Evening all. The unofficial end of the first round tonight, with two teams who both scored the same score in their respective first round matches and lost narrowly late on in the game. The winners would take the last place in the second round. And after last week's cracking contest, all would no doubt be hoping for something similar tonight given how evenly matched these teams look on paper. Anyway, to business...
Hertford College Oxford lost a tense Oxbridge derby to Clare College Cambridge, leading most of the game before being pipped on the last starter of the game for a 160-150 victory. Hoping to make up for that were the unchanged four of:
Stefi Woodgate, from South London, studying Biology
Pat Taylor, from Warwick, studying Physics
Captain: Richard Tudor, from Stourbridge, studying History
Chris Page, from Orpington in London, studying English Literature
Exeter were beaten by Warwick in the first game of the series way back in July, also leading until late on when they were overtaken on the last few questions, losing 165-150. Also hoping for some sort of redemption were the also unchanged line-up of:
Simon Waitland, from Hitchin in Hertfordshire, studying Natural Sciences
Will Klintworth, from Woking, studying History and International Relations
Captain: Danny Lay, from Oxford, studying Physics
Jessica Brown, from Chichester, studying Acoustic Metamaterials
Off we set again then, and Mr Page was most unfortunate to drop five on the first starter, offering 'The Panama Papers' instead of 'The Paradise Papers'; Mr Waitland swooped, and Exeter took two of the first set of bonuses. The Oxford side moved back into positive figures with Mr Tudor doing the honours, but they took just one bonus from their opening set. A second starter in a row plus two bonuses on sports doping gave Hertford the lead, followed by Mr Tudor offering, ironically, 'Elizabeth I'! One bonus was taken. The first picture round, on English forests, went to Exeter, who took two bonuses (one Twitter user admitted to saying 'Nottingham Forest' instead of 'Sherwood Forest'!), reducing the gap to 45-40.
A good quick buzz from Mr Page increased Hertford's lead, as did a full bonus set on Manet's Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe. Mr Lay had a quick buzz of his own with 'Vulcanisation' (which I also knew thanks to QI!), and the side consistently took another two bonuses. That record was lost on the next bonus set, which they only took one of. It was enough to give them the lead though, and, two dropped starters later, Mr Lay increased it; no bonuses came this time though.
The music round, on classical pieces inspired by nostalgia, went to Exeter, who took two correct answers on the bonuses, giving them a lead of 105-70. Hertford promptly reawoke with Mr Page offering 'AX'; just one bonus was taken, but a second successive quick buzz and a full set of bonuses gave Hertford back a five point lead. Exeter duly reclaimed it though, and they took two bonuses from their resultant set. Back came Hertford, and back the lead they took with another full house on capital cities.
The second picture round, on authors portrayed in films, went to Hertford, with Exeter dropping five on a replacement starter; another full bonus house gave them a lead of 160-120. Still all to play for, but when Ms Woodgate took the next starter, and Hertford took two bonuses on the Berlin Wall, Exeter would really have to go for it all guns blazing to stand a chance.
They gave it a shot, Mr Klintworth identifying 'Cardinal Riechlieu' just seconds after I did, and the side took one bonus, using the old trick of saying the same thing three times and getting it right on the third go! But when Mr Klintworth dropped five on the next starter, and Mr Tudor took the points (again, just moments after I had it), that was game over. Two bonuses took the Oxonians up to 200, and a second starter in a row, plus one bonus, only served to bolster their score. Exeter went out with a final flourish, taking the last two starters and all of the one bonus set there was time for. At the gong, Hertford won 215-165.
Another top quality match, well played by both sides. Unlucky Exeter, but a fine performance to go out, not to mention, as Paxo said, a higher score than the first round, thanks very much for taking part! Very well done Hertford though, who, like Emmanuel last week, having twice performed strongly against good opposition, they may well be one to watch; very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Messrs Tudor, Klintworth and Lay were the night's joint best buzzers, with four starters each. On the bonuses, Hertford converted a good 22 out of 33 (with one penalty), while Exeter managed an also fine 15 out of 27 (with two penalties).
Next week's match: the first second round match! Don't know who's playing yet, but will be sure to report any findings on Twitter.
Two UC alumni from last series on tonight's Only Connect, also another high quality contest with some good quizzing, plus some interesting talking points. Review on Wednesday I hope.
Monday, 12 November 2018
Wednesday, 7 November 2018
Only Connect Series 14: Round 1: Match 3: Pyromaniacs vs Cartoonists
OK, here we go with this week's Only Connect. And how glad I am that the show has returned to its old format where all teams get at least two games. The last two series were perfectly enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but they did drag a bit and I did have to swot up on previous reviews to write my summations of teams' prior matches. Hopefully this will be a bit easier for me to keep track of.
Anyway, playing on Monday were the Pyromaniacs, Suzy Turner, her brother Jeremy Turner and her partner captain Dave Ryan, and the Cartoonists, Edward Gilbert, Patrick Telford and captain Ben Broadribb.
Round 1. The Cartoonists opened the show with Twisted Flax: 'New England', then 'Cloud Atlas', then 'Greenwich Time Signal', and finally 'Over'; they spotted that they are all composed of six somethings, and picked up the game's first point. The Pyromaniacs opened their account with Two Reeds: 'UKIP', then 'ING', then 'Peugeot'; they spotted them to all have lion logos (UKIP have since changed their's to a pound of course) and collected two points. The Cartoonists chose Lion next: 'Chloe', then 'Cris' (I'm embarrassed to admit I had it at this point!), then 'Courtney'; they saw them to be members of the Kardashian family with the Ks in their first names changed to Cs, and took two points of their own. The Pyromaniacs chose Water next, and got the music question: we heard Doris Day singing 'When the Red Red Robin', then 'Poison Ivy' by the Rolling Stones, then Whistling Jack Smith with 'I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman', and finally the Steve Miller Band with 'The Joker'; they saw the connection, Batman characters, and collected the point. The Cartoonists chose Horned Viper next: 'Escape from Warsaw (Ian Serraillier)', then 'In a Sunburned Country (Bill Bryson)', then 'Smilla's Sense of Snow (Peter Hoeg)', and finally 'Murder in the Calais Coach (Agatha Christie)'. They got close enough to the answer for a point: they are alternative American titles of novels. Left with Eye of Horus, the Pyromaniacs got the picture set, and saw a tsetse fly, then the logo of the TomTom satnav company, then a yum-yum pastry, and finally a tuk-tuk cart. They saw the link, and collected a point. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 4-each.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Cartoonists began the round with Two Reeds: 'Roberto di Matteo', then 'Alex Ferguson' (I had it here), and then 'Rafael Benitez'; they offered 'Alex Ferguson' again, correctly for the points, the sequence being managers of English winners of the Champions League going backwards. The Pyromaniacs chose Eye of Horus next: 'Mary', then 'William Donald', and then 'Gordon'. They didn't see it, nor did their opponents: they are the middle names of prime ministers (Mr Brown's full name being James Gordon Brown), so Mr Blair's middle names 'Charles Lynton' would complete the set. The Cartoonists chose Twisted Flax next: 'Refuse collector', then 'Refuse collector's headwear'; they saw it to be clues to the lyrics of Lonnie Donegan's 'My Old Man's a Dustman', so offered 'A flat owned by the council' for the three points! The Pyromaniacs chose Lion next, and got the picture set: we saw Alcatraz, then the late great Jim Bowen holding a Bully figurine, and then a rowing boat with an arrow pointing at the cox. Again, neither team worked it out: 'AlcatraZ', 'BullY' and 'CoX', so something beginning with D and ending W, such as a 'DraW', would suffice. (The example image was that complex image used to signify the show's new sequence a couple of series back!) For their final choice, the Cartoonists chose Water: 'T=3', then 'Q=4', and then 'P=5'; they saw it to be the number of sides shapes beginning with those letters have, so 'H=6' for a hexagon would be fourth. Left with Horned Viper, the Pyromaniacs saw 'The Office of Terce', then 'Women's Hour (weekdays)', and then 'The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace'; they identified them as happening at 9am, 10am and 11am, so offered 'The Midday News' for two points. At the end of the second round, the Cartoonists led 11-6.
