must remember to check my recordings are correct for the christmas editions of these things because iirc i missed one last year because they are in the epg as different things from the usual series.
― koogs, Monday, 18 December 2023 11:50 (four months ago) link
Sheepishly I don't really care about the Oxbridge bias (in my mind more Oxbridge teams = more chances to see them getting whomped by teams from former polys) but the refusal to manage even basic reasonable accommodations for disabled team members (see here) is some pathetic bullshit
― Chuck_Tatum, Monday, 18 December 2023 12:14 (four months ago) link
The great thing about the Christmas Only Connect specials is that they have proper Only Connect teams on them. Last night's Christmas University Challenge was more of a chore than a treat. Might not bother with the rest of them (of course I will, though).
― trishyb, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 11:31 (four months ago) link
celebrities: they're dumber than us
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 11:37 (four months ago) link
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, 19 December 2023 11:41 (four months ago) link
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.
― Chuck_Tatum, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 11:47 (four months ago) link
> Doctor Spock
the clue mentioned william shatner, but this is another level of wrong
― koogs, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 12:19 (four months ago) link
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, 19 December 2023 12:26 (four months ago) link
That was the one that got me. And that they appeared never to have heard of Delft, ffs.
― trishyb, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 13:29 (four months ago) link
There's nothing like shouting "Frank fucking Capra, you arseholes!" at the television to let you know Christmas has started.
― trishyb, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 13:30 (four months ago) link
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.
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 15:35 (four months ago) link
worst of last night's UC was the two minutes they were taking to not answer some of the questions
― koogs, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 16:14 (four months ago) link
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.
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 16:22 (four months ago) link
postmodern existentialism" or something along those lines, really made me think "why are you even here".
― kinder, Tuesday, 19 December 2023 21:52 (four months ago) link
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)
― koogs, Wednesday, 20 December 2023 20:35 (four months ago) link
I was thinking they were more interesting than usual tbh
― close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Wednesday, 20 December 2023 21:59 (four months ago) link
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..."
― Chuck_Tatum, Thursday, 21 December 2023 15:07 (four months ago) link
Was that the death valley one?
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Thursday, 21 December 2023 15:10 (four months ago) link
yep
― Chuck_Tatum, Thursday, 21 December 2023 15:12 (four months ago) link
― 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.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Thursday, 21 December 2023 15:13 (four months ago) link
― Ward Fowler, Tuesday, December 19, 2023 6:41 AM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink
This was amazing.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Thursday, 21 December 2023 15:14 (four months ago) link
we don't get the photos from when they were fresh faced youths any more? (in some cases just a few years ago)
― organ doner (ledge), Saturday, 23 December 2023 20:05 (four months ago) link
Slightly surprised that there was a round in Dario Argento, not so surprised that nobody knew ‘Giallo’ as a genre.
― Ward Fowler, Sunday, 24 December 2023 11:01 (four months ago) link
wasn't giallo a clue or an answer just days ago (possibly on oc)? colours in foreign languages
― koogs, Sunday, 24 December 2023 11:26 (four months ago) link
Yeah it was on the OC wall, colours in Italian
― Hello I'm shitty gatsworth (aldo), Sunday, 24 December 2023 19:11 (four months ago) link
two rounds on names of mathematical things that they were both terrible at
imaginary, irrational / i, zeta
― koogs, Friday, 29 December 2023 20:21 (four months ago) link
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.
― trishyb, Saturday, 30 December 2023 09:22 (four months ago) link
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!
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Saturday, 30 December 2023 09:54 (four months ago) link
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.
― mike t-diva, Saturday, 30 December 2023 10:23 (four months ago) link
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.
― ailsa, Saturday, 30 December 2023 14:54 (four months ago) link
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
― close encounters of the third knid (darraghmac), Saturday, 6 January 2024 19:58 (three months ago) link
Bit freaky to see Bobby Seagull on Indian Matchmaking.
― trishyb, Monday, 8 January 2024 16:58 (three months ago) link
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
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 10 January 2024 20:29 (three months ago) link
ha, love that
― Roz, Thursday, 11 January 2024 07:03 (three months ago) link
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.
― ailsa, Thursday, 11 January 2024 20:53 (three months ago) link
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)
― ailsa, Thursday, 11 January 2024 20:54 (three months ago) link
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.
― trishyb, Thursday, 11 January 2024 21:02 (three months ago) link
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
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 11 January 2024 21:50 (three months ago) link
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.
― ailsa, Thursday, 11 January 2024 22:06 (three months ago) link
the answer as a question thing puts me off, I'm not sure why. as does Stephen fry being the host.
― koogs, Friday, 12 January 2024 07:59 (three months ago) link
Oh no, is Stephen Fry the host? My interest just waned rapidly. Wow, these last few posts have been a rollercoaster.
― trishyb, Friday, 12 January 2024 08:05 (three months ago) link
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.
― trishyb, Friday, 12 January 2024 08:08 (three months ago) link
Not wrong, they definitely did it on morning ITV at some time in the past
― craning to be leather (Noodle Vague), Friday, 12 January 2024 09:28 (three months ago) link
In the Crosswits slot, for the real heads
― craning to be leather (Noodle Vague), Friday, 12 January 2024 09:29 (three months ago) link
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.
― lazy rascals, spending their substance, and more, in riotous living (Merdeyeux), Friday, 12 January 2024 11:05 (three months ago) link
Yes, that's really annoying.
― ailsa, Friday, 12 January 2024 11:16 (three months ago) link
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.
― ailsa, Friday, 12 January 2024 11:19 (three months ago) link
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.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Friday, 12 January 2024 11:39 (three months ago) link
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)
― koogs, Friday, 12 January 2024 12:03 (three months ago) link