Evening all. And after last week, can we please try and keep the strong language to a minimum please? A second Oxbridge match in this still young series, and two teams whose last appearance before tonight was as series runners-up, despite both having been tipped by many to triumph. Winners tonight would go through to the second round, as would the runners-up if their score was good enough.
Wolfson College Cambridge is one of the university's newer colleges, founded 1965; its short list of noted alumni include Hong Kong chief exec