OK, Wednesday it is. Next week it could be Thursday that I end up reviewing Only Connect, we'll have to wait and see. As far as I can tell, OC is on an extra week before it pauses for Christmas, but I shall double check again at some point and let yous ken for sure nearer the time.
Anyway, playing on Monday night, we had the Fire-Eaters, Andy Davis, Tony Moore and captain Jonathan Elliott, who defeated the Eurovisionaries in their first match, and the Clareites, Ellie Warner, Olivier Grouille and captain Sarah Binney, who won out over the Wrestlers in their first match. Winners went through, runners-up went out, unfortunately.
Round 1. The Eaters went first, kicked off with Twisted Flax, and instantly triggered the music question: we heard ACDC's Whole Lotta Rosie, then Girls Aloud with Whole Lotta History, then Jerry Lee Lewis' Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, and finally Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin, as heard over the opening credits of Top of the Pops. Neither side spotted the link. The Clareites kicked off their campaign with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Sadness' in blue, then 'Fear' in purple; they had it from the first, but took the second to make sure: they are characters in the film 'Inside Out' and their colour. The Eaters chose Lion next: 'Ian R', then 'Cameron O'; they too took three here: you add the letter to the name to give that of a country. The Clareites chose Eye of Horus next: 'Musician Peter Baker', then 'Dancer Virginia McMath', then 'Trainer Donald McCain', and finally 'Singer Geraldine Halliwell'. They offered that they all shortened their names for professional reasons; not right. Their opponents offered that their nicknames are all 'Ginger something', which was correct for a bonus. (The second clue being Ginger Rogers) For their own question, the Eaters chose Two Reeds, and got the pictures: we saw a labyrinth, then a canal, then a hammer; they offered 'parts of the ear', which was correct for two points. Left with Water, the Clareites saw 'Quarterly literary periodical of the 1890s', then 'National Gardens Scheme Annual', then 'Wisden Cricketer's Almanack', and finally 'Telephone directory of businesses'. The last one gave it to them: they are all yellow books. (Reminds me of that Yellow Pages ad about the image consultants that was in almost every ad break a few years back!) At the end of the first round, the Eaters led 6-4.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Eaters began the round with Water, and the picture set: we saw Daryl Hannah, then a minim, and then ABBA. They spotted it to be palindromes with decreasing numbers of letter, and offered a father, 'Dad', for two points. Acceptable. The Clareites chose Lion next: '2012: Wolves' (I very nearly said '2015: QPR' at this point; see if you can work out why and what would be second and third!), then '2013: Warriors', and then '2014: Rhinos'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: '2015: Rhinos' would be fourth, the sequence being winners of Rugby League's Challenge Cup. For their own question, the Eaters chose Two Reeds: 'Margaret Thatcher (1)', then 'Harold Wilson (2)'; they spotted it to be prime ministers and how many times they became PM, and so 'William Gladstone (4)' would be fourth. The Clareites chose Twisted Flax next: 'Guinea-Bissau', then 'Guinea'; they offered 'Liberia', which was correct for three points, the sequence being the West African coast going south. For their final choice, the Eaters chose Eye of Horus: 'Lord Redesdale', then 'Mr Bennet', and then 'Tsar Nicholas II'. They saw it to be fathers of six, five and four daughters, and, trying to think of someone who had three, Mr Davis offered his mate Ali, which Victoria reluctantly accepted, though she did demand proof! Left with Horned Viper, the Clareites saw '4: 7am to 7am', then '3: 1pm to 1pm', and then '2: 8am to 8am'. They didn't get this, their opponents came close, but didn't either: they are the timescales of the first four series of 24, so '1: 12am to 12am' would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Eaters led 14-7.
On to the Walls. The Clareites needed a good result as they chose to tackle the Lion wall. Alas, like the Verbivores last week, the wall completely stumped them, and they ran out of time without grouping anything. They could still collect group points though: 'Schleifer', 'Glissando', 'Acciaccatura' and 'Turn' are musical ornamentation terms, which they got, 'Splice', 'Lashing', 'Standing end' and 'Bight' are types of knot, which they also got, 'Ria', 'Firth', 'Sound' and 'Fjord' are types of watery inlet, which they got as well, while 'Albert Ross', 'Petrol', 'Rennes' and 'Miner' are homophones of birds, which they didn't get. So, three points salvaged there.
The Eaters thus had a big chance to pull away if they could get the most from the Water wall. Unfortunately for them, they didn't fare too much better, isolating one group, 'Reeve', 'Cain', 'Routh' and 'Cavill', which actors who have played Superman, but nothing more, despite some very loud frantic thumping at the touch screen! They thus had to settle for group bonuses as well: 'Holmes', 'Child', 'Lewis' and 'Rand' are British female athletes, which they didn't see, 'False', 'Liveli', 'Neighbour' and 'Knight' can all precede 'Knight', which they also missed, while 'Manciple', 'Squire', 'Second Nun' and 'Miller' are narrators from the Canterbury Tales, which they also saw. Another three point salvage put them 17-10 ahead going into the final round.
As we've seen this series, not insurmountable, so still up in the air going into Missing Vowels. 'Dickens villains and the bokk they appear in' went to the Clareites 3-(-1). 'Famous Emmas' was a 2-each split. 'Words that contain one of each vowel' likewise 2-each. 'JM Barrie plays' only got one clue, which neither team got. At the end of the show, the Eaters won 20-17.
Another good effort by two good sides who did well considering the very tricky walls. Unlucky Clareites, but nothing at all to be ashamed of, so thanks very much indeed for taking part. Well done Fire-Eaters though, and good luck in the group stage!
Next week's match: the Part Time Poets vs the Surrealists
Also, does the Missing Vowels round carry too much weight? I investigate. Stay tuned for that either tomorrow or next week.
Andy did phone his friend after the recording to verify that he did have only three daughters.
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