University Challenge 2018-19: Series Highlights

OK, time to conclude my coverage of this year's University Challenge with my usual end of series highlights. It's been another fine series, that, unlike last year's series, where the first round was a tad unbalanced, was pretty consistent throughout.

So, lets get started with my usual selection of the best match of every round:

• First Round + Play-Offs: Plenty to chose from, but Emmanuel vs Glasgow just about takes it, with Mr Golfinos' 13 starter game against SOAS just behind.
• Second Round: Definitely Edinburgh vs U.C.L..
• Quarter-Finals: Bristol's narrow defeats to the two eventual grand finalists were both great, with Darwin's win in between them not far off.
• The Final Three: All three were great matches, so this is near impossible to chose. Probably the best trio of semis and final I've seen since I've been doing this blog.

As I say, a pretty consistent and enjoyable series throughout. Apart from the second round where there was one pretty obvious standout game, these were all tough choices.

So now to institution diversity. For the fourth year in a row, Cambridge sent more teams than Oxford, six to five. Celtic representation was down a bit on last year, with, for the third year running, three Scots teams and one from Northern Ireland, but no Welsh entrants this year. Five London entrants, plus ULIP, this year the most for some years; East London, the only non-University of London entrant, also the only ex polytechnic this series.

Highest score of the year by the length of the Severn Channel was Durham's 360 in their first round match against Strathclyde, the highest score this decade since our friend Cromarty(IV)'s Southampton side five series ago, in a match which broke all sorts of other decade records. Second highest was Darwin's 260 two weeks earlier. Pembroke take the unfortunate accolade of the lowest score of the series, 50, with Strathclyde and ULIP just behind on 55. Highest joint score of the series was 380 from Hertford's 215-165 play-off win over Exeter.

And so to the highlights reel. And not just humourous highlights this series, individual and team performances as well:

• Mr Golfinos' 13 starter game, the highest since Alex Guttenplan nine series ago!
• Clare's last second win over Hertford.
• Durham's record breaking win over Strathclyde gets the award for team performance of the series.
• Neither St Edmund Hall or York being able to spell Stephenie Meyer's name. Also, Mr Leo not answering 'Germany'.
• Mr Booth beating Mr Ojha to "Rogan Josh".
• Mr Breen saying 'Voltaire' instead of 'Volta'.
• ULIP vs Goldsmiths win the award for best comedy game of the series!
• "Truro's not in Yorkshire!"
• U.C.L.'s lack of knowledge of X Ray Spex!
• Mr Gurr's classic joke guess of "Deborah Meaden"!
• The five starter long tie-break!
• "The Bugles?" "No, it was the Buggles! Shame on you!" (Still think that was a harsh disallowance)
• Mr Hanson's "Philip Glass!"
• Mr Campbell Hewson's winning guess of "1984".
• And his other winning answer of "54" in the final.

If anyone else has any more, do let me know in the comments below.

So, that's it for another series. There's nothing else I really have to say right now, except my usual objections to pedantic interruptions remain. If I think of anything else to say, I will say it next week once Only Connect is done with too. For now, all you really need to know is that I'll be back blogging UC again for the next series.

Be back some time next week with my blog of the OC final, so see you then, whenever that is.