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

Yeah, 1950s and 1850s.

The captain of the other team had a very odd top on, the sort of thing Sue Barker always wears on Question of Sport with large chunks cut out of the sleeves. Except it was too big and hence looked very stupid indeed.

I never do very well but I did get Pixies and I did know approximately how old the universe is, and some other things.

Did anyone watch Mastermind tonight? The graduate student was unusual with her HP Lovecraft.

*pricks up his ears*

(sorry)

I bet you have been!

*rescans that sentence five times to check for innuendo*

The Professionals

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=today&service_id=4224&filename=20080331/20080331_2000_4224_9918_30

They're Back

Tonight

they should ban postgrads from the regular show. it's not on.

should they ban graduates from THE PROFESSIONALS?

... no.

they should ban postgrads from the normal show because it's a general knowledge quiz, and you acquire more general knowledge as you get older... and then start to lose it all, but the postgrads in their late 20s and 30s have a clear advantage over the undergrads.

Ban Open University as well then?

God I'm so glad it's back this is my show forever.

Ban mid-30s undergrads too?

harder to call.

I've often thought the same thing myself tho. Maybe they should stick an age limit, say 25, on the regular show. But then you'd get old people doing post-divorce first degrees getting all butthurt.

Or have a "1 oldster per team" limit.

Ban presentable looking people as well, the show really should be competed in by only the pastiest, specciest, greasiest-haired shut-ins, none of yr indie doofuses or New Hall broads.

they should ban postgrads from the normal show because it's a general knowledge quiz, and you acquire more general knowledge as you get older... and then start to lose it all, but the postgrads in their late 20s and 30s have a clear advantage over the undergrads.

Yes, let's solely have a bunch of 20-something idiots on it, why don't we

... it makes me feel really clever!

or New Hall broads

Dom I gotta have something to knock one out to while they're asking the impossible Maths question.

I enjoy how the quiz setter has given up trying to do varied Classical music questions and now they're all just "Who wrote this then?"

Or have a "1 oldster per team" limit.

-- Noodle Vague, Monday, March 31, 2008 2:17 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

yeah this would be fair. sometimes it's a bit much.

The ramp up in question difficulty from the rounds to the final is crazy.

Still the hardest quiz on TV tho, Mastermind is not in the same league.

answers including

Psyche

Echo & Narcissus

1982: year Trivial Pursuit was launched

The Waste Land

Waiting for Godot

and it's back ... tomorrow!!

My uncle was on the professionals once, as part of the Association of Historical Crime Writers. Beat that.

I was on University Challenge a couple of years ago for Glasgow University. I was the token "oldster" on the team (i.e. postgraduate student). We sadly lost to Edinburgh (of all people), but it was a reasonable match. I was happy anyway, because I got some starter questions, so got to hear my name called in the famous UC style.

Now!

was on early

Uh? Just finished, here. Well, I did unusually well - hit 200 (answering all questions, bien sur) to the winners' 195. Exeter University thought that a string piece was 'Yesterday' rather than 'Paranoid Android' by their alumnus. I was surprised to get the meaning of Indian 'Maha' (great) correct.

was on early in scotland for some reason missed it will be on iplayer later

It is always on early in Scotland so that we can watch a dude trying to repopulate the Highlands with wild boar and moose and stuff.

I remain baffled as to how they didn't know Paranoid Android, yet recognised Queens of the Stone Age and Muse quite easily. One of the contestants also thought Carl Barat was in Babyshambles, and none of them even guessed at Dirty Pretty Things, making me wonder exactly what students are doing with themselves these days. Studying, presumably, instead of listening to pish indie like I did when I was a student.

I got 220! Perhaps they are dumbing down. There did seem to be quite a few exceedingly easy questions. And some painfully stupid answers.