On to the Walls. The Pyromaniacs, needing points, went first and chose the Lion wall. After carefully studying the clues and a few wrong goes, they isolated 'Safety', 'Tackle', 'Cornerback' and 'Center', which are American football positions; followed a short while later by 'Jack', 'Guard', 'Mail' and 'Board', which can all follow 'Black'. The final clues slotted in on their first try: 'Bullock', 'Portman', 'Stone' and 'Berry' are surnames of Best Actress Oscar winners, which they got close enough to, while 'Barrow', 'Gelding', 'Weather' and 'Capon' are animals that have been castrated, which they also knew. A full ten there then.
The Cartoonists thus set to work on the Water wall. Again, they had a good hard study and spotted a few possible links, before they had their first set: 'Patmos', 'Symi', 'Kos' and 'Leros' are islands of the Dodecanese. A second set eventually followed: 'Iman', 'Jordan', 'Emme' and 'Twiggy' are stage names of models. With time running out, they quickly had the last sets sorted just in time: 'Grant' 'D'Arby', 'Magnusson' and 'Rhodes' are presenters of Songs of Praise, which they didn't see, while 'Loan', 'Nurse', 'Discount' and 'Halls' can all follow 'Student', which they did spot. Seven there then, which reduced their lead to 18-16 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would finish and decide the show. 'Infractions of Just a Minute' was split 2-each. (I called 'REPETITION' coming up twice as soon as the category was announced!) 'British pig breeds' went to the Pyromaniacs 3-1. 'Woods and forests', such as 'EPPING FOREST' and 'TIGER WOODS' (sadly not 'JAMES FORREST', much to my Dad's dismay!) went to the Pyromaniacs 2-1, with the Cartoonists getting two right, but one wrong. 'Toy of the Year winners' had time for one clue, which the Pyromaniacs took. At the end of the game, the Pyromaniacs won 24-22.
Another good close match, some good questions and quizzing there. Unlucky Cartoonists, well done Pyromaniacs, glad we're seeing both of you again and best of luck in your respective next matches!
Next week's match: Motorheads vs Time Ladies
Anyway, playing on Monday were the Pyromaniacs, Suzy Turner, her brother Jeremy Turner and her partner captain Dave Ryan, and the Cartoonists, Edward Gilbert, Patrick Telford and captain Ben Broadribb.
Round 1. The Cartoonists opened the show with Twisted Flax: 'New England', then 'Cloud Atlas', then 'Greenwich Time Signal', and finally 'Over'; they spotted that they are all composed of six somethings, and picked up the game's first point. The Pyromaniacs opened their account with Two Reeds: 'UKIP', then 'ING', then 'Peugeot'; they spotted them to all have lion logos (UKIP have since changed their's to a pound of course) and collected two points. The Cartoonists chose Lion next: 'Chloe', then 'Cris' (I'm embarrassed to admit I had it at this point!), then 'Courtney'; they saw them to be members of the Kardashian family with the Ks in their first names changed to Cs, and took two points of their own. The Pyromaniacs chose Water next, and got the music question: we heard Doris Day singing 'When the Red Red Robin', then 'Poison Ivy' by the Rolling Stones, then Whistling Jack Smith with 'I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman', and finally the Steve Miller Band with 'The Joker'; they saw the connection, Batman characters, and collected the point. The Cartoonists chose Horned Viper next: 'Escape from Warsaw (Ian Serraillier)', then 'In a Sunburned Country (Bill Bryson)', then 'Smilla's Sense of Snow (Peter Hoeg)', and finally 'Murder in the Calais Coach (Agatha Christie)'. They got close enough to the answer for a point: they are alternative American titles of novels. Left with Eye of Horus, the Pyromaniacs got the picture set, and saw a tsetse fly, then the logo of the TomTom satnav company, then a yum-yum pastry, and finally a tuk-tuk cart. They saw the link, and collected a point. At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 4-each.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Cartoonists began the round with Two Reeds: 'Roberto di Matteo', then 'Alex Ferguson' (I had it here), and then 'Rafael Benitez'; they offered 'Alex Ferguson' again, correctly for the points, the sequence being managers of English winners of the Champions League going backwards. The Pyromaniacs chose Eye of Horus next: 'Mary', then 'William Donald', and then 'Gordon'. They didn't see it, nor did their opponents: they are the middle names of prime ministers (Mr Brown's full name being James Gordon Brown), so Mr Blair's middle names 'Charles Lynton' would complete the set. The Cartoonists chose Twisted Flax next: 'Refuse collector', then 'Refuse collector's headwear'; they saw it to be clues to the lyrics of Lonnie Donegan's 'My Old Man's a Dustman', so offered 'A flat owned by the council' for the three points! The Pyromaniacs chose Lion next, and got the picture set: we saw Alcatraz, then the late great Jim Bowen holding a Bully figurine, and then a rowing boat with an arrow pointing at the cox. Again, neither team worked it out: 'AlcatraZ', 'BullY' and 'CoX', so something beginning with D and ending W, such as a 'DraW', would suffice. (The example image was that complex image used to signify the show's new sequence a couple of series back!) For their final choice, the Cartoonists chose Water: 'T=3', then 'Q=4', and then 'P=5'; they saw it to be the number of sides shapes beginning with those letters have, so 'H=6' for a hexagon would be fourth. Left with Horned Viper, the Pyromaniacs saw 'The Office of Terce', then 'Women's Hour (weekdays)', and then 'The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace'; they identified them as happening at 9am, 10am and 11am, so offered 'The Midday News' for two points. At the end of the second round, the Cartoonists led 11-6.
On to the Walls. The Pyromaniacs, needing points, went first and chose the Lion wall. After carefully studying the clues and a few wrong goes, they isolated 'Safety', 'Tackle', 'Cornerback' and 'Center', which are American football positions; followed a short while later by 'Jack', 'Guard', 'Mail' and 'Board', which can all follow 'Black'. The final clues slotted in on their first try: 'Bullock', 'Portman', 'Stone' and 'Berry' are surnames of Best Actress Oscar winners, which they got close enough to, while 'Barrow', 'Gelding', 'Weather' and 'Capon' are animals that have been castrated, which they also knew. A full ten there then.
The Cartoonists thus set to work on the Water wall. Again, they had a good hard study and spotted a few possible links, before they had their first set: 'Patmos', 'Symi', 'Kos' and 'Leros' are islands of the Dodecanese. A second set eventually followed: 'Iman', 'Jordan', 'Emme' and 'Twiggy' are stage names of models. With time running out, they quickly had the last sets sorted just in time: 'Grant' 'D'Arby', 'Magnusson' and 'Rhodes' are presenters of Songs of Praise, which they didn't see, while 'Loan', 'Nurse', 'Discount' and 'Halls' can all follow 'Student', which they did spot. Seven there then, which reduced their lead to 18-16 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels would finish and decide the show. 'Infractions of Just a Minute' was split 2-each. (I called 'REPETITION' coming up twice as soon as the category was announced!) 'British pig breeds' went to the Pyromaniacs 3-1. 'Woods and forests', such as 'EPPING FOREST' and 'TIGER WOODS' (sadly not 'JAMES FORREST', much to my Dad's dismay!) went to the Pyromaniacs 2-1, with the Cartoonists getting two right, but one wrong. 'Toy of the Year winners' had time for one clue, which the Pyromaniacs took. At the end of the game, the Pyromaniacs won 24-22.
Another good close match, some good questions and quizzing there. Unlucky Cartoonists, well done Pyromaniacs, glad we're seeing both of you again and best of luck in your respective next matches!
