Evening all. Well, after the discussion on LAM over the weekend about the 'freshening up' of Mastermind, I can echo Dave C.'s comments that UC need not be freshened up much either. Yes, there are a couple of minor things I'd change with the show as it is at the moment, but not overhaul it completely. But that's another matter, and possibly another article. In the meantime, on with tonight's show.
Bristol University began life as a university college, and became a proper university in 1909 thanks to funding from the Fry family of chocolatiers and the Wills family of tobacconists. Alumni include newspeople Alastair Stewart and Susannah Reid, illusionist Derren Brown and writer David Nicholls of 'Starter for Ten' fame. It has sent a team to the last four series, reaching the quarter-finals in all but one of them. This year's foursome were:
George Sumner, from South London, studying Physics
Owen Iredale, from Hadleigh in Suffolk, studying Biology
Captain: Anne Le Maistre, from Adelaide, studying History
Pushan Basu, from Newcastle, studying English Literature
Queen's University Belfast predates the opposition by a single year, having previously been a college and neutral alternative to Trinity College Dublin. Alumni include writer Seamus Heaney, the former Irish president Mary McAleese, comedian Paddy Kielty and actor Simon Callow, narrator of Monkman and Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain! (More on that later!) It last sent a team to UC two years ago, who lost in the first round. This year's quartet were:
Matthew Hooton, from Elm Park, Havering in London, studying Exoplanet Atmospheres
Maria McQuillan, from Limavady, studying English
Captain: Stephanie Merritt, from Surrey, studying Exoplanet Atmospheres
James Breen, from Belfast, studying Software Development
Off we set again then, and Mr Breen set the ball rolling for the night with Officer Myers' favourite drink 'rum' (sorry, binge-watching Death in Paradise again at the moment!); the first bonuses, on writers buried in Highgate Cemetery, saw the Northern Ireland team take a single correct answer. Mr Hooton took a second starter in a row for Queen's, and the Nobel Prize for Chemistry proved more to their liking, as they took a full set. The Queen's left winger took a third starter for them, but no bonuses came from set no 3. The first picture round, on French definitions of loan phrases, allowed Bristol to open their scoring; two of the bonuses followed, cutting their arrears to 50-20.
Mr Basu took a second starter in a row for the Avonsiders, and they took another two bonuses from a set on names differing by a single letter, narrowly missing the other, resulting in an amusing exchange! (I got Toro and Moro, one of the very first Jackpot winning answers I saw on Pointless the latter) Mr Hotton reawoke his side with 'scam'; bonuses on Atheist writers provided them with two correct answers to extend their lead. Mr Basu took Bristol back into the game again, and, once again, his side took two of the resulting bonuses, bringing them back within ten points.
The music round asked for the year when various pop songs played was released; for the starter, the teams were allowed to be 'ONE YEAR OUT!', but not the bonuses. Mr Iredale took the starter, and his side took one of the bonuses (I got one of the ones they didn't get), giving them a narrow lead of 75-70. A slip-up then wiped that lead out, but Queen's couldn't capitalise. A fourth correct starter in a row to Bristol took them into triple figures first, and two bonuses, on Welsh history, went with it once again.
The second picture starter in a row saw Mr Breen identify Thelma and Louise, rather appropriate timing given MoneySupermarket's new advert! The bonuses, on stills from films written solely by a female scriptwriter, gave Queen's two correct answers, leaving them trailing 110-90. A second starter in a row went to the Northern Ireland team, and another two bonuses, on mathematics, put them on level pegging, setting up a tense finish.
Advantage Bristol, as Mr Iredale offered 'platypus and echidna'; bonuses on minerals provided them just the one correct answer. Mr Basu then identified Aravind Adiga's 'The White Tiger' at the same moment I did (I remember watching Michael Portillo announce it as the Man Booker winner LIVE on the news at the time!); no bonuses went with it, but, at this late stage, you fancied just one more starter would see them home. A chance to seal it went begging as they lost five, but, again, Queen's couldn't capitalise, Mr Breen accidentally offering 'Voltaire' instead of 'Volta'! (Volta was wrong anyway) Second time lucky, Mr Basu offered 'Sanskrit', and that was game over. The gong went during the bonuses, Bristol won 140-110.
A low scoring match, but a close and enjoyable one between two watchable teams. Unlucky Queen's, a perfectly decent team who I'd have liked to see more of; nothing to be ashamed of there, thanks for playing! Very well done Bristol though, and best of luck next time!
The stats: Mr Iredale was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with five to Messrs Basu and Hooton's four each. On the bonsues, Bristol converted 12 out of 25 (with two penalties), while Queen's managed 10 out of 18.
Next week's match: the Univeristy of London Institute in Paris vs Goldsmiths
And, yes, I did, of course, watch Monkman and Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain before the show! Was especially pleased to see them go to Jodrell Bank, which I visited a few summers back! I await the rest of the series eagerly!
No comments:
Post a Comment