University Challenge: The Representation of Women in this Year's Series

OK, time to return to a subject that always stirs up discussion: women on University Challenge.

Well, first of all, we've already had an improvement this year on last year, in that every match so far, at least one woman has been present among the first eight. By this time last series, we'd had three all-male line-ups. So it seems TPTB have taken on my suggestion of not putting two all-male teams against each other in the first two rounds, when it is easier to make such arrangements.

Lets break down the teams:

• All male teams: 8, 6 through to second round
• One woman teams: 15, 9 through to second round
• Two woman teams: 4, 1 through to second round
• All woman teams: 1, eliminated
• Overall woman tally: 27

Now, let's compare that to last year's line-up:

• All male teams: 13, 8 reached second round
• One woman teams: 7, 5 reached second round
• Two woman teams: 6, 2 reached second round
• Three woman teams: 2, 1 reached second round
• Overall woman tally: 25

So, there are actually only two more female participants this series than last. The difference is they are spread out a bit more. There are five fewer all male teams, and considerably more teams with one female. Also, last year, half the teams in the second round were all male; this has dropped this series, but only slightly.

So, are women better represented this series? In terms of actual participants, only slightly. In terms of there being more teams with at least one female, yes. And in terms of female team captains, this series has eight, as opposed to last year's five.

Spooling back a bit to last year, when I wrote that infamous article about women needing to be encouraged to participate. My view on that still stands. I can't say, however, that unis and colleges should be encouraged to put forward teams with females on them; they should field a team that they think is likely to, if not win, then at least have a good run.

So, yes, women are better represented this series, but there is still a bit more that can be done.

Only Connect Series 11: Qualification Round: Match 4: Scientists vs Athenians

Right, moving on to this week's OC. Playing in the final qualification match were the Scientists, Innis Carson, Ian Volante and Lorraine Murtagh, who comfortably defeated the Builders in their first match, and the Athenians, blog reader Jon Stitcher, Amber Marshall and Ben Holmes, who won out over the Road Trippers first time around.

Round 1. The Athenians kicked off the match with Water: 'Derek New (University Challenge)', then 'Neil Richardson (Mastermind)', then 'Ed Welch (Blockbusters)'; they suggested originators of the formats for these shows, which was not correct. The Scientists saw 'Evan Dawson & Nico Sabatini (Only Connect)', and offered that they are the composers of these shows' theme tunes; correct, for a bonus. For their own first question, the Scientists chose 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Jennifer Bennett, Faversham', then 'Sharron Storer, Birmingham', then 'Dan Ware, Rochester' and finally 'Gillian Duffy, Rochdale'. The final clue gave it to them: they are controversial figures from election campaigns. (Mrs Duffy was the lady Mr Brown called a bigot) The Athenians chose Two Reeds next: 'Australia (6)', then 'Bosnia and Herzegovina (1/2 + 7 + 1/2)'; at this point they offered the amount of stars on their flags, which was correct for three points. The Scientists chose Eye of Horus next: 'Einsteinium', then 'Names of Allah', then '1974 Lions call' and finally 'Luftballons'. Again, the final clue was the giveaway: the number 99 is the link. The Athenians chose Twisted Flax next, and got the music question: after hearing three of the tracks, they noticed that the songs were linked by containers, and thus acquired two points there. Left with Lion, the Scientists got the picture set, and saw Flora MacDonald (the girl who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape), then a weeping willow, then a stork and finally a clover leaf. Just in time, they spotted that they are all brands of butter, and rescued a point. At the end of the first round, the Athenians led 5-4.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Athenians kicked off with Water, and got the picture set: we saw Jim Hacker (as played by Paul Eddington), then Boris Becker, and then Alan Whicker; they spotted the link, and offered 'Mr Docker'! Victoria was most amused by this! But, nonetheless, it was allowed, for two points. (acker, ecker, icker, ocker being the link) The Scientists chose Lion: '1990: 4.,5', then '1997: 4,5', and then '2007: 6,5'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: '2010: 5,7'; it's the years prime ministers took office, and the number of letters in their names. Well worked out that. For their own question, the Athenians chose Twisted Flax: '... hat', then '... Deal', and then '... time'. They eventually worked out it was 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue', and offered '... suede shoes', which was accepted for two points. The Scientists chose Eye of Horus, and got a music question: we heard Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich', then 'Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young', and then 'Peter, Paul & Mary'; they offered something by Rene & Renato, which was accepted for two points. And, of course, Victoria made Mr Volante sing one of their songs to complete the set! For their final choice, the Athenians chose Two Reeds: 'We the Living', then 'Anthem', and then 'The Fountainhead'. They didn't know it, their opponents did: 'Atlas Shrugged', the link being successive works by Ayn Rand. Left with Horned Viper, the Scientists saw 'Ronaldo', then 'Fabio', and then 'Andres'. They didn't get it, and their opponents realised what it was too late. They are the first names of the footballers who scored the winning goal in successive World Cups, so 'Mario' (as in Gotze) completes the set. Unlucky. At the end of the second round, the Athenians led 10-7.

On to the Walls. The Scientists chose to tackle the Lion wall. They spotted some links early on, but had little luck resolving any sets. Eventually they resolved 'Damsel', 'Maiden', 'Lassie' and 'Colleen', which are colloquialisms for 'girl', and then followed that up with 'Horse', 'Crane', 'Fruit' and 'Dragon', which are types of fly. They ran out of lives before they could work out the remaining two sets, and thus had to make do with picking up bonus points: 'Nipper', 'Laika', 'Greyfriars Bobby' and 'Hachiko' are famous dogs, which they knew, while 'Maude', 'May', 'Pickles' and 'Fox' are chairmen (and women) of the Tory party, which they also got (just about). Six points for that then.