Next week's match: Motorheads vs Time Ladies
Monday, 5 November 2018
University Challenge 2018-19: Repechage Play-Off 1: Emmanuel vs King's
Evening all. You join me as I try to distract myself from the immense frustration of hearing fireworks banging outside, but being unable to actually see any from my window! Thankfully, Quizzy Mondays provided the perfect way of doing just that, as we set off with the first play-off. Both teams led for large portions of their first match and gave good accounts of themselves in their eventual defeats. A good match in prospect then. We hope.
Emmanuel College Cambridge, appearing for the third series in a row, were beaten 200-175 by Glasgow in what was probably the best match of the first round, and they only really lost it in the final minute. Hoping to make up for that tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Connor MacDonald, from New Brunswick, Canada, studying Politics
Vedanth Nair, from Kings Lynn, studying Economics
Captain: Daniella Cugini, from Warwick, studying English
Ben Harris, from Bath, studying Geology
King's College London, appearing for a second successive series, lost a local derby against U.C.L., starting strongly, then fading somewhat, then recovering late on, finishing behind by 180-145. Also hoping to redeem themselves were the also unchanged quartet of:
Liam Tsang, from Wanstead in London, studying Medicine
Rhian Jones, from Wrexham, studying Early Modern History
Captain: Anthony Chater, from Surrey, studying Music
Katie Heath, from Bedfordshire, studying Midwifery
Off we set again then, and Emmanuel opened the night's scoring with Ms Cugini identifying a quote from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. One bonus was taken from their first set, before Mr MacDonald gave them a second starter and their second bonus set, on English composers, was more to their liking, a full set. Mr Tsang opened the London side's account, and King's also took a full set of their first bonus set. A second starter went to King's, but none of their second bonus set went with it. The first picture round, on North American railway routes, went to Emmanuel, who took a full house, giving them a 65-35 lead.
Mr MacDonald increased that lead with 'sugar cane', and a bonus set on 2017 films provided two correct bonuses, and the night's main comedy moment in a suggestion that Truro is in Yorkshire! Another starter and full bonus set to the Cambridge side, and already they had broken triple figures and were looking on imperious form. Mr Harris then made sure all Emmanuel players had a starter to their names, and a third full bonus set out of four gave them a 100 point lead. The next starter was dropped, the next was taken by Ms Cugini, a good bonus set on the names of duos (including a very welcome mention of Laurel and Hardy!) gave them another two points.
The music round, on MGM musical films, went to King's, who took two correct bonuses; I got the second, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, thanks to Who Wants to be a Millionaire, which, funnily enough, took its name from the song from High Society that was the third bonus! (It all comes round in the end!) The score now stood at 155-55, and it increased when Mr Harris made a slight error, and was pedantically docked five for it too; Ms Heath took the points for King's, and bonuses on famous men called Englebert provided them with another two correct answers. Mr Harris made up for his error by taking the next starter, and bonuses on craters provided Emmanuel with one correct bonus. Ms Jones then took the next starter, ensuring, for the first time in a while, all eight players had a starter to their names; two bonuses followed. The next starter saw Mr Nair identify Malala Yousafzai as the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner but, oddly, refer to her by her surname only, whereas most know her only by forename. Two bonuses restored Emmanuel's 100 point lead.
The second picture round, on photos of figures in the women's suffrage movement, went to Emmanuel, who took one bonus, giving them a lead of 210-95. Mr Chater deservedly took his side into triple figures by taking the next starter, and the obligatory Shakespeare bonuses gave his side two correct answers. Mr Nair then pretty much made sure his side were home and dry by taking 'Baku' for the next starter; his side took one bonus from a tough set on English trails.
Mr Tsang offered up 'osteroblasts' for the next starter, but King's took nothing from a bonus set on fictional spacecrafts. Emmanuel moved further ahead again when Mr Nair took the next starter; no bonuses from a tricky set on Pele's World Cup career followed, but it didn't really matter at this point. Mr Chater took the final starter of the night, and his side just fell short of equaling their first round score, taking one bonus. At the gong, Emmanuel won 235-140.
A very good match indeed, high quality performances from both teams, thanks very much both of them! Unlucky King's, but a fine performance to go out on, thanks very much indeed for playing. Well done Emmanuel though on another very good showing against strong opponents, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Nair was the best buzzer of the night with five, while Mr Chater was best for King's with four. On the bonuses, Emmanuel converted an impressive 24 out of 36 (with the night's one penalty), while King's managed an also respectable 12 out of 24, and, as I said earlier, all eight players ended the night with starters under their belts. Good stuff that; again, well played both teams, probably the best game of the series so far IMO!
Next week's match: Hertford vs Exeter
Only Connect was high quality tonight as well, plus I now know one stage of the contest that rogue Radio Times picture isn't from! Review on Wednesday I hope.
Emmanuel College Cambridge, appearing for the third series in a row, were beaten 200-175 by Glasgow in what was probably the best match of the first round, and they only really lost it in the final minute. Hoping to make up for that tonight were the unchanged foursome of:
Connor MacDonald, from New Brunswick, Canada, studying Politics
Vedanth Nair, from Kings Lynn, studying Economics
Captain: Daniella Cugini, from Warwick, studying English
Ben Harris, from Bath, studying Geology
King's College London, appearing for a second successive series, lost a local derby against U.C.L., starting strongly, then fading somewhat, then recovering late on, finishing behind by 180-145. Also hoping to redeem themselves were the also unchanged quartet of:
Liam Tsang, from Wanstead in London, studying Medicine
Rhian Jones, from Wrexham, studying Early Modern History
Captain: Anthony Chater, from Surrey, studying Music
Katie Heath, from Bedfordshire, studying Midwifery
Off we set again then, and Emmanuel opened the night's scoring with Ms Cugini identifying a quote from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. One bonus was taken from their first set, before Mr MacDonald gave them a second starter and their second bonus set, on English composers, was more to their liking, a full set. Mr Tsang opened the London side's account, and King's also took a full set of their first bonus set. A second starter went to King's, but none of their second bonus set went with it. The first picture round, on North American railway routes, went to Emmanuel, who took a full house, giving them a 65-35 lead.
Mr MacDonald increased that lead with 'sugar cane', and a bonus set on 2017 films provided two correct bonuses, and the night's main comedy moment in a suggestion that Truro is in Yorkshire! Another starter and full bonus set to the Cambridge side, and already they had broken triple figures and were looking on imperious form. Mr Harris then made sure all Emmanuel players had a starter to their names, and a third full bonus set out of four gave them a 100 point lead. The next starter was dropped, the next was taken by Ms Cugini, a good bonus set on the names of duos (including a very welcome mention of Laurel and Hardy!) gave them another two points.
The music round, on MGM musical films, went to King's, who took two correct bonuses; I got the second, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, thanks to Who Wants to be a Millionaire, which, funnily enough, took its name from the song from High Society that was the third bonus! (It all comes round in the end!) The score now stood at 155-55, and it increased when Mr Harris made a slight error, and was pedantically docked five for it too; Ms Heath took the points for King's, and bonuses on famous men called Englebert provided them with another two correct answers. Mr Harris made up for his error by taking the next starter, and bonuses on craters provided Emmanuel with one correct bonus. Ms Jones then took the next starter, ensuring, for the first time in a while, all eight players had a starter to their names; two bonuses followed. The next starter saw Mr Nair identify Malala Yousafzai as the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner but, oddly, refer to her by her surname only, whereas most know her only by forename. Two bonuses restored Emmanuel's 100 point lead.
The second picture round, on photos of figures in the women's suffrage movement, went to Emmanuel, who took one bonus, giving them a lead of 210-95. Mr Chater deservedly took his side into triple figures by taking the next starter, and the obligatory Shakespeare bonuses gave his side two correct answers. Mr Nair then pretty much made sure his side were home and dry by taking 'Baku' for the next starter; his side took one bonus from a tough set on English trails.
