 17:12 (one month ago) Permalink

there were like three questions/rounds about popular culture this week

― kinder, Friday, 7 September 2018 20:45 (one month ago) Permalink

imagine living a life where you are familiar with George Ezra but not Tori Amos

― kinder, Monday, 10 September 2018 20:34 (one month ago) Permalink

can someone pick up Ollard on loan

― Number None, Monday, 10 September 2018 20:37 (one month ago) Permalink

Gee, these two sure are charismatic presenters.

― every day there's a whining choad (Noodle Vague), Monday, 17 September 2018 19:17 (one month ago) Permalink

this is a rejected Partridge programme idea

― Number None, Monday, 17 September 2018 19:20 (one month ago) Permalink

you let one French team in...

― Number None, Monday, 24 September 2018 20:01 (three weeks ago) Permalink

wasn't paying attention at the beginning so I'm not sure what they were meant to be studying but I'm guessing "nothing"

― every day there's a whining choad (Noodle Vague), Monday, 24 September 2018 20:04 (three weeks ago) Permalink

'synthesiser' is the greatest answer given on any quiz show ever.

― Winner of the 2018 Great British Bae *cough* (ledge), Monday, 24 September 2018 20:19 (three weeks ago) Permalink

That was why Jeremy was all "Zut Alors", bloke was wearing a beret..

They (well, some) introduced themselves in 'language', to general amusement, then proceded to sit back and watch the telly...

― Mark G, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 13:32 (three weeks ago) Permalink

I met Golfinos from the other week in the pub a couple of weeks ago. Well, I say "met", he was across from us with my assorted quiz nerd mates going "look, it's Golfinos from University Challenge" in his general direction. We didn't speak to him.

― ailsa, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 22:07 (three weeks ago) Permalink

french wankers

― Dmac TT (darraghmac), Wednesday, 26 September 2018 17:51 (three weeks ago) Permalink

I share some facebook groups with the Goldsmiths team captain, she's cool.

― Daniel_Rf, Saturday, 29 September 2018 10:12 (three weeks ago) Permalink

Come on Pembroke

― Leon Carrotsky (Noodle Vague), Monday, 1 October 2018 19:34 (two weeks ago) Permalink

That's a moustache!

― Mark G, Monday, 1 October 2018 19:34 (two weeks ago) Permalink

Alt right as fuck

― Leon Carrotsky (Noodle Vague), Monday, 1 October 2018 19:36 (two weeks ago) Permalink

Lol kiss of death

― Leon Carrotsky (Noodle Vague), Monday, 1 October 2018 20:00 (two weeks ago) Permalink

"I haven't finished the question". I don't think Paxo quite understands how a buzzer quiz works.

― ailsa, Monday, 1 October 2018 22:26 (two weeks ago) Permalink

Was that the one where he gave one correct answer but paxo wanted two? I can see why paxo would think that was a dumb mistake, but only because he knew the whole question, which the guy didn't.

Beret girl was quietly impressive, especially with the literature, but that didn't stop the walrus leaning away from her towards the other guys every single time.

― koogs, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 03:09 (two weeks ago) Permalink

And he got spanked for it! "That's not what you were told... But the answer you gave is wrong so.."

― Mark G, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 06:40 (two weeks ago) Permalink

Beret girl was quietly impressive, especially with the literature, but that didn't stop the walrus leaning away from her towards the other guys every single time.

"The biologist is on the other side of you, mate!", quote my partner.

― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 10:10 (two weeks ago) Permalink

The captain of the other team was quite pleased to be answering the Kinks questions, mostly correctly.

However, after that they went back to watching the telly, prob had some pizza or something.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 10:23 (two weeks ago) Permalink

Beret girl was quietly impressive, especially with the literature, but that didn't stop the walrus leaning away from her towards the other guys every single time.

― koogs, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 03:09 (six days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this was so bad that even i commented on it quite early on, after he chose to pass rather than try her guess.

dickhead.

― Dmac TT (darraghmac), Monday, 8 October 2018 17:55 (one week ago) Permalink

First mistake of the night, describing de Botton as a philosopher.

― Leon Carrotsky (Noodle Vague), Monday, 8 October 2018 19:34 (one week ago) Permalink

another male captain seemingly reluctant to listen to his teammate...

― Number None, Monday, 8 October 2018 20:06 (one week ago) Permalink

Yeah I wondered about this one, and she was clearly their best player.

― Leon Carrotsky (Noodle Vague), Monday, 8 October 2018 20:24 (one week ago) Permalink

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