Only Connect Series 11: Round 1: Match 3: Spaghetti Westerners vs Mixologists

OK, time to see if I can watch and review Only Connect and watch EastEnders at the same time. The subtitles on the latter should make it easier. Playing in last night's Only Connect were the Spaghetti Westerners, Neil Macaskill, Andrew Frazer and Paul Philpot, and the Mixologists, Chris Beer, Sam Swift and Ewan MacAulay. I'm sure most of yous will remember Messrs Beer and MacAulay from UC two years ago, where the appeared for Somerville College Oxford and Christ Church Oxford respectively. Messrs Frazer and Philpot are also serial quizzers, having appeared on various shows including Mastermind and Fifteen to One 2.0.

Round 1. The Westerners went first, and chose the Eye of Horus: 'Coca-Cola: 2009', 'St. James' Park: 2012', and at this point they offered that they were renamed in those years; not precise enough. The Mixologists saw 'St. Petersburg: 1991' and 'Prince: 2000', and thus got the answer: they all reverted to their old names in those years. The Mixologists chose Horned Viper for their own question: 'High-', 'Low-', 'Science-', 'Wireless-'. They tried networks; not right. The Westerners didn't know it either. If all shortened, they can all be followed by 'fi' to give new terms. The Westerners chose Twisted Flax next, and got the Picture Round: we saw a portrait of JMW Turner, then one of Dr Johnson, then an orange and finally 'Hg' for Mercury. The final clue gave it to them: they all give their names to cultural prizes. The Mixologists chose Two Reeds, and got the music round: didn't recognise the first piece, the second I recognised from an old silent film, but didn't know the name, the third was the immortal Oliver Hardy singing 'On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine', and neither they nor me recognised the last. The Mixologists knew correctly that they all have trees in the title, the second piece being the Maple Leaf Rag, and the final one Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree. The Westerners chose Water: 'Jennifer Green', then 'David Geller', and they had it after just two: 'they are the first names of Friends actors and the surname of their character. Well worked out for three points. The Mixologists were left with Lion: 'Daddy Warbucks', 'Ellen Ripley', 'Sherlock Holmes' and finally 'Bobby Ewing'. Again, the final clue gave it to them: they all apparently died, and then came back from the dead. At the end of the first round, the Westerners led 4-3.

On to the second round. The Westerners began with Eye of Horus: 'Extra', then 'Roadchef', then 'Welcome Break'; they offered 'Moto', the link being operators of motorway service stations in order of most prolific. Correct, for two points. The Mixologists chose the Twisted Flax: 'Commune', 'Canton', 'Arrondissement'. They knew the sequence to be French administrative divisions, and offered 'Departement', which was correct. The Westeners chose Two Reeds: 'King George VI & Prince George of Cambridge', then 'Lord Randolph Churchill & Nicholas Soames'; they spotted them to be a great great grandfather and great great, then a great grandfather and great grandson, and so offered 'Prince Philip & Prince Charles', which was accepted as a father and son pair for three points. The Mixologists chose 'Lion': '4: Free for All', '3: A, B, & C.', '2: The Chimes of Big Ben'. They didn't know, nor did their opponents, though the Westerners did get that they are episodes of the Prisoner. They are the first four episodes of that show in reverse order, so '1: Arrival' would finish the set. For their final question, the Westerners chose the 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Kentish resort', then 'Heraldic gold', and then 'Japanese theatre'. No answer came, but their opponents offered 'Kentish resort', which was accepted. This is clever: Deal is a resort in Kent, 'Or' represents heraldic gold, 'Noh' is a type of Japanese theatre. 'Deal, Or, No, Deal'! Brilliant! The Mixologists were left with Water, and the picture round: we saw a woman neither of us recognised, then a glass of beer, then a solitary bowling pin. They offered 'pi', the link being the loss of the final letter each time; correct, the woman being actress Frieda Pinto, so 'Pinto', 'Pint', 'Pin', 'Pi'. At the end of Round 2, the Westerners led 9-8.

Maybe the Walls would break the teams further apart. The Mixologists went first, and chose to have a go at the Water wall. They spotted some links, and tried some sets unsuccessfully. Eventually, they isolated 'Crumb', 'Autumn', 'Coup' and 'Debris', which all end with a silent letter. The next set to fall in was 'Lechon', 'Prosciutto', 'Bacon' and 'Speck', which are all pork products. After some more out working, they worked out the final groups: 'Smidgen', 'Trace', 'Iota' and 'Morsel' are all words for small amounts, which they knew, while 'Anchor', 'Bear off', 'Pip' and 'Gammon' are all terms from backgammon, which they didn't know. So, seven points there.

The Westerners were left with the Lion wall. After some studying, they immediately isolated 'Liverpool', 'Lime', 'Cannon' and 'Queen', which all precede 'street' to give names of stations. 'Pear', 'Kumquat', 'Tomato' and 'Greengage' followed next, which are all fruits. They studied what was left a bit, and worked out the remaining sets: 'Alley', 'Spot', 'Faith' and 'Date', which can all precede 'blind', and 'Quince', 'Mil', 'Dos' and 'Once' are numbers in Spanish; they knew both these connections. So, a full house of ten there meant the Westerners led 19-15 going into the final round.

Again, Missing Vowels would most likely decide the match. 'Blue movies', or films with blue in the title, went to the Mixologists 3-1. 'Famous Belgians' was a 2-all split. 'Things that make you sleepy' also finished 2-all. 'Brass instruments' went to the Mixologists 2-1, with time expiring before the Westerners could give an answer for the final clue. At the end of the match, the Westeners won 25-24.

Another great match between two very good teams. Unlucky Mixologists, well done Westerners, you both played brilliantly, and I look forward to seeing you both in your next matches.

Next week's match: Collectors vs Railwaymen

When will I finish Series 1? I don't know. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks, but I'm guaranteeing nothing.