Mr Tsang offered up 'osteroblasts' for the next starter, but King's took nothing from a bonus set on fictional spacecrafts. Emmanuel moved further ahead again when Mr Nair took the next starter; no bonuses from a tricky set on Pele's World Cup career followed, but it didn't really matter at this point. Mr Chater took the final starter of the night, and his side just fell short of equaling their first round score, taking one bonus. At the gong, Emmanuel won 235-140.
A very good match indeed, high quality performances from both teams, thanks very much both of them! Unlucky King's, but a fine performance to go out on, thanks very much indeed for playing. Well done Emmanuel though on another very good showing against strong opponents, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Nair was the best buzzer of the night with five, while Mr Chater was best for King's with four. On the bonuses, Emmanuel converted an impressive 24 out of 36 (with the night's one penalty), while King's managed an also respectable 12 out of 24, and, as I said earlier, all eight players ended the night with starters under their belts. Good stuff that; again, well played both teams, probably the best game of the series so far IMO!
Next week's match: Hertford vs Exeter
Only Connect was high quality tonight as well, plus I now know one stage of the contest that rogue Radio Times picture isn't from! Review on Wednesday I hope.
Friday, 2 November 2018
University Challenge 2018-19: First Round Review
OK, we're a bit later doing this that usual this year (events in my personal life have kinda got in the way this past month), but here we go with my usual end of first round stock take. Starting with the usual list of teams safely through to Round 2 with their scores and winning margin:
By a long distance, the highest score of the first round, and the highest winning margin, both belong to Durham, with their 360-55 win over Strathclyde, a decent team in their own right. They, therefore, would start the round as red hot favourites whoever they face. One on one with a proven team, however, anything is possible.
Other than that, there isn't a great deal of deviation between most of the others. Darwin are next in terms of scores, followed by St Edmund Hall, Downing and St Peter's. All won their first round matches by comfortable three figure margins, but will they be able to repeat that performance against better teams?
As for the four teams who defeated the four repechage teams, all are most definitely forces to be reckoned with, Glasgow in particular. Even the first round winners with lower scores shouldn't be totally ruled out; Manchester, remember, have a tendency to start out slowly then hit their stride in the second round.
So, in conclusion, apart from Durham, there aren't any real obvious candidates for the group stage; seriously, any of the remaining teams could make it. It depends on the draw I suppose. If we get the same second round draw as last series, Goldsmiths vs St Peter's and U.C.L. vs Manchester would be the first two second round matches. One of those sounds like a foregone conclusion, the other quite a close match.
But anything can happen, as we've seen many times before. Remember the last time Durham had the highest score and winning margin of the first round? That team, 3/4 of whom were on Only Connect on Monday, didn't make the group stage, out in the second round. Anything could, and probably will, happen.
Now for those actual repechage teams...
Well, the draw will, we would imagine, pit Emmanuel vs King's and Hertford vs Exeter. Now, both of those fixtures are very much up in the air as far as I'm concerned, I can't call either. If you insist on a guess, I'd forecast wins for Emmanuel and Hertford, but, as I said, anything could happen. All I really want is a pair of excellent matches.
In fact, despite being somewhat low scoring, this has been a good first round overall. Almost every match I have something positive to say about, and, in all honesty, the group stage line-up could honest be any combination of the 18 teams still in it, depending on the draw.
Before I wrap up, some stats on gender equality you might be interested in: only four teams this series have been single gender, all male, and three of them are through to the second round. That's a definite step in the right direction as far as gender balance is concerned.
I understand institutions are being encouraged to field multi-gender teams this series; that, as far as I'm concerned, is the way to get women involved on the show. Not to force them via a BBC panel show-esque mandatory quota; the fact that the vast majority of the teams this series are mixed without one definitely shows there is no need for one.
There also nine female captains this series, which is a record for this blog's duration (the previous record being eight in 2015-16).
That's all I have to say for now; it's been a good start to the current series, and all we can hope is that that carries on into the next round!
Back on Monday with my usual write-up.
- Warwick (165, 15)
- Glasgow (200, 25)
- Downing College Cambridge (230, 155)
- Darwin College Cambridge (260, 170)
- Clare College Cambridge (160, 10)
- Durham (360, 305)
- St Edmund Hall Oxford (240, 135)
- Edinburgh (210, 135)
- Bristol (140, 30)
- Goldsmiths (180, 125)
- St Peter's College Oxford (225, 175)
- U.C.L. (180, 35)
- Manchester (155, 20)
- Keble College Oxford (180, 65)
By a long distance, the highest score of the first round, and the highest winning margin, both belong to Durham, with their 360-55 win over Strathclyde, a decent team in their own right. They, therefore, would start the round as red hot favourites whoever they face. One on one with a proven team, however, anything is possible.
Other than that, there isn't a great deal of deviation between most of the others. Darwin are next in terms of scores, followed by St Edmund Hall, Downing and St Peter's. All won their first round matches by comfortable three figure margins, but will they be able to repeat that performance against better teams?
As for the four teams who defeated the four repechage teams, all are most definitely forces to be reckoned with, Glasgow in particular. Even the first round winners with lower scores shouldn't be totally ruled out; Manchester, remember, have a tendency to start out slowly then hit their stride in the second round.
So, in conclusion, apart from Durham, there aren't any real obvious candidates for the group stage; seriously, any of the remaining teams could make it. It depends on the draw I suppose. If we get the same second round draw as last series, Goldsmiths vs St Peter's and U.C.L. vs Manchester would be the first two second round matches. One of those sounds like a foregone conclusion, the other quite a close match.
But anything can happen, as we've seen many times before. Remember the last time Durham had the highest score and winning margin of the first round? That team, 3/4 of whom were on Only Connect on Monday, didn't make the group stage, out in the second round. Anything could, and probably will, happen.
Now for those actual repechage teams...
- Emmanuel College Cambridge (175, 25)
- Hertford College Oxford (150, 10)
- Exeter (150, 15)
- King's College London (145, 35)
Well, the draw will, we would imagine, pit Emmanuel vs King's and Hertford vs Exeter. Now, both of those fixtures are very much up in the air as far as I'm concerned, I can't call either. If you insist on a guess, I'd forecast wins for Emmanuel and Hertford, but, as I said, anything could happen. All I really want is a pair of excellent matches.
In fact, despite being somewhat low scoring, this has been a good first round overall. Almost every match I have something positive to say about, and, in all honesty, the group stage line-up could honest be any combination of the 18 teams still in it, depending on the draw.
Before I wrap up, some stats on gender equality you might be interested in: only four teams this series have been single gender, all male, and three of them are through to the second round. That's a definite step in the right direction as far as gender balance is concerned.
I understand institutions are being encouraged to field multi-gender teams this series; that, as far as I'm concerned, is the way to get women involved on the show. Not to force them via a BBC panel show-esque mandatory quota; the fact that the vast majority of the teams this series are mixed without one definitely shows there is no need for one.
There also nine female captains this series, which is a record for this blog's duration (the previous record being eight in 2015-16).
That's all I have to say for now; it's been a good start to the current series, and all we can hope is that that carries on into the next round!
Back on Monday with my usual write-up.
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
Only Connect Series 14: Round 1: Match 2: Durhamites vs LARPers
OK, before I review this week's Only Connect, I wonder if any of you saw a behind the scenes feature on the show in a recent Radio Times. Good feature, even if the picture used was of a non-first round fixture, thus giving away that one of this week's teams will play one of next week's teams somewhere along the line!
Anyway, playing on Monday were the Durhamites, Adam Robertson, James France and captain George Twigg, and the LARPers, Martel Reynolds, Kiwi Tokoeka and captain Ronny Jackson. You may remember the Durhamites represented the university on UC way back in 2011-12, where they were most unfortunate to lose in the second round.