The Athenians thus had the Water wall to play with. They managed to solve a group somewhat quicker than their opponents: 'Hook', 'Bolo', 'Jab' and 'Cross' are types of boxing punch. A second group followed: 'Urchin', 'Hydra', 'Sponge' and 'Coral' are aquatic invertebrates, but they mistakenly offered that they are all follow 'sea', thus dropping a point. The final groups slotted in shortly afterwards: 'Line', 'Plum', 'Beckham' and 'Falls' can all follow 'Victoria', which they knew, while 'Black', 'Yorkshire', 'Christmas' and 'Summer' are puddings, which they also knew. Just one error, so seven points. Which meant the Athenians led 17-13 going into the final round.

Once again, then, Missing Vowels would decide who went which way. 'Basic vocabulary in English and Spanish' went to the Scientists 2-0, with the Athenians getting two right, but two wrong. 'Members of the Only Connect crew', such as 'JULIET THE MAKE-UP ARTIST' (yes, really!) went to the Scientists 3-(-1). 'Hugh Grant films' saw the Scientists get one right, and one wrong, and the round ended there. At the end of the match, the Scientists won 18-16.

Another excellent half hour of quizzing. Unlucky Athenians, who were unlucky in the final round, but a good showing nonetheless, and best of luck in the play-offs! Well done Scientists though, and best of luck in the QFs!

Next week's match: the Cluesmiths vs the Mixologists

Don't forget, it's 7:30 rather than 8:30 for OC as of Monday. And, yes, Series 1 will, someday, be finished. I'll be back tomorrow with a look over the feminine representation on UC this year. And I will also cover the fourth Fifteen-to-One 2.0 grand final at some point after Friday as well.

Only Connect Series 11: Qualification Round: Match 3: Wayfarers vs String Section

OK, time to catch up with last week's Only Connect. Playing for the third place in the QFs were the Wayfarers, Barbara Thompson, Gerard Mackay and Matt Beatson, who defeated the Bookworms in their first match, and the String Section, Tessa North, Richard Aubrey and Pete Sorel-Cameron, who emerged on top against the Headliners in their's.

Round 1. The String Section went first, chose Two Reeds, and got the music question: we started with Muddy Waters, then someone I didn't recognise, then Katy Perry's 'California Girls', and finally 'Sweet Home Alabama' by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Neither team knew it; they are all riposts. (Woody Guthrie was the second piece) The Wayfarers kicked off with Twisted Flax: 'George V/A', then 'Heni s to the power of (-1)', then 'Blaise N/m to the power of 2'; at this point, they offered scientists whose names are given to SI units, and their surnames expressed as those units. Two points for that. The String Section chose Lion next: 'Numbat', then 'Echidna', then 'Pangolin' and then 'Aardvark'. They offered 'known as anteater', which was correct for a point. The Wayfarers chose Water next: 'Aardvark'(!), then 'Zagat', then 'Android'; they offered computer systems, which was wrong. The String Section saw 'YouTube', and offered 'things acquired by Google', which was correct for a bonus. For their own question, they chose Horned Viper: 'Walter Cromwell', then 'Gendry', and at this point offered 'illegitimate sons'; not right. The Wayfarers saw 'Joe Gargery' and 'St Dunstan', and offered 'blacksmiths' for a bonus. Left with Eye of Horus, the Wayfarers got the picture set, and saw two fish, then a builder's bum (yes, really!), then a baker's dozen, and finally a pile of apples with a note reading 'Best Apples 110 / kilo'. They didn't get it; their opponents offered 'two word phrases where the first word is a practitioner'. Correct, the fish being 'miller's thumbs'. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied 3-each.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The String Section kicked off with Two Reeds again, and got a music set again! Didn't recognise the first track, or the second, the third was 'Ruby' by the Kaiser Chiefs. They offered 'diamond'; not right. Their opponents suggested 'Gold' by Spandau Ballet, which was acceptable. They are wedding anniversaries, the first two songs being 'China in Your Hand' and 'Pearl's a Singer'. Mr Mackay then gave us a superb rendition of 'Gold', much to everyone else's bewilderment! For their own question, the Wayfarers chose 'Horn-ed' Viper, and got the picture set again: I can't really describe the pictures concisely, but the link was DVD region codes, with the regions they represent highlighted on a map of the world (3, 2, 1, 0). They spotted it at the third clue, and thus took two points. The String Section chose Twisted Flax next: 'Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz', then 'Caroline of Brunswick'; they offered 'Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha', which was correct. The sequence is royal spouses of the final four Hanover monarchs. The Wayfarers chose Eye of Horus: 'Starship Travel' they saw, and instantly spotted the link to be Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, and offered 'The Warlock of Firetop Mountain'. Correct, for FIVE POINTS! Superb stuff. For their final choice, the String Section chose 'Lion': 'The Royal Rascal', then 'The Dueling Cavalier'; they offered 'Singin' in the Rain', which was correct for three points. They are the Don Lockwood films in Singin' in the Rain. Left with Water, the Wayfarers saw 'Signal Iduna Park', then 'Bernabau', and then 'Wembley'; they didn't get it, nor did their opponents. But I did: it's the 'Nou Camp', as they are the largest football stadiums in Europe. At the end of the second round, the Wayfarers led 11-9.

