OK, sorry for the two day delay, but now I can finally get round to reviewing this week's Only Connect. Yes, the one with the mistake! Kudos to TPTB for the professional way they dealt with it, having Victoria announce at the top of the show, and then confirm what it was over the end credits.
Playing were the Networkers, Frank Little, David Collison and captain Harriet Courtney, who defeated the Cousins in their first match, and the Psmiths, Mark Smith, Nick Holland and captain Nick Reed, who narrowly emerged on top over the Verbivores, who are also in the second round draw.
Round 1.The Networkers kicked off proceedings with Eye of Horus: 'Kashmir', then 'Pyrenees', then 'Lake Victoria', and finally 'Borneo'. They offered 'disputed borders'; not right. Their opponents offered 'divided between three nations', which was correct for a bonus. For their own first question, the Psmiths chose Two Reeds: 'Berk', then 'Dinas Emrys', then 'Erebor'; they offered 'dragons', which was correct. (The card answer was 'fictional dragons', but Victoria thought 'dragons' was sufficient!) The Networkers chose Twisted Flax next, and got the picture set: we saw Brendan Rodgers, then Venus Williams, then some steel, and finally Mark Owen. Neither side had it: they are the surnames of the Gang of Four. No, they're not! Roy Jenkins was in the gang of four, not David Steele! There's the famous mistake! The Psmiths chose Water next: 'Watson-Wentworth by Watson-Wentworth West', then 'Fifty Shades of Melbourne', then 'East of Macmillan'; that gave it to them, they are films where the names of a prime minister has been swapped with that of their successor. Good shout for two points. (The missing one was 'The Brown Witch Project'!) The Networkers chose Lion next: 'Northern Ireland: Council tax', then 'Wales: Voluntary organ donation', then 'Scotland: Tuition fees'; they identified things that are not applied in those parts of the UK, and picked up two points of their own. Left with Horned Viper, and the music question, the Psmiths heard 'Take On Me' by A-ha, then 'Run' by Snow Patrol, then 'Mad World' by Tears for Fears, and finally Gloria Jones singing 'Tainted Love'. Neither team knew it: these are songs that got to number one when covered by others. At the end of the first round, the Psmiths led 5-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Networkers began the round with Two Reeds: '4th: Canada (Alouette I)', then '3rd: UK (Ariel I)', and then '2nd: USA (Explorer I)'. They didn't get it, their opponents came close with '1st: USSR (Vostok I)', but it's actually '1st: USSR (Sputnik I)'. They are artificial satellites in order of launch. The Psmiths chose Lion next: '41st: Timberwolf', then '42nd: Eagle', and then '43rd: Tumbler (pre-election); Trailblazer (post-)'. They knew it to be secret service nicknames of US presidents, but didn't know what would be fourth. Nor did their opponents. '44th: Renegade' would complete the set as Obama's codename. The Networkers chose Water next, and got a music sequence: we heard Erasure, then 'It Never Happens to Me' by the Assembly, and then Yazoo. They didn't get it, their opponents did: something by Depeche Mode would satisfy, the sequence being the career of Mr Vince Clark going backwards. (A half decent rendition of 'Just Can't Get Enough' followed!) For their own question, the Psmiths chose Twisted Flax, and got the picture set: we saw Harry from Spooks, then a GI Joe doll, and then some chap I didn't recognise. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents. We have a spy, a soldier, and the third character is a tailor, so 'Tinker' of some sort would be fourth. For their final choice, the Networkers chose Eye of Horus: 'Witham', then 'Welland', and then 'Nene'. They offered 'Ouze', which was correct. They are the rivers that feed into The Wash. Left with Horned Viper again, the Psmiths saw 'Newsbeat hands over to Scott Mills', then 'Jeremy Vine throws to second bulletin'; they knew it was what happens on the BBC radio networks at a certain time, but didn't get the right answer. Their opponents saw 'The Lunchtime Concert is introduced', but were none the wiser. They are what happens on the main four networks at 1pm, so 'Martha Kearney reads the headlines' (ie The World at One) would be fourth for Radio 4. At the end of the second round, the Psmiths led 6-4.
On to the Walls. The Psmiths had their turn to go first, and chose the Water wall. They immediately isolated a set of famous Ashleys, 'Judd', 'Banjo', 'Giles' and 'Cole', and then very quickly had a second set, 'Belch', 'Aguecheek', 'Malvolio' and 'Feste', which are characters in Twelfth Night. They looked over the remaining eight, and worked out the groups fairly quickly: 'Lyre', 'Psaltery', 'Kontra' and 'Viola' are string instruments, while 'Eruct', 'Burp', 'Gurk' and 'Rift' are synonyms for 'belch', or, as the setters put it, 'digestive wind release'! A very quickly solved full ten.
The Networkers thus had to solve the Lion wall fully too to stay in step. They made a good start, isolating 'Prospect', 'NUJ', 'Equity' and 'Napo', which are trade unions, very quickly. A second set, 'Howard', 'Daddles', 'Dad-Dab' and 'Edd', which are fictional ducks, followed. They too resolved the remaining eight with their first try: 'Britannia', 'Groat', 'Unite' and 'Crown' are British coins, while 'Leonard', 'Penny', 'Amy' and 'Sheldon' are, of course, characters in The Big Bang Theory. Another well resolved full ten left the scores at 16-14 to the Psmiths going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would decide who went through to the Group Phase. 'People or things with avian nicknames', such as 'BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION', went to the Psmiths 3-1. 'A country and its smallest state', such as 'AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA', was a 2-each split. 'The word 'missing' is missing', such as 'IN ACTION', went to the Networkers 2-1, and that was time. The Psmiths had won, 22-19.
A good match well played by both despite the low scoring first two rounds. Unlucky Networkers, but certainly nothing to be ashamed of, so thanks for playing. Very well done Psmiths though, and good luck in the Group Phase!
Over the credits, Victoria confirmed that the gang of four question was the one with the mistake.
Next week's match: the Shutterbugs vs the Korfballers
Hopefully back to normal service next week; back on Monday with UC as usual. See yous then.
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