Round 1. The Durhamites opened the night with Water: '1: Rugby Union', then '19: a cribbage hand', then '23: a dart'; they offered 'number of points you can't score in these games', which was close enough, they are the lowest impossible scores in the games. The LARPers kicked themselves off with Eye of Horus, and the music set: we heard the theme tune to 'Toast of London', then 'The Village Green Presentation Society' as sung by Kate Rusby in the theme to 'Jam and Jerusalem', then the intro to 'Bread', and finally the spoken word intro to 'Porridge'. Neither team spotted the connection there. The Durhamites chose Two Reeds next: 'tv', then 'i', then 'watch', and finally 'mac'. They didn't quite get it, nor did their opponents: they are Apple operating systems. The LARPers chose Lion next: 'Claudius', then 'Michael Corleone', then 'Romulus', and finally 'Cain'. They spotted that they all murdered their brothers for the point, 'Claudius' referring to Hamlet's uncle rather than the Roman. The Durhamites chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next: 'Eve Babitz's chess game vs Marcel Duchamp', then 'Spencer Tunick's photo shoots', then 'Stephen Gough's GB walk', and finally 'Ancient Greek wrestling'; the last one gave it to them, they are things that were done naked. Left with Twisted Flax, and the picture set, the LARPers saw a gentleman pointing at his rather large nose, then some chicken schnitzel, then Schnorbitz the dog with Bernie Winters; they saw the link here, and collected two points. (The first clue representing 'schnozzle'; a still from the classic Frasier episode 'Roz and the Schnoz' would've been better in my book!) At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 3-each.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Durhamites began with Water: 'Early May', then 'Spring', and then 'Summer'. They didn't quite see it, their opponents (and I) did: they are Bank holidays in England and Wales, so 'Christmas Day' completes the set. For their own question, the LARPers chose Eye of Horus: 'Bath', then 'Bangor', and then 'Armagh'. They correctly offered 'Aberdeen' for the two points, albeit for the wrong reason: they are UK cities alphabetically going backwards. The Durhamites chose Two Reeds next, and got the picture set; we saw a leopard seal, then an E-type jaguar, and then a Lion chocolate bar (one of which VCM proceded to eat while explaining the answer); they saw the sequence, and offered 'a tiger moth' for the points. The LARPers chose Lion next: 'Tesla's solution (not Edison's)', then 'Westernmost province of Canada'; they saw them to be 'AC' and 'BC', so offered 'Edison's solution (not Tesla's)' as 'DC' for the three points. For their final choice, the Durhamites chose Twisted Flax: 'Amateurishly fiddle with', then 'Adapt for a particular purpose', then 'Carry on doggedly'. Neither side got this one: the words underlined (or in green on the show itself) can be replaced with 'Tinker', 'Tailor' and 'Solider', so a sentence where 'Spy' could replace a word, such as 'Spot with your little eye' would be fourth. Left with Horned Viper, the LARPers saw '1 1 2', then '2 2 0', and then '3 3 9'. They saw the sequence, equations with the symbols missing, so offered '4 4 1', as in '4/4+1' for the points. At the end of the round, the LARPers led 11-5.
On to the Walls. The LARPers went first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. They quickly isolated their first set: 'Blue', 'Blair', 'Bart' and 'Shriver' are surnames of famous people called Lionel. They then identified a connection of nicknames of London football teams in the singular, and isolated 'Lion', 'O', 'Gunner' and 'Hoop'. They got stuck trying to solve what was left though, failing to solve in their three tries, so had to go for bonuses: 'Eon', 'Rank', 'DNA' and 'Hammer' are British film companies, which they didn't see, while 'Repulsive', 'Flagrant', '144' and 'Pre-tax' can all also mean 'Gross'. Five points there.
The Durhamites thus could catch up somewhat if they could better that on the Water wall. Their first set also came reasonably quickly: 'Row', 'Scrap', 'Spat' and 'Ding-song' are words that can mean a fight. A second set, 'Curl', 'Extension', 'Plank' and 'Squat', which are strength training exercises, followed afterwards. After studying the remnants, they solved it on their second try: 'Line', 'Dog', 'Tightrope' and 'Walk' are things one can walk, which they spotted, while 'Tiff', 'Zip', 'Jar' and 'Doc' are file extensions, which they didn't get. Seven there then, which reduced their gap to 16-12 going into the final round.
So, all to play for with Missing Vowels. 'Quotes from British politics' was split 2-each. 'Things that are not soldiers', such as 'GENERAL ELECTION' and 'MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER', went to the LARPers 3-0. 'Pejorative terms for books', such as 'POTBOILER' and 'BONKBUSTER', was another 2-all split. 'Animals and the island where the exist' saw the Durhamites get the only clue wrong and the LARPers right. At the end of the show, the LARPers won 24-15.
Another good match, plenty of good questions and quizzing to be had. Unlucky Durhamites, well done LARPers, best of luck to both of yous in your next matches!
Next week's match: Pyromaniacs vs Cartoonists
Anyway, playing on Monday were the Durhamites, Adam Robertson, James France and captain George Twigg, and the LARPers, Martel Reynolds, Kiwi Tokoeka and captain Ronny Jackson. You may remember the Durhamites represented the university on UC way back in 2011-12, where they were most unfortunate to lose in the second round.
Round 1. The Durhamites opened the night with Water: '1: Rugby Union', then '19: a cribbage hand', then '23: a dart'; they offered 'number of points you can't score in these games', which was close enough, they are the lowest impossible scores in the games. The LARPers kicked themselves off with Eye of Horus, and the music set: we heard the theme tune to 'Toast of London', then 'The Village Green Presentation Society' as sung by Kate Rusby in the theme to 'Jam and Jerusalem', then the intro to 'Bread', and finally the spoken word intro to 'Porridge'. Neither team spotted the connection there. The Durhamites chose Two Reeds next: 'tv', then 'i', then 'watch', and finally 'mac'. They didn't quite get it, nor did their opponents: they are Apple operating systems. The LARPers chose Lion next: 'Claudius', then 'Michael Corleone', then 'Romulus', and finally 'Cain'. They spotted that they all murdered their brothers for the point, 'Claudius' referring to Hamlet's uncle rather than the Roman. The Durhamites chose 'Horn-ed' Viper next: 'Eve Babitz's chess game vs Marcel Duchamp', then 'Spencer Tunick's photo shoots', then 'Stephen Gough's GB walk', and finally 'Ancient Greek wrestling'; the last one gave it to them, they are things that were done naked. Left with Twisted Flax, and the picture set, the LARPers saw a gentleman pointing at his rather large nose, then some chicken schnitzel, then Schnorbitz the dog with Bernie Winters; they saw the link here, and collected two points. (The first clue representing 'schnozzle'; a still from the classic Frasier episode 'Roz and the Schnoz' would've been better in my book!) At the end of the first round, the teams were tied on 3-each.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Durhamites began with Water: 'Early May', then 'Spring', and then 'Summer'. They didn't quite see it, their opponents (and I) did: they are Bank holidays in England and Wales, so 'Christmas Day' completes the set. For their own question, the LARPers chose Eye of Horus: 'Bath', then 'Bangor', and then 'Armagh'. They correctly offered 'Aberdeen' for the two points, albeit for the wrong reason: they are UK cities alphabetically going backwards. The Durhamites chose Two Reeds next, and got the picture set; we saw a leopard seal, then an E-type jaguar, and then a Lion chocolate bar (one of which VCM proceded to eat while explaining the answer); they saw the sequence, and offered 'a tiger moth' for the points. The LARPers chose Lion next: 'Tesla's solution (not Edison's)', then 'Westernmost province of Canada'; they saw them to be 'AC' and 'BC', so offered 'Edison's solution (not Tesla's)' as 'DC' for the three points. For their final choice, the Durhamites chose Twisted Flax: 'Amateurishly fiddle with', then 'Adapt for a particular purpose', then 'Carry on doggedly'. Neither side got this one: the words underlined (or in green on the show itself) can be replaced with 'Tinker', 'Tailor' and 'Solider', so a sentence where 'Spy' could replace a word, such as 'Spot with your little eye' would be fourth. Left with Horned Viper, the LARPers saw '1 1 2', then '2 2 0', and then '3 3 9'. They saw the sequence, equations with the symbols missing, so offered '4 4 1', as in '4/4+1' for the points. At the end of the round, the LARPers led 11-5.
