Good evening friends, and welcome to the first socially-distanced University Challenge! Just like with OC, the players now have screens between them, are miced up to each other allowing them to confer, and all have their own monitors for picture rounds. Some nice new camera angles too; the shots of the captains answering bonuses from afar is very reminiscent of the 90s series! I'm also guessing the applause is canned. Apparently, they've managed to film the play-offs and second round, but not the final three rounds. I would maybe recommend going back to single knockout QFs for one series only so that these can be filmed in just a couple of days. Anyway, on with the show...
Imperial lost their first match 190-155 to Strathclyde back at the start of August, the highest losing score of the first round. They were unchanged from that time:
Justin Wong, from Hong Kong, studying Maths
Katie Marrow, from the Peak District, studying Physics
Captain: Michael Kohn, from Finchley in London, studying Pure Maths
Imran Rahman, from Petaling Jaya in Malaysia, studying Theoretical Physics
Exeter lost the first match of the series to the other Glasgow based university, Glasgow, by 200-145. They were also the same team as before:
Edward Parker, from Braintree, studying Archaeology and Anthropology
Alfie Riden, from Brixham in Devon, studying Mechanical Engineering
Captain: Cleo Gravett, from Faversham, studying English
Matthew Williams, from Bromley, studying Physics
So off we set, and it was Mr Kohn who started the bold new era of UC with 'scarlet', and two bonuses came from the first set of bonuses. Exeter were quickly off the mark as well, and they took a full set of bonuses. The third starter and a pair of bonuses also went to the Grecians, as did the first picture round, on trios of locations linked by a common term; they now led 70-20.
Back came Imperial with Mr Kohn doing the honours again, giving them a bonus set on edible tubers, which they again took two of. The Imperial captain took a further two successive starters, one of which gave them a full set of bonuses, the other just one, but they had now taken the lead. But two successive penalties put them back on level, and Mr Parker then gave Exeter the lead back; one bonus on art was taken. The music round, on pop songs sung by a member of the group who doesn't usually sing, went to Imperial; another sole bonus kept the teams level at 85-each.
A very quick buzz from Mr Kohn gave Imperial the lead back, and a bonus set on ocean currents, which they took just one of. The Londoners' impressive captain took two further starters, both of which, on astronomy and musicals respectively, yielded two correct bonuses. The second picture round, on stills from sitcoms that won the BAFTA for Best Scripted Comedy, went to Exeter, who took also took two correct bonuses and were unlucky to offer 'W1A' instead of its forerunner '2012'; the gap was now 140-105.
Still either team's game, as Mr Parker proved with a buzz that even Paxo was impressed by, and a full bonus set on Finland put them within ten again. But that man Kohn pulled another out of the hat for Imperial, and two bonuses gave them more room to breathe. But Exeter weren't giving up, Mr Parker taking another starter, but a dropped set of bonuses on rotten boroughs suggested they wouldn't get there. Or would they, as Mr Williams took the next starter, and one bonus put them five away. One final starter, neither team got it, and that was the gong! Imperial won 160-155!
A great high quality contest, two solid teams neither of whom deserved to go out with two defeats, well played both of them. Congrats to Imperial on a worthy win and best of luck in the second round! Hard lines to Exeter, but a fine performance to go out on, thanks very much for playing!
The stats: Mr Kohn was head and shoulders the best buzzer of the night with NINE(!) starters (the biggest individual haul so far this series), while Mr Parker's also impressive five was best for Exeter. On the bonuses, Imperial managed 16 out of 27 (with two penalties) and Exeter 15 out of 24.
Next week's match: Edinburgh vs Linacre
Only Connect saw the Barons, Gareth
Jones, Kieran Connolly and captain Jamie Frier, play the Whitcombes, captain
Joe Whitcombe and his parents Jenny and David. The teams were close at first, 4-all
after the first round, before the Whitcombes pulled out an 11-6 lead after a
second round that ended in a protracted debate over whether a crab’s claws
count as legs. A better wall saw the Barons pull it back to 17-16, before a
much better Missing Vowels saw them win 24-18.
Mastermind was close, with just two
points separating the four players! Jane McDonnell and Steve Goddard both finished on twenty points, with the latter winning on fewer passes.
And finally, we have the Brain of
Britain final: competing were Graham Anderson, Graham Barker (alumnus of OC and
WWTBAM among others), Hugh Brady (another OC alumnus) and Michael Smith. After
an evenly matched first two rounds, it developed into a two-horse race between
Messrs Barker and Brady, and it was the former who emerged on top with 16
points, with Mr Brady on 12 and Messrs Anderson and Smith on 7 and 5
respectively. Well done to him, a worthy champion!
Has Gareth Jones been on other quiz shows
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