On to the Connecting Walls. The Wayfarers went first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. After spotting some connections, they isolated 'Weidenfeld', 'Simon', 'Thomas' and 'Chatto', which are the first halves of names of book publishing companies. They spent the rest of the time trying to tie up the rest, with little luck. With just seconds to go, a second group fell in: 'Get Lucky', 'Angel', 'Blurred Lines' and 'Drop It Like It's Hot' are all songs featuring Pharrell Williams. They were thus left to pick up missed group points: 'Hanging', 'Nappy', 'Uncanny' and 'Happy' can all precede 'valley', which they did, while 'Here', 'Mills', 'Divine' and 'Hills' are the final words of lines of 'Jerusalem', which they spotted when pushed. So, six points for that.

The String Section were left to untangle the Water wall. They too resolved their first group quickly: 'Sleuth', 'Tec', 'Gumshoe' and 'Prodnose' are slang terms for a detective. They also spent the rest of the time trying to resolve what was left, with no success, and were timed out. They thus also had to pick up bonuses for missed groups: 'Gene', 'Mel', 'Kenneth' and 'Dick' are the first names of actors in 'The Producers', which they knew, 'Zero', 'Lump', 'Capital' and 'Dim' can all precede 'sum', which they also knew', while 'Dau', 'Pump', 'Tri' and 'Dwy' are Welsh numbers, which they correctly guessed. So, five points there, which meant the Wayfarers led 17-14 going into the final round.

So, as seems to have been the case every week this series, Missing Vowels would decide the winners. 'Basic vocabulary in English and German' went to the String Section 2-0. 'Two TV shows concatenated', such as 'DOCTOR WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?', saw both sides drop points, and thus the String Section took that 1-0. 'Popular mobile apps' went to the String Section 2-0, and that was that. The String Section won a great match 19-17.

An excellent match. Unlucky Wayfarers, but an excellent performance nonetheless, and best of luck in you play-off! Well done to the String Section though, and we'll see you in the QFs!

Monday's match: the Scientists vs the Athenians

I'll get on to that tomorrow. I'll also be talking about the representation of women in this year's UC at some point this week. Maybe Thursday.

University Challenge 2015-16: Repechage Play-Off 2: Southampton vs Queen Mary

Evening all. Here we are then at the second play-off. Whoever won tonight would take the final place in the ever tense second round. It was good to see a 3/4 female panel tonight. I'll go into feminine representation again later in the week, once I've cleared my Only Connect backlog after last week.

Southampton narrowly lost their first match to St Catharine's 165-135, though they did impress on the bonuses when they did get in on the buzzer, and definitely deserved a reprieve. They were the same four as before:
Will Cable, from Swindon, studying History
Sarah Stock, from Cardiff, studying Chemistry
Captain: Tricia Goggin, from New Ross in Ireland, studying Biomedical Engineering 
Roland Sadler, from London, studying Biology

Queen Mary London also narrowly lost their first match to Nuffield 165-130, also managing a decent bonus tally when they get in and deserving another go, as well as sending Twitter into meltdown for at least three reasons! They too were unchanged from before:
Kate Lynes, from Nottingham, studying Sphincter Preservation
Stephanie Howard-Smith, from Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, studying the cultural history the lapdog in the long 18th century
Captain: Verity Williams, from Eastbourne, studying Medicine
Yolanda Lovelady, from Formby near Liverpool, studying Medical Genetics

Off we set again then, and Southampton got going first courtesy of Miss Goggin, and took two bonuses on swallows. A second starter went Southampton's way, and all three bonuses went with it this time, a clear sign of intention. Another starter and another good bonus haul gave them an instant 65 point lead. Queen Mary then got off the mark courtesy of Miss Lynes, but just one bonus on Verdi operas follows. The first picture round, on locations of the oldest universities in Europe, went to Queen Mary, but they just took one bonus again, and thus trailed 65-30.

The Londoners did seem to have gathered momentum now though, as they picked up a Southampton error to take the next starter, but, again, just one bonus followed. A fourth consecutive starter went their way, and a set of bonuses on the favourite foods of UC fans, according to You.Gov (yes, really!), drew them level, though Paxo was a bit lenient to give them one of them. Southampton then woke up again thanks to Mr Cable, and reasserted their authority with a full set of bonuses. Queen Mary fought back with a starter and full bonus set of their own. Good match so far.

The music round, on film scores by classical composers, went to Queen Mary; they missed all the bonuses, but did now lead 100-90. Southampton drew level with the next starter, but couldn't get any of the bonuses to retake the lead. Another starter did the trick, though, and two bonuses on succulent plants gave them more room to breath.

The second picture round, on posters for film adaptations of works by Edgar Allen Poe, went to Southampton; they missed all the bonuses, but did have a steady lead of 130-100. Mr Sadler took his second starter in a row, and a full set of bonuses on islands named after the day of their discovery followed. Mr Sadler now seemed to have built up a head of steam, as he took a third starter in a row, and then a fourth, and half the bonuses from them followed.

Southampton now had a 90 point lead, and were almost home free. Miss Williams just about kept Queen Mary in the game with a starter, and two bonuses on Penguin publishing went with it. But Mr Sadler then took a fifth starter, and that was game over. Another starter went to Mr Sadler, and two bonuses only served to cement their victory. Miss Goggin took the final starter of the match, and the gong cut the bonuses off. Southampton won 235-120.