On to the Walls. The LARPers went first, and chose to tackle the Lion wall. They quickly isolated their first set: 'Blue', 'Blair', 'Bart' and 'Shriver' are surnames of famous people called Lionel. They then identified a connection of nicknames of London football teams in the singular, and isolated 'Lion', 'O', 'Gunner' and 'Hoop'. They got stuck trying to solve what was left though, failing to solve in their three tries, so had to go for bonuses: 'Eon', 'Rank', 'DNA' and 'Hammer' are British film companies, which they didn't see, while 'Repulsive', 'Flagrant', '144' and 'Pre-tax' can all also mean 'Gross'. Five points there.
The Durhamites thus could catch up somewhat if they could better that on the Water wall. Their first set also came reasonably quickly: 'Row', 'Scrap', 'Spat' and 'Ding-song' are words that can mean a fight. A second set, 'Curl', 'Extension', 'Plank' and 'Squat', which are strength training exercises, followed afterwards. After studying the remnants, they solved it on their second try: 'Line', 'Dog', 'Tightrope' and 'Walk' are things one can walk, which they spotted, while 'Tiff', 'Zip', 'Jar' and 'Doc' are file extensions, which they didn't get. Seven there then, which reduced their gap to 16-12 going into the final round.
So, all to play for with Missing Vowels. 'Quotes from British politics' was split 2-each. 'Things that are not soldiers', such as 'GENERAL ELECTION' and 'MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER', went to the LARPers 3-0. 'Pejorative terms for books', such as 'POTBOILER' and 'BONKBUSTER', was another 2-all split. 'Animals and the island where the exist' saw the Durhamites get the only clue wrong and the LARPers right. At the end of the show, the LARPers won 24-15.
Another good match, plenty of good questions and quizzing to be had. Unlucky Durhamites, well done LARPers, best of luck to both of yous in your next matches!
Next week's match: Pyromaniacs vs Cartoonists
Monday, 29 October 2018
University Challenge 2018-19: Round 1: Match 14: Keble vs East Anglia
Evening all. So here we are at the fourteenth and final first round match of this series. So far, Emmanuel, Hertford and Exeter are through to the play-offs, and so would King's, provided tonight's runners-up didn't score 150 or more. No opening credits to the show tonight where I was watching, don't know about the rest of yous. Maybe BBC Scotland added a couple of extra trailers and overran, that's at least the third time that's happened if that's the case.
Keble College Oxford was founded in 1870, and named after churchman and poet John Keble. Alumni include Labour luvvie Lord Adonis, cricketer turned politician Imran Khan, politican turned media personality Ed Balls, performer Katy Brand and writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce. You may recall the last two of those played for the college on the most recent Xmas UC, and won; this, though, is the first student team to appear since the turn of the Millennium. They were:
Ellen Pasternack, from London, studying Evolutionary Biology
Michael Green, from Boston, Massachusetts, studying PPE
Captain: Rose Atkinson, from Durham, studying Physics
Thomas Player, from Damerham in the New Forest, studying Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
The University of East Anglia is more recent, founded in 1963 and based in and around Norwich. Alumni include writer Kazuo Ishiguro, politician Caroline Flint, actors Tim Bentinck and Matt Smith, and funnymen Charlie Higson and Arthur Smith. It has, rather surprisingly, only sent two student teams to UC; the most recent, in 2006-07, were beaten by eventual champs Warwick in a memorably close second round match. This year's quartet were:
Edward Bellamy, from Leamington Spa, studying Medicine
Matt Reid, from Newcastle, studying Medicine
Captain: Matt Walker, from Horsham, studying Economics
Maddy Forde-Roberts, from Essex, studying Medieval and Early Modern Literature
Off we set again then, and the match didn't get off to the best start, with the first two starters both being dropped, East Anglia losing five on one of them. Ms Forde-Roberts finally got some points on the board with 'The Colour Purple', and her side opened their account with two bonuses on Shakespeare. Ms Pasternack set Keble off the mark with 'rhubarb' (sadly interrupting before the cartoon series co-starring Custard could be a clue!); one bonus was sufficient to level the scores. A second starter to their left winger gave Keble the lead, and they took two bonuses on words with no singular form. The first picture round, on bears in heraldry, went to Keble, who drew a blank on the bonuses, but still led 45-15.
Ms Forde-Roberts promptly re-awoke East Anglia on the next starter with 'H'; bonuses on the Association of South East Asian Nations gave them two correct answers. Keble promptly pulled further ahead again courtesy of Ms Pasternack, and the side took one bonus on town halls in Greater Manchester (I got Oldham as Winston Churchill's first parliamentary seat). Back came East Anglia, for whom a bonus set on the Dead Kennedys took them within five points. That lead closed when Ms Atkinson slipped-up on the next starter; Paxo, for once, went a bit far by telling her not to cry! East Anglia couldn't capitalise, and the next starter went begging too. Mr Walker eventually stopped the rot and gave East Anglia the lead and a single bonus went with it.
The music starter saw the teams played 'Good Morning Starshine', a song most of my generation know as having been sung by the late Leonard Nimoy in The Simpsons! The bonuses, on rock musicals, went to Keble, who took two bonuses to reclaim the lead, 75-70. The lead promptly increased when Ms Pasternack took the next starter, and two bonuses took them within one correct answer of three figures. Back came East Anglia, with Ms Forde-Roberts once again doing the honours, and two bonuses took them within five points. A slip-up put the sides level again, and another starter to East Anglia's right winger gave them the lead. One bonus was taken.
The second picture round, on fictional professors, went to Keble, who took two bonuses, giving them back the lead, 110-105. Anyone's game to play for still, and a late charge for the play-offs not out of the question either. Ms Pasternack's educated guess of cuckoo gave Keble further advantage, and bonuses on sea birds provided two correct answers. Mr Green then put them in command position, and two bonuses meant one more starter would bring them back no matter what.
Neither side knew Arthur Ashe as the winner of the 1975 men's singles at Wimbledon, a bit too early for Mr Walker's guess of Boris Becker. Ms Pasternack recognised Smith as the surname shared by authors of listed works for the next starter, and that, plus a single bonus, might just have put the game out of East Anglia's reach. And when Mr Green took the next starter, a repechage place looked out of reach for them too; Keble took one bonus. East Anglia did give it one last go, Mr Bellamy's answer of 'Mondian' for 'Mondrian' was close enough for Paxo to accept on the next starter, but no bonuses went with it. There was time for Ms Pasternack to take one last starter before the gong; Keble won 180-115.
Another low scoring but close and engaging contest, well done both sides. Unlucky East Anglia, but a respectable enough performance, thanks very much for playing. Well done Keble though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Ms Pasternack was the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters, while Ms Forde-Roberts was East Anglia's best with five. On the bonuses, Keble converted 15 out of 33 (with three penalties), while East Anglia managed 10 out of 21 (with one penalty).
So, the line-up for the play-offs is complete: Emmanuel (175), Hertford and Exeter (150 each), and King's (145).
Next week's match: the first play-off! Emmanuel vs King's is my guess, but we'll see.
More UC alumni on Only Connect tonight, review of that coming up later in the week. And more good new for quiz watchers: Fifteen-to-One 2.0 finally returns next Monday!
