Quizzy Mondays 2024-25 Week 8: University Challenge R1M8, Only Connect R1M8, Mastermind Heat 6

Good evening again friends, and welcome to Week 8 of Quizzy Mondays! A sad one though, as its the final first round match of Only Connect tonight, and thus the end of my favourite round of the quiz, largely because no-one goes out, but also because I like recognising people I've seen before on other shows on it! And pointing them out to my Dad, who I do the show with over the phone. More on that final first round match later, but we start, as ever, with UC...

 

Two postgraduate focussed institutions with us tonight. Darwin College Cambridge, firstly, making only their third appearance on the series; their first, back in 2018-19, saw them get all the way to the SFs, largely thanks to their virtuoso captain Jason Golfinos. Their second, two series later, saw them go out in the first round. This year, they were represented by:

Rebecca McClelland, from Essex, studying Optical Microscopy

Sophie Willis, from Derby, studying Pathology

Captain: Harrison Whitaker, from Terre Haute, Indiana, studying Film

Rowan Stewart, from Edinburgh, studying Linguistics 

 

Birkbeck College was a regular in the early days of the BBC era, but, after winning the 2002-03 series, they proceded to vanish for 16 years before finally returning in 2019-20. Their two appearances since, the second of them last series, have seen them reach the semis on both occasions; three quarters of the 2020-21 team went on to win Series 18 of OC as the Strigiformes. Playing for them this series were:

Rosalie Van Onzenoort, from the Netherlands, studying Creative Writing

Uma Moorthy, from London, studying English with Creative Writing

Captain: Alex Evans, from Claygate in Surrey, studying Politics, Philosophy and History

Eric Skidmore, from Salford, studying Early Modern History

The Cambridge side had the better of the early exchanges, with Mr Whitaker taking three of the first four starters, including the first picture starter; after the first picture round, Darwin led 50-20. Birkbeck recovered well, two starters and a few bonuses pulling them back within five; they would've been level but for a penalty for a dreaded 'just an' interruption. But another two starters to the Darwin captain pulled them away again. The Londoners did take the music round, which allowed them to reduce their arrears to 90-65.

But that man Mr Whitaker kept his starter count ticking over, two more and a solid haul of bonuses taking them well over the 100 mark. Birkbeck did take a couple of more starters of their own, including the second picture starter; after the second picture round, Darwin led 135-90. A third starter in a row took the Londoners into three figures, and two bonuses kept them with a chance. But Mr Whitaker suddenly reawoke, and would go on a superb late run that allowed his team to run away with the game, and him to finish with a total not that far off that once managed by his afore-mentioned predecessor. At the gong, Darwin won 205-110.

A decent enough game, both teams gave a fair effort, but it was Mr Whitaker's superb buzzer form that won the game for Darwin; well done them, and best of luck in the next round! Hard lines to Birkbeck, but they didn't disgrace themselves and came across well too, thanks for playing!

The stats: Mr Whitaker was by far and away the best buzzer of the night with ELEVEN(!) starters (all eleven of his team's starters in fact, first time something like that's happened for some time), while Ms Van Onzenoort was best for Birkbeck with three. On the bonuses, Darwin managed 19 out of 32 and Birkbeck 10 out of 21 (with two penalties).

Next week's match: Oriel Oxford vs Durham

Only Connect arrived at its final first round heat, and we met our last two new teams: the Uisge Beathas, Julie Galante, Charlie Mollison and captain Charles Dundas, and the Crunchers, Ian Wang, who you’ll remember as the captain of Corpus Christi Cambridge team who were UC runners-up in 2019-20, Chris Nash and captain Dennis Wang, brother of Ian who was part of the Worcester Oxford team who were unlucky to go out in the first round of the 2016-17 series.

 

The Crunchers led 5-3 after the first round, where my Dad and I jointly claim the ‘Numbers next’ question (I say jointly because he got it after I explained the Countdown clue to him!). I definitely claim the swan question on Round 2, and my Dad claims the ‘Rob Peter to pay Paul’ one; after that the Beathas had turned it around to lead 10-7.

 

Two well worked out perfect walls meant it was as you were, the Beathas led 20-17 going into Missing Vowels. The Crunchers, however, had the better of a very good round to come from behind and win 25-23. But a good first showing by both teams; well done and best of luck next time!

 

Next week’s match: the first eliminator, between the Hopsters and the Midlanders

 

Mastermind was opened by Thomas Banbury, who you may remember from the Durham team that reached the UC QFs in 2020-21; answering on the ghost stories of MR James, he scored 8. He was followed into the chair by Liam McCarthy, answering on Ronnie O’Sullivan, he matched Thomas’ score, another 8.

 

Jane Northern was next up and, answering on the classic Thunderbirds, went into the lead with 10 points. Finally, Helen Lawson answered on Hans Holbein the Younger, and finished straight down the middle with 9 scores, making it still anyone’s game depending on how GK went.

 

Thomas returned first, and scored a respectable 10 to take his score to 18, but, with a pass in the mix too, it looked likely to be beaten at least once. Liam did indeed beat it, but only just, 19 his final score, also with a single pass. He also wins the prize for best guess of the series so far; asked for a former BBC security correspondent, he guessed ‘Clive Myrie’, who did very well not to let it throw him too much!

 

Helen went next, but a few long pauses before answering wrongly cost her a bit, and she could only equal Thomas’ 18; still a perfectly fine performance though. It left Jane needing to equal her SS score to win the game, and, despite noticeably more passes than her fellow contenders, she did so and more with time to spare; 22 her final score. So she goes through to the semis; congrats to her, and thanks the others for a good contest!

 

Brain of Britain was won by Hannah Reilly, who won it in the second and third rounds with the strongest showing of those two rounds; that and taking one of only two points scored in a tough final round saw her finish with 12 points, three ahead of second place Eithne Cullen with 9. Andrew Bingham and Sean Lea completed the line-up, both scoring 4.

 

And that's it for another week. Thanks once again for reading; join us again same time same place next week as OC begins its elimination round...