A pretty good match, close early on, until Southampton pulled away in the final stretch. Unlucky Queen Mary, who were a decent team who were simply overpowered late on, but well done on two respectable performances. Very well done to Southampton, though; a superb showing against good opponents, and we shall look forward to seeing you again in the second round!

Mr Sadler was the night's best buzzer, with six starters, all of them notched up in the final third of the match, while Miss Howard-Smith was Queen Mary's best with three. On the bonuses, Southampton converted a decent 21 out of 36, while Queen Mary managed 10 out of 21, and there were no penalties all night.

Next week's match: the first second round match! No word on the draw yet, but, somehow, I get the feeling Imperial will be playing next week, and Nuffield the week after. But we shall wait and see.

Only Connect reached its final qualification match tonight. I'll look over it later in the week, once I've caught up on last week's match. Also, as of next week, OC is on before UC at 7:30.

University Challenge 2015-16: Repechage Play-Off 1: St Peter's vs Glasgow

Evening all. So, we have arrived at the play-offs, the exciting stage of the game where we start meeting teams again. We remet the first two losing teams of the series tonight; the winners march on to the second round, the runners-up go home again.

St Peter's College Oxford lost to Liverpool 205-130 in their first match, losing out to a late rally by their opponents. We didn't think they'd quite done enough to come back, but they had, and were the same foursome as before:
Isaac Kang, from Sutton in Surrey, studying Medicine
Jeremy Thundow, from Herne Bay in Kent, studying Physics
Captain: Nathan Gower, from Lewes in East Sussex, studying Ancient History
Yaroslav Sky Walker, from Little Chalfont on the Buckinghamshire-Hertfordshire border, studying Theology

Glasgow lost the first match of the series to Peterhouse Cambridge 185-155. We all excpeted they'd be back, but I don't think we expected their score would be the highest losing score of the first round. They too were the same as before:
Andrew Davidson, from Stranraer, studying Medicine
Vitali Brejevs, from Riga, studying Maths
Captain: Evelyn McMenamin, from North London, studying Geography
Ollie Allen, from Catford in London, studying Maths

Off we set again then, and, straight away, controversy, as Mr Gower was fined for cutting in on the final syllable of the question. And just as Weaver's Week had expressed happiness at this not happening as much this series. Glasgow got off the mark first, and took one just one bonus. St Peter's made up for their earlier slip, and took a full set of bonuses to take a small lead. Glasgow easily overhauled that lead with the next starter, and two bonuses on physics. The first picture round, on maps of fielding positions in cricket, went to St Peter's, who, again, took all three bonuses, and thus led 45-35.

That lead increased as Mr Gower took the next starter, and a complex bonus set on US states and their major cities only gave them one bonus. Glasgow lost five on the next starter, and Mr Walker talked himself of the correct answer and instead said an answer he knew was wrong as soon as he said it! Much hilarity ensued, though Paxo maybe rubbed it in a bit much! Glasgow made up for their slip, and pulled back within ten. The sides then swapped starters, both taking one bonus. Glasgow lost another five, but then took another starter, and, with the resulting bonuses, the lead.

The music round, on sax solos in pop music, went to Glasgow, who took just the one bonus, and upped their lead to 95-75. Mr Brejevs, who, like last time, was proving his side's key player, took the next starter, but, again, just one bonus followed. St Peter's broke back into the game with the next starter, but got nothing from a getable set of bonuses on the Jodrell Bank telescope. Mr Walker then had the misfortune to confuse Nutella with marzipan, giving Glasgow the points, but a set of bonuses on horses got them no further points.

The second picture starter was dropped by both sides, and St Peter's lost five on one of the replacement starters (which Paxo chose not to finish after handing it over, for some reason). The picture bonuses, on works by artists of the Bauhaus movement, went to Glasgow, who now had a lead of 145-80. Teetering on an unassailable lead, and another starter seemed to pretty much confirm this. Another slip-up from St Peter's, another starter to Glasgow, and that was game over.

But St Peter's were going to go out with a late rally, taking two starters in a row, and half the bonuses that came with them, including one from a set on footballing decades. (Long gone are the days when Wolves would win the league and Newcastle would win the FA Cup!) One final starter went to St Peter's, but the gong cut them off before the bonuses could start. Glasgow won 180-120.

An entertaining and enjoyable match. Unlucky St Peter's, who were unlucky on a few of their buzzes, but well done anyway on another very respectable effort. Well done to Glasgow though on another good effort, and we'll see you again in the second round! (If past seasons are anything to go on, in the third match of it)

Mr Brejevs was the best buzzer of the night, equaling his starter tally of six from the first round, while Mr Gower was best for St Peter's, also equaling his first round tally of four. On the bonuses, St Peter's converted a decent 11 out of 21 (with three penalties), while Glasgow managed 16 out of 33 (with two penalties); I suspect they made need to improve that a bit in the next round.

Next week's match: Southampton vs Queen Mary in the second play-off

Only Connect was, as seems to be the case every week this series, a good close match. I'll review it next week alongside next week's match, as I'm away this week.

Only Connect Series 11: Qualification Round: Match 2: Spaghetti Westerners vs Railwaymen

OK, time to see if I can get through Monday night's OC again, as I am pretty exhausted this evening. Playing on Monday were the Spaghetti Westerners, Neil Macaskill, Andrew Frazer and Paul Philpot, and the Railwaymen, David Smith, Bob Thompson and Sree Kanthamneni. The former narrowly defeated the Mixologists in their first match, the latter convincingly defeated the Collectors.