Keble College Oxford was founded in 1870, and named after churchman and poet John Keble. Alumni include Labour luvvie Lord Adonis, cricketer turned politician Imran Khan, politican turned media personality Ed Balls, performer Katy Brand and writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce. You may recall the last two of those played for the college on the most recent Xmas UC, and won; this, though, is the first student team to appear since the turn of the Millennium. They were:
Ellen Pasternack, from London, studying Evolutionary Biology
Michael Green, from Boston, Massachusetts, studying PPE
Captain: Rose Atkinson, from Durham, studying Physics
Thomas Player, from Damerham in the New Forest, studying Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
The University of East Anglia is more recent, founded in 1963 and based in and around Norwich. Alumni include writer Kazuo Ishiguro, politician Caroline Flint, actors Tim Bentinck and Matt Smith, and funnymen Charlie Higson and Arthur Smith. It has, rather surprisingly, only sent two student teams to UC; the most recent, in 2006-07, were beaten by eventual champs Warwick in a memorably close second round match. This year's quartet were:
Edward Bellamy, from Leamington Spa, studying Medicine
Matt Reid, from Newcastle, studying Medicine
Captain: Matt Walker, from Horsham, studying Economics
Maddy Forde-Roberts, from Essex, studying Medieval and Early Modern Literature
Off we set again then, and the match didn't get off to the best start, with the first two starters both being dropped, East Anglia losing five on one of them. Ms Forde-Roberts finally got some points on the board with 'The Colour Purple', and her side opened their account with two bonuses on Shakespeare. Ms Pasternack set Keble off the mark with 'rhubarb' (sadly interrupting before the cartoon series co-starring Custard could be a clue!); one bonus was sufficient to level the scores. A second starter to their left winger gave Keble the lead, and they took two bonuses on words with no singular form. The first picture round, on bears in heraldry, went to Keble, who drew a blank on the bonuses, but still led 45-15.
Ms Forde-Roberts promptly re-awoke East Anglia on the next starter with 'H'; bonuses on the Association of South East Asian Nations gave them two correct answers. Keble promptly pulled further ahead again courtesy of Ms Pasternack, and the side took one bonus on town halls in Greater Manchester (I got Oldham as Winston Churchill's first parliamentary seat). Back came East Anglia, for whom a bonus set on the Dead Kennedys took them within five points. That lead closed when Ms Atkinson slipped-up on the next starter; Paxo, for once, went a bit far by telling her not to cry! East Anglia couldn't capitalise, and the next starter went begging too. Mr Walker eventually stopped the rot and gave East Anglia the lead and a single bonus went with it.
The music starter saw the teams played 'Good Morning Starshine', a song most of my generation know as having been sung by the late Leonard Nimoy in The Simpsons! The bonuses, on rock musicals, went to Keble, who took two bonuses to reclaim the lead, 75-70. The lead promptly increased when Ms Pasternack took the next starter, and two bonuses took them within one correct answer of three figures. Back came East Anglia, with Ms Forde-Roberts once again doing the honours, and two bonuses took them within five points. A slip-up put the sides level again, and another starter to East Anglia's right winger gave them the lead. One bonus was taken.
The second picture round, on fictional professors, went to Keble, who took two bonuses, giving them back the lead, 110-105. Anyone's game to play for still, and a late charge for the play-offs not out of the question either. Ms Pasternack's educated guess of cuckoo gave Keble further advantage, and bonuses on sea birds provided two correct answers. Mr Green then put them in command position, and two bonuses meant one more starter would bring them back no matter what.
Neither side knew Arthur Ashe as the winner of the 1975 men's singles at Wimbledon, a bit too early for Mr Walker's guess of Boris Becker. Ms Pasternack recognised Smith as the surname shared by authors of listed works for the next starter, and that, plus a single bonus, might just have put the game out of East Anglia's reach. And when Mr Green took the next starter, a repechage place looked out of reach for them too; Keble took one bonus. East Anglia did give it one last go, Mr Bellamy's answer of 'Mondian' for 'Mondrian' was close enough for Paxo to accept on the next starter, but no bonuses went with it. There was time for Ms Pasternack to take one last starter before the gong; Keble won 180-115.
Another low scoring but close and engaging contest, well done both sides. Unlucky East Anglia, but a respectable enough performance, thanks very much for playing. Well done Keble though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Ms Pasternack was the best buzzer of the night, with seven starters, while Ms Forde-Roberts was East Anglia's best with five. On the bonuses, Keble converted 15 out of 33 (with three penalties), while East Anglia managed 10 out of 21 (with one penalty).
So, the line-up for the play-offs is complete: Emmanuel (175), Hertford and Exeter (150 each), and King's (145).
Next week's match: the first play-off! Emmanuel vs King's is my guess, but we'll see.
More UC alumni on Only Connect tonight, review of that coming up later in the week. And more good new for quiz watchers: Fifteen-to-One 2.0 finally returns next Monday!
Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Only Connect Series 14: Round 1: Match 1: Hotpots vs Poptimists
OK, off we go with a new series of Only Connect! And after the chaos of the last two series, I'm glad TPTB have decided to revert to the old format where all teams get at least two games. Apparently we'll be getting some specials later this series as well, and there will, including those, be at least 28 shows. Hopefully we'll get more clarity on exactly what's going on later on.
Anyway, kicking the series off on Monday night were the Hotpots, Paul Jackson, Joe Beattie and captain Paul Richardson, and the Poptimists, Oliver Levy, Bob De Caux and captain Matt Loxham. As I said before, you may remember Messrs De Caux and Loxham from UC back in 2013-14, where they featured alongside our old friend Richard Evans for Southampton, reaching the QFs.
Round 1. The Hotpots chose to open the series with Two Reeds: 'Samosas: Somalia', then 'Roquefort: Australia', then 'Kinder Eggs: USA'; that gave it to them, they are banned in those countries, and collected the first two points of the series. The Poptimists opened their series account with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'McKinley & Hoover', then 'Washington & Monroe', then 'Lincoln & Kennedy'; they suggested at this point that they died 100 years apart, not right. Their opponents saw 'Reagan & Clinton', but didn't get it right either: they are pairs of presidents whose successors had the same surname. Nice question, classic OC. The Hotpots chose Eye of Horus next, and got the first picture question of the series: we saw a green traffic light, then the character Ludo from the show Labyrinth, then the late great Ronnie Corbett in the sitcom Sorry!; they spotted them to be the names of board games, and collected another two points. The Poptimists chose Lion next, and got the first music question of the series: we heard Belle & Sebastian with 'Me and the Major', then Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr with 'Me and My Shadow', then Paul Simon's 'Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard', and finally 'Me and Mrs Jones' by Billy Paul. They correctly spotted the link for their first point. The Hotpots chose Water next: 'Beethoven's 7th', then 'Centre of gravity', then '3rd of November', and finally 'Very beginning'. Neither side saw this devilishly good link: they are cryptic clues to where the letter V appears in the phrases. Welcome back OC, you have been missed! Left with Twisted Flax, the Poptimists saw 'No - No', then 'This - War', then 'Brexit - Brexit'; that gave it to them and me, adding 'means' between them gives phrases. At the end of the first round, the Hotpots lead 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Hotpots kicked the round off with Horned Viper: 'Hamilton', then 'Wellington', and then 'Christchurch'; that gave it to them, they are the largest cities of New Zealand, so 'Auckland' would be fourth. The Poptimists chose Twisted Flax next, and got the picture set: we saw an ace of hearts, then Jesse Ventura; they instantly gave it to them, 'Ace' and 'Ventura', so 'Pet' would be third, and something for 'Detective', such as Sam Spade, would come fourth. (Never seen the film myself, prefer the animated TV series with the awesome theme tune) The Hotpots chose Lion next: '2015 = 2', then '1985 = 1, 2, 3', and then '1955 = 1, 2, 3'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are the years where the Back to the Future films are set, so '1885 = 3' would be fourth. For their own question, the Poptimists chose Eye of Horus: 'Origin', then 'Inferno'; they saw them to be Dan Brown's Robert Langdon novels going backwards, so 'The Da Vinci Code' comes fourth. For their final choice, the Hotpots chose Water: '21st: i', then '20th: The Sun', and then '19th: The Daily Telegraph'. They didn't offer an acceptable answer, their opponents did: they are newspapers founded in descending centuries, so '18th: The Times', or '18th: The Obsever', would be acceptable. Left with Two Reeds for their own final question, the Poptimists saw '6 Hydrogen', then '5 Hydrogen', and then '4 Carbon Dioxide'. They saw them to be the main planetary gasses of planets nearing the Sun, so '3 Nitrogen' would be correct. At the end of the second round, the Poptimists now led 13-6.
