Quizzy Mondays 2024-25 Week 12: University Challenge R1M12, Only Connect Elimination Match 4, Mastermind Heat 10

Good evening again my friends, and welcome back to another Quizzy Monday! Coming up, two very close contests on Mastermind and Brain of Britain and the final OC elimination match. But first, quick mention to the new series of Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz, which this evening featured the question "In what year was marmite invented?", which I knew thanks to a question on a no longer available YouTube video featuring the most successful Paxo era performance of the first team on this week's UC! Ahem. Anyway, on with UC.

 

Leeds are joining us for, surprisingly, the first time in this blog's lifetime, their last appearance being the series before I started it in 2011-12, where they were trounced in the second round; their previously alluded to most successful run was in 2002-03, where a team including Chaser Jenny Ryan and WWTBAM Thirteen Clubber Steve Kidd, reached the semis. Playing for them this year were:

Finn Thompson, from North London, studying Law

Ingrid Banerjee Marvin, from Stoke-on-Trent, studying the Experiences of Marginalised Football Fans

Captain: Alex Tan, from Colchester, studying Computer Science

Jayan Patel, from Leicester, studying Mechatronics and Robotics 

 

Edinburgh is the second most prolific institution of the BBC era, this series being their 23rd; last year, their very strong team were unlucky to lost to eventual semi-finalists Manchester in the second round. This year's line-up comprised of:

David Aiton, from Glasgow, studying Maths

Jess Mellor, from Market Weighton in East Yorkshire, studying History

Captain: Greg Myles, from Monifieth near Dundee, studying Biomedical Engineering

Caitlin Self, from Ashton-under-Lyne, studying Politics

Edinburgh started stronger, taking the first three correct starters of the night and two thirds of the resulting bonuses. Leeds kicked off with the first picture round, two bonuses from which cut the early gap to 55-20. The Scots side continued to dominate in the second phase, taking most of the starters and the majority of bonuses too. After the music round, they led 125-35.

Leeds began an excellent recovery now though, getting a good run of three starters together that pulled them back into contention. Edinburgh reawoke to take the second picture round though, after which they now led 145-80. Leeds were well back in the game now though, and a further run of starters plus a penalty to their opponents meant they had pulled back to within 20 points! That was as close as they got though, as Edinburgh found their buzzer fingers again and took the remaining starters to pull away again. At the gong, Edinburgh on 175-125.

A good contest that, between two very watchable teams as well, well played both of them! Well done Edinburgh, and best of luck in the second round! Hard lines to Leeds, who I sadly fear won't be coming back given that they're now on the sidelines, as it were, of the repechage board, tied with Liverpool and UEA on 125 each; a solid effort though, thanks very much for playing!

The stats: Mr Myles was the best buzzer of the night with five starters, while Mr Thompson was best for Leeds with three. On the bonuses, Leeds managed 10 out of 24 (with one penalty) and Edinburgh 18 out of 28 (with three penalties), and, for the second week in a row, all eight players contributed at least one correct starter to the game.

Next week's match: L.S.E. vs Leicester

Only Connect concluded its elimination round matches with the returns of the Uisge Beathas, who lost to the Crunchers in the first round, and the Third Agers, beaten by the Introverts first time out.

 

I claim the same two points as the Agers on the ‘made up games’ question and one on the yellow things in songs question in the first round; my Dad and I jointly claim one point on the ‘middles of middles’ question and the music question. The Agers led 5-4 at the end of that round. In the second round, we claim the same two points as the Beathas on the years question and worked out the ABCD music question, but couldn’t think of an answer in time; I claim two on the MRNA question. The Beathas now led 12-7 after that.

 

The Agers went first on the Walls, and worked it out fully fairly quickly for a well earned full ten. The Beathas took a bit longer, but the same result, a full house, ten points, so it was as you were, 22-17 going into Missing Vowels. The Beathas only increased their lead on that, doubled it in fact, 32-22 the final score. Well done them, best of luck next time, and thanks Agers for playing.

 

Next week’s match: Al Frescans vs Sprouters in the first qualifier match

 

Mastermind’s tenth heat was opened by Susan Cook, answering on the poetry of Keats; sadly, in keeping with the toughness of the SS rounds this series, the questions didn’t fall for her, 4 her total. Juliet Harvey followed her into the chair, and was answering on PJ Harvey; she fared better, finishing with a steady 9.

 

Next up was Justin Lee, who you’ll remember as part of the Imperial team who are, of course, the reigning UC champions; answering on the Holy Roman emperor Henry IV, he matched Juliet’s score of 9. Finally, we had another UC alumnus, Lewis Jones, captain of the Sheffield team of 2022-23 as well as the Video Nasties from the last series of OC; answering on the films of David Fincher, he too fell foul of some tough questions, many requiring specific knowledge of specific scenes, and finished with 5 points.

 

Susan was first back for GK then, and gave a very good effort, with a few questions where she clearly knew, but just couldn’t drag up the answer; he scored 10 to finish with a fair 14. Lewis came next, and had a very good round indeed, answering quickly and guessing well on ones he didn’t know; a very good 14 gave him a final score of 19, and certainly gave the remaining two contenders something to think about.

 

Juliet gave it a good go, but fell just short; 9 points for a respectable 18, which left Justin needing 11 to win the game. And, despite also answering quickly and guessing well when he didn’t know, he didn’t quite make it, but he didn’t not make it either; he scored 10, leaving him and Lewis tied on 19 and no passes each!

 

So, the first tie-break of the series! Justin and Lewis faced the same five questions each. Justin went first, but only scored 2 out of 5. Lewis scored 4, so it is he who goes through to the semis! Well done him, well deserved after that GK round too, and thanks very much the other three, Justin especially, for taking part.

Brain of Britain also ended in a tie, for the third time this series, with Alan Eeles and Vicky Johnson both finishing with 12 points, with Pam Douglas, part of the Mercians on the last series of OC, unluckily finishing just behind on 11 and Nyasha Zvobgo completing the line-up with 8. It was Vicky who correctly answered the resulting tie-break question to go through to the semis; Alan joins Diane Hallagan and Andrew Fanko on the sidelines of the HSNW board with three heats remaining.

 

And that's it for another week! A pretty good one as well, all four shows providing plenty of excitement! See you again next week, same time same place for more of the same, hopefully.