Round 1. The Railwaymen kicked off with Two Reeds, and got the music set straight away: they didn't get it, but their opponents noticed that all the songs shared their names with Shakespeare plays, and picked up a bonus. For their own first question, the Westerners chose Eye of Horus: 'Dolphin dissected by Newton and Halley', then 'Newspapers read by the poor', then 'Stocks and shares first freely traded', and finally 'Lloyds insurance market established'. They didn't quite get it, nor did their opponents. They are things that happened in coffeehouses. The Railwaymen chose Twisted Flax next: 'Coulomb, opposite the Military Academy', then 'Ampere, opposite the Trocadero', then 'Perrier, opposite Grenelle', and finally 'Daguerre, opposite the view of Paris'. Again, they didn't know, nor did their opponents. Their names are written on the Eiffel Tower, and the sides which they are written on. Too hard! The Westerners chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next, and got the picture set: we saw some weird image representing a plague of rats, them a woman falling backwards, then two men staring at each other, and finally a painting of, what looked like, someone carrying something. Again, neither team knew it. The images represent 'The Plague', 'The Fall', 'The Stranger' and 'The Myth of Sisyphus', so Albert Camus links the set. Again, too hard! The Railwaymen chose Lion next: 'Syzygy', then 'Sandown Park horse race in July', then 'Roman Abramovich's yacht', and finally 'Twilight 3'. Again, they didn't quite get it, opting for 'phases of the day'. Their opponents offered 'Eclipse', and picked up a bonus point. Better, but still pretty tough. Left with Water, the Westerners saw 'a set of decimal coins', then 'a set of badges', then 'a 1970 annual', and finally 'a photograph of Valerie Singleton'. At this point, I spotted that it was items that were buried in the Blue Peter time capsule. The Westerners didn't see it, their opponents did for a bonus. At the end of a very tough first round, the Westerners led 2-1.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Railwaymen kicked off with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'Awaji Island', then 'Baden-Baden', and then 'Rustenberg'. Once again, neither side knew it. 'Rio de Janeiro' completes the set; they are England World Cup bases. The Westerners chose Twisted Flax: 'Sterlet', then 'Sevruga', and then 'Osetra'. They didn't see it, nor did their opponents. Sizes of caviar is the link, so 'Beluga' completes the set. Again, too hard. The Railwaymen chose Eye of Horus next, and got the picture set: first was Oona King, next was Harold Bishop from Neighbours, and next was Gladys Knight (as in the Pips). They offered 'Andrew Castle', which was acceptable. Chess pieces is the link. The Westerners chose Water next: 'a darling', then 'a cutie full of charms', and then 'so beautiful'. They spotted it to be lyrics to a song, but couldn't remember the song or what was next. Their opponents offered 'adorable', which was correct. The song was Peri Como's 'A You're Adorable'. For their final choice, the Railwaymen chose Lion: '14: Antares (1971)', then '13: Aquarius (1970)'; they offered '11: Eagle (1969)', and were absolutely right for three points, the link being lunar landing modules. Left with Two Reeds, the Westerners saw 'Radio: Susan Sheridan', then 'LP: Cindy Oswin', and then 'TV: Sandra Dickinson'. They spotted it to be the ladies who played Trillian in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', but didn't know who did it in the film. Nor did their opponents. It was Zooey Deschanel. At the end of the second round, the Railwaymen led 7-2.

On to the Walls. The Westerners chose to tackle the Lion wall. They soon had their first set unraveled: 'Greak auk', 'Dodo', 'Sabre-toothed tiger' and 'Quagga' are extinct animals. A second set followed: 'Giant', 'Mammoth', 'Titanic' and 'Jumbo' are word that mean big. The final sets slotted in pretty easily afterwards: 'Argo', 'Curry', 'Boot' and 'Waterstone' are high street chains minus an 'S', while 'Kong', 'The Wizard of Oz', 'The Power' and 'The Artist' are nicknames of darts players. Well worked out, so a full ten points.

The Railwaymen were left with the Water wall. After spotting, what they thought was, a set, they eventually gave up, and isolated a different set: 'Bridge', 'Fingerboard', 'Whammy Bar' and 'Pickup' are parts of an electric guitar. They soon had a second set solved as well: 'Fruit Salad', 'Fried Egg', 'Black Jack' and 'Drumstick' are chewy sweets. The final groups they solved, but didn't know the connection for either: 'Happy Families', 'Bouncers', 'Teechers' and Up 'n' Under' are plays by John Godber, while 'Solo', 'Bun lid', 'Red bagel' and 'Pairs' are anagrams of European capital cities. The link of card games they thought they saw was a superb red herring. Just six points there, meant their lead going into the final round was 13-12.

So, once again, Missing Vowels would decide the match. 'Basic vocabulary in English and Italian' went to the Railwaymen 3-1. 'Cheltenham Gold Cup winners' was another 3-1 win for the Railwaymen. 'Footballers and actors with overlapping names', such as 'JOHN TERRY THOMAS', was split 2-each. 'Free jazz acts' was announced, but time ran out before any questions could come. The Railwaymen won 21-16.

A tough match; good scores considering. Well done Railwaymen, and best of luck in the QFs! Unlucky Westerners, and best of luck in the play-offs!