On to the Walls. The Poptimists chose the Lion wall as the first of the series. They quickly isoated 'Watt', 'West', 'Tungsten' and 'Won', which can all be represented by a W, and it didn't take them much longer to get 'Goldilocks', 'Twilight', 'Enterprise' and 'Erogenous', which are can all follow 'zone'. After taking their time with what was left, they solved the wall on their first try: 'Nemesis', 'Tardis', 'Explorer' and 'Nostromo' are spacecrafts, while 'Time', 'Record', 'Wicket' and 'Park' can all be followed by keeper. They didn't spot that last connection though, so seven points.
The Hotpots thus could recovered some lost ground if they could better that on the Water wall. They quickly spotted a few connections, and isolated 'Squirrel', 'Capybara', 'Gundi' and 'Lemming', which are rodents. This was followed quickly by 'Iron', 'War', 'Coster' and 'Fish', which can all precede 'monger'. After working out the final connections, they had both groups sorted: 'Shrew', 'Nothing', 'Venice' and 'Measure' are the last words of Shakespeare titles, while 'Lear', 'Kirkwood', 'Rich' and 'Avery' are the surnames of BBC weather presenters. A full ten there, which reduced their arrears to 20-16 heading into the final round.
So, as ever, Missing Vowels to end and decide the show. 'Things that can be ordered in a chip shop' was a clean sweep to the Poptimists, 4-0. 'Double acts reversed', such as 'WISE AND MORECAMBE' (disappointingly, 'HARDY AND LAUREL' was not one of them), went to the Poptimists 3-1, as did 'Agricultural idioms', such as 'REAP THE BENEFITS' and 'NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK'. 'Things to follow', such as 'THE LEADER', managed two clues, of which the teams took one each. And that was time, the Poptimists won 31-19.
A good start to the series. Unlucky Hotpots, well done Poptimists, but well played both, glad you are both coming back, and best of luck in your respective next matches!
Next week's match: Durhamites vs LARPers
Anyway, kicking the series off on Monday night were the Hotpots, Paul Jackson, Joe Beattie and captain Paul Richardson, and the Poptimists, Oliver Levy, Bob De Caux and captain Matt Loxham. As I said before, you may remember Messrs De Caux and Loxham from UC back in 2013-14, where they featured alongside our old friend Richard Evans for Southampton, reaching the QFs.
Round 1. The Hotpots chose to open the series with Two Reeds: 'Samosas: Somalia', then 'Roquefort: Australia', then 'Kinder Eggs: USA'; that gave it to them, they are banned in those countries, and collected the first two points of the series. The Poptimists opened their series account with 'Horn-ed' Viper: 'McKinley & Hoover', then 'Washington & Monroe', then 'Lincoln & Kennedy'; they suggested at this point that they died 100 years apart, not right. Their opponents saw 'Reagan & Clinton', but didn't get it right either: they are pairs of presidents whose successors had the same surname. Nice question, classic OC. The Hotpots chose Eye of Horus next, and got the first picture question of the series: we saw a green traffic light, then the character Ludo from the show Labyrinth, then the late great Ronnie Corbett in the sitcom Sorry!; they spotted them to be the names of board games, and collected another two points. The Poptimists chose Lion next, and got the first music question of the series: we heard Belle & Sebastian with 'Me and the Major', then Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr with 'Me and My Shadow', then Paul Simon's 'Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard', and finally 'Me and Mrs Jones' by Billy Paul. They correctly spotted the link for their first point. The Hotpots chose Water next: 'Beethoven's 7th', then 'Centre of gravity', then '3rd of November', and finally 'Very beginning'. Neither side saw this devilishly good link: they are cryptic clues to where the letter V appears in the phrases. Welcome back OC, you have been missed! Left with Twisted Flax, the Poptimists saw 'No - No', then 'This - War', then 'Brexit - Brexit'; that gave it to them and me, adding 'means' between them gives phrases. At the end of the first round, the Hotpots lead 4-3.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Hotpots kicked the round off with Horned Viper: 'Hamilton', then 'Wellington', and then 'Christchurch'; that gave it to them, they are the largest cities of New Zealand, so 'Auckland' would be fourth. The Poptimists chose Twisted Flax next, and got the picture set: we saw an ace of hearts, then Jesse Ventura; they instantly gave it to them, 'Ace' and 'Ventura', so 'Pet' would be third, and something for 'Detective', such as Sam Spade, would come fourth. (Never seen the film myself, prefer the animated TV series with the awesome theme tune) The Hotpots chose Lion next: '2015 = 2', then '1985 = 1, 2, 3', and then '1955 = 1, 2, 3'. They didn't get it, their opponents did: they are the years where the Back to the Future films are set, so '1885 = 3' would be fourth. For their own question, the Poptimists chose Eye of Horus: 'Origin', then 'Inferno'; they saw them to be Dan Brown's Robert Langdon novels going backwards, so 'The Da Vinci Code' comes fourth. For their final choice, the Hotpots chose Water: '21st: i', then '20th: The Sun', and then '19th: The Daily Telegraph'. They didn't offer an acceptable answer, their opponents did: they are newspapers founded in descending centuries, so '18th: The Times', or '18th: The Obsever', would be acceptable. Left with Two Reeds for their own final question, the Poptimists saw '6 Hydrogen', then '5 Hydrogen', and then '4 Carbon Dioxide'. They saw them to be the main planetary gasses of planets nearing the Sun, so '3 Nitrogen' would be correct. At the end of the second round, the Poptimists now led 13-6.
On to the Walls. The Poptimists chose the Lion wall as the first of the series. They quickly isoated 'Watt', 'West', 'Tungsten' and 'Won', which can all be represented by a W, and it didn't take them much longer to get 'Goldilocks', 'Twilight', 'Enterprise' and 'Erogenous', which are can all follow 'zone'. After taking their time with what was left, they solved the wall on their first try: 'Nemesis', 'Tardis', 'Explorer' and 'Nostromo' are spacecrafts, while 'Time', 'Record', 'Wicket' and 'Park' can all be followed by keeper. They didn't spot that last connection though, so seven points.
The Hotpots thus could recovered some lost ground if they could better that on the Water wall. They quickly spotted a few connections, and isolated 'Squirrel', 'Capybara', 'Gundi' and 'Lemming', which are rodents. This was followed quickly by 'Iron', 'War', 'Coster' and 'Fish', which can all precede 'monger'. After working out the final connections, they had both groups sorted: 'Shrew', 'Nothing', 'Venice' and 'Measure' are the last words of Shakespeare titles, while 'Lear', 'Kirkwood', 'Rich' and 'Avery' are the surnames of BBC weather presenters. A full ten there, which reduced their arrears to 20-16 heading into the final round.
So, as ever, Missing Vowels to end and decide the show. 'Things that can be ordered in a chip shop' was a clean sweep to the Poptimists, 4-0. 'Double acts reversed', such as 'WISE AND MORECAMBE' (disappointingly, 'HARDY AND LAUREL' was not one of them), went to the Poptimists 3-1, as did 'Agricultural idioms', such as 'REAP THE BENEFITS' and 'NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK'. 'Things to follow', such as 'THE LEADER', managed two clues, of which the teams took one each. And that was time, the Poptimists won 31-19.
A good start to the series. Unlucky Hotpots, well done Poptimists, but well played both, glad you are both coming back, and best of luck in your respective next matches!
Next week's match: Durhamites vs LARPers
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