Next week's match: the Wayfarers vs the String Section.

I'll be reviewing next week's match in two week's time, as I'm going away next week. And, yes, Series 1 will, eventually, be finished. But when, I still cannot say.

University Challenge 2015-16: First Round Review

Well, we've reached the end of the first round of this year's series. It's been a low key series so far, with only a handful of notable moments, of which surely the biggest is Manchester's first round defeat. The fourteen teams through to the second round are, in order of qualification, and listed with score and victory margin:

• Peterhouse Cambridge (185, 30)
• Liverpool (205, 75)
• Newcastle (160, 45)
• York (265, 175)
• Nottingham (135, 15)
• St George's College London (190, 120)
• Christ's College Cambridge (205, 145)
• Queen's University Belfast (195, 70)
• Sidney Sussex College Cambridge (195, 135)
• Imperial (285, 175)
• St Catharine's College Cambridge (165, 30)
• Warwick (195, 95)
• Nuffield College Oxford (165, 35)
• St John's College Oxford (255, 130)

So, those are the raw figures. As we know, they only tell half the story. What else can we say?

Well, Imperial had the highest score of the round, York the second highest and St John's the third highest. All three achieved their scores against decent opposition as well. They therefore will probably be fancied to progress to the group stage, provided they avoid each other.

The rest of the teams are pretty closely bunched up together, making it hard to pull them apart. I suppose Peterhouse and Liverpool, who took out repechage teams, and Queen's, whose opponents only just missed it, may stand out somewhat.

The lesser lights of the first round may well have some surprises up their collective sleeves; we've come accustomed to that recently. Newcastle, in particular, I suspect could well have some more to show us, given their impressive bonus rate in their match.

We'll also have to keep an eye on the teams who won by comfortable margins. In particular, Christ's, St George's and Sidney Sussex. It remains to be seen whether they truly won their matches, or whether their opponents lost them.

I suppose, as usual, we'll have to wait and see what we get thrown up.

We also have to look over the repechage. The four teams are:

• Glasgow (155, 30)
• Southampton (135, 30)
• Queen Mary London (130, 35)
• St Peter's College Oxford (130, 75)

So, what can these four do? Well, all have proven themselves sturdy opposition for decent winning teams. It depends who they face, and how they play against them. My best guess is Glasgow will play St Peter's, and Southampton Queen Mary. But we'll have to wait and see, again, I suppose.

The second round often produces some good tense matches due to the sudden death nature of it. So lets hope this series picks up the pace and we can look forward to the next round with some optimism.

I'll be back tomorrow with my look over last night's OC.

University Challenge 2015-16: Round 1: Match 14: St John's vs Bristol

Evening all. Here we are at the final first round match of the series. The aim for today's teams: win, or failing that, lose with a score of 135 or more. In which case, for the second series running, we'd have a tie-break for the final play-off place, between two pleasant teams both of whom deserve the second chance.

St John's College Oxford was founded in 1555, and is the richest college in Oxford. Alumni include writers AU Houseman and Robert Graves and quiz show host Victoria Coren Mitchell. It last sent a team two series ago, who went out in the first round, but previous teams have finished runners-up in the grand final twice in the BBC series. This year's foursome were:
Alex Harries, from South Wales, studying History
Charlie Clegg, from Glasgow, studying Theology
Captain: Angus Russell, from Mill Hill in North London, studying History and Russian
Dan Sowood, from Uxbridge in Middlesex, studying Chemistry

Bristol University began life as a university college, and eventually became a proper uni in 1909. Alumni include Simon Pegg, Matt Lucas, David Walliams, and writer David Nicholls, author of the excellent novel-turned-film Starter for Ten. As Paxo reminded us, its team last year reached the QFs, before losing to Magdalen. This year's quartet were:
Vanessa Lynn, from Tonbridge in Kent, studying English
Robert Hayman, from Leigh in Lancashire, studying Chemistry
Captain: Andy Saxon, from Bristol, studying Evolutionary Biology
Benjamin Crawshaw, from Kettering, studying Medicine

Off we set again then, and St John's kicked off first courtesy of Mr Clegg, and took two bonuses on dungeons and dragons in literature. Mr Clegg then slipped up on the next starter, but Bristol failed to pick up, Mr Saxon realising his answer was wrong after he buzzed, and not saying it. Mr Clegg made up for his error with another starter, which led to a full bonus set. Miss Lynn took Bristol's first starter, and two bonuses followed. The first picture round, on word clouds of books of the Bible, went to St John's, who swept the board, and thus led 65-20.

Mr Harries took the next starter, and two bonuses on September 3rd showed his side weren't letting up. Miss Lynn took Bristol's second starter of the match, and, again, two bonuses accompanied it, thus suggesting they could get back into the match if they could get a buzzer run going. St John's still seemed to be on top in terms of buzzing though; they took the next two starters, though only one bonus accompanied each. With the lead they had though, it didn't matter, for now.

The music starter was dropped by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces that were slated by critic Eduard Hanslick, went to St John's, who, again, only managed one bonus. They still led 130-40 though, and and a good quick buzz from Mr Clegg, increased it. Two bonuses on seas of the Pacific Ocean followed. Mr Saxon provided a good buzz to bring Bristol back into the procedings, but a tough bonus set on embryology added no further points to their tally.

The second picture starter saw Mr Clegg somewhat luckily get away with a noticeable pause after buzzing; the bonuses, on depictions of the beheading of Holofernes, gave them a full house, a lead of 175-50, and they were most likely home and dry. Bristol kept themselves in the game by taking the next starter, and two bonuses followed. A second starter fell Bristol's way, and two bonuses suggested they weren't out of repechage contention yet. A third starter to Bristol, and a full bonus set on anatomy put them just 20 short of the play-offs.

St John's secured their victory with the next starter, and a full bonus set took them through the 200 barrier. They weren't finished there though; two more starters fell their way, and half the bonuses that went with them. A fourth starter in a row went to the Oxford side, and they had now accumulated one of the highest scores of the series so far. Bristol managed one more starter, leaving just ten short, but the gong cut them off during the bonuses. St John's won 255-125.

A pretty decent match between two pretty decent teams. Unlucky Bristol, who have unluckily fallen just short of the play-offs, but well done anyway on a very respectable effort. Very well done to St John's though; one of the better first round performances we've seen so far this series, and the potential for a good run if they get a favourable draw in the next round. We look forward to seeing them then!

Mr Clegg was best buzzer of the night, with six starters, while Miss Lynn was best for Bristol with three. On the bonuses, St John's converted a good 26 out of 39 (with one penalty), and Bristol a decent 11 out of 20.

So, the four repechage teams are: Glasgow (155), Southampton (135), Queen Mary and St Peter's (both 130).

Next week's match: the first play-off. Presumably Glasgow vs Queen Mary or St Peter's.

Only Connect was actually pretty tricky tonight. I'll go into it in more detail later in the week. I'll do my usual first round summary later in the week as well.

Only Connect Series 11: Qualification Round: Match 1: Cluesmiths vs Yorkers

OK, sorry it's a bit later than I said it would, but here we are with the first match of the qualification stage of the first round. Playing were the Cluesmiths, Mick Hodgkin, Richard Heald and John Tozer, who defeated the Operational Researchers in their first match, and the Yorkers, Jack Johannes Alexander, Alasdair Middleton and Joe Crowther, who narrowly triumphed over the Polyglots first time out.

Round 1. The Cluesmiths went first, and kicked off with Lion: '-And He Built a Crooked House-', then 'Dali crucifixion', then 'Sought by The Avengers', and finally 'Alex Garland novel'. They didn't know it, nor did their opponents. The answer is 'Tesseract', the word that links those clues. The Yorkers began with Twisted Flax: 'Seborga', then 'Forvik', then 'Christiania', and finally 'Sealand'. They had it from the final clue: they are all microstates. The Cluesmiths chose Horned Viper next, and got the picture question: we saw a fish and chip shop, then a budgie, then a pickaxe and finally a helicopter. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents. They are Raleigh bicycles (Chippy, Budgie, Tomahawk, Chopper). The Yorkers chose Two Reeds, and got the music set: the only track they recognised was a cover of the Beatles' 'Help!', so they didn't get it. Their opponents recognised them to all be covers done for Comic Relief, and thus took a bonus. For their own question, the Cluesmiths chose Water: 'Whitehall', then 'Inverted T', and at this point, they spotted that they are ways that the numbers can be selected in Countdown! Great question, and well spotted for three points. Left with Eye of Horus, the Yorkers saw 'Bearded collie', then 'Lancashire HEeler', and they instantly spotted it: the capital letters are the start of an animal. It was enough for the three points, even though they missed that they are animals names within dogs names. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied, 4-each.

Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Cluesmiths kicked off the round with Twisted Flax: 'Captain Syrup', then 'Wario', and then 'Mario'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents. 'Donkey Kong' completes the set, as they are the lead characters of games that the previous was spun off from. Good set, but no points there. The Yorkers chose Lion next: 'The Island of the Sun', then 'Calypso's Island', then 'The Island of the Phaeacians'; they spotted it to be the landfalls of Odysseus, and offered 'Ithica' for two points. The Cluesmiths chose Eye of Horus next: 'George IV', then 'Sir Henry Havelock', and then 'Sir Charles Napier'. They were timed out before they could offer an answer. Their opponents offered 'nothing', which was correct. They are the plinths in Trafalgar Square, so anything that has been on the fourth plinth at some point would suffice. For their own question, the Yorkers chose Water: '$0.25, 0.1 euros, £0.1', then '$0.1, 0.05 euros, £0.05'; at this point, they offered '$0.01, 0.01 euros, £0.01', which was correct. They are the four lowest value coins of the respective currencies. For their final choice, the Cluesmiths chose Two Reeds, and got the picture set: we saw a dog, with its tongue highlighted, then a bat, with a ball of wool highlighted; they instantly spotted it to be the witches spell in Macbeth backwards, and offered 'Eye of Newt', or a newt with its eye highlighted, for three points. Left with Horned Viper, the Yorkers got a music sequence; they recognised the second track to be 2 Unlimited, and thus offered the Four Tops, which was correct for three points. At the end of the second round, the Yorkers led 13-7.

On to the Walls then. The Yorkers went first, and chose the Lion wall. After spotting some early sets, they managed to isolate 'Nancy', 'Michelle', 'Lady Bird' and 'Mamie', which are the first names of US first ladies. They then managed a second: 'Mr Blobby', 'Die', 'The sun' and 'Leopard' are things with spots. They soon had the remaining sets sorted: 'Fagin', 'Sowerberry', 'Rose Maylie' and 'Sikes' are characters in Oliver Twist, which they got, while 'Mat', 'Salts', 'Asparagus' and 'Oliver' can all follow 'Bath', which they didn't see. So, seven points for that.

The Cluesmiths thus had a chance to claw some points back with the Water wall. They immediately isolated 'Sachs', 'Berkeley', 'Cribbins' and 'Cleese', which are the surnames of actors from Fawlty Towers. They soon had a second group sorted: 'Archer', 'Bull', 'Virgin' and 'Scales' are signs of the Zodiac. The final groups slotted in in no time at all: 'Booth', 'Shoot', 'Finish' and 'Album' can all follow 'Photo', while 'Hammer', 'Drum', 'Pound' and 'Ram' are all synonyms for beating. A full house of ten points, which reduced the Yorkers' lead to 20-17 going into the final round.

So, once again, Missing Vowels would decide the match. 'Basic vocabulary in English and French' went to the Cluesmiths 3-1. 'Things found on feet' was split 2-each. 'Pixar films' went to the Yorkers 3-1. 'Celebrity authors of children's books' also went to the Yorkers 3-1. 'Collectible card games' went to the Yorkers 2-0, with the Cluesmiths being timed out before they could give an answer to the third one there. At the end of the match, 31-24.

Another excellent match. Unlucky Cluesmiths, but best of luck in your play off; well done Yorkers, and we'll see you in the QFs!

Next week's match: the Spaghetti Westerners vs the Railwaymen

(Insert comment about Series 1 here)

University Challenge 2015-16: Round 1: Match 13: Queen Mary vs Nuffield

Evening all. Here we are at the penultimate first round match; with Glasgow and Southampton already in the play-offs, tonight's losers would need to score 130 to go joint third with St Peter's, while 135 or more would definitely bring them back.

Queen Mary is a college of the University of London, which it joined in 1915 having been founded in 1887. Alumni include Labour peer Robert Winston, novelist JG Ballard, music man Pete Doherty and the voice of University Challenge Roger Tilling. It last sent a team to the show three years ago, when they lost to Jesus College Oxford in the first round. This year's foursome were:
Kate Lynes, from Nottingham, studying Sphincter Preservation
Stephanie Howard-Smith, from Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, studying English working on the lap dog in the 18th century
Captain: Verity Williams, from Eastbourne, studying Medicine
Yolanda Lovelady, studying Medical Genetics

Nuffield College Oxford, appearing on the BBC series for the first time, was founded in 1937, and is a postgrads only college, specialising in social sciences. Alumni include Bank of England governor Mark Carney. The first BBC Nuffield UC team were:
Spencer Smith, from Holland, Michigan, studying Economics
Alexander Sayer Gard-Murray, from Los Angeles, studying Politics
Captain: Mathias Ormestad Frendem, from Oslo, studying International Relations
Daniel Kaliski, from Cape Town, studying Economics

Off we set again then, and the all female Queen Mary kicked off first courtesy of Miss Lynes, taking the first starter, and two bonuses on first lines of novels. A second starter went to the London side, and all three bonuses followed this time. Nuffield kicked off with their first starter, but they only took one bonus on types of rain. The first picture round, on the names of novels written in the International Phonetic Alphabet, went to Nuffield, who took all three bonuses, but still trailed 45-40.

The Oxonians took the lead with the next starter, and took two bonuses from the resultant set. Queen Mary fought back with the next starter, and took all three bonuses on events of the Noughties. They thus retook the lead, and increased it by taking the next starter, and two bonuses. The teams were about even on the buzzer at the moment, but the London side's better bonus rate was proving decisive.

The music starter saw the sides mistake Nina Simone for Rufus Wainwright and Stevie Wonder! The bonuses, on songs associated with recording technology milestones, went to Nuffield after a replacement starter; they took one bonus, reducing the deficit to 90-75. It increased when they lost five on the next starter, and Queen Mary took the points. But Nuffield weren't going to take it lying down, and took the next starter, though just one bonus followed again.

The second picture round, on paintings by French artists depicting the outskirts of Paris, went to Nuffield, who took a much needed full bonus set, and thus leveled the scores 110-each, setting up a sprint finish. It was then Queen Mary's turn to lose five, and hand their opponents the points. A third starter in a row went to the Oxford side, and one bonus on volcanoes fell their way.

Queen Mary weren't finished yet though; they took the next starter, but unluckily ran into a bonus set on computer languages, which they missed all of. Paxo was a bit lenient on the next starter, giving Mr Kaliski the points for giving the right surname but wrong forename. He's denied similar mistakes before. Nonetheless, the Oxonians took two bonuses from the set, and that was game over. Queen Mary took one final starter, and took the one bonus they needed to get onto the play-off board, but couldn't get one more to guarantee a return. At the gong, Nuffield won 165-130.

A pretty good match that could have gone either way until the final minutes. Unlucky Queen Mary, but a very decent effort, and I suspect, should it come down to it, they will get priority over St Peter's in the event of a tie on the play-off board; either way, hopefully we'll see them again. Well done to Nuffield though on a decent first showing, and we'll see them again in the next round!

Mr Gard-Murray was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to his name, while Miss Lynes, Miss Howard-Smith and Miss Williams were joint best for Queen Mary with two each. On the bonuses, Queen Mary converted a decent 13 out of 21, while Nuffield managed 16 out of 27, and both sides incurred one penalty.

Next week's match: St John's College Oxford vs Bristol

Only Connect has now reached the qualification stage of the first round; I'll go into it in more detail either tomorrow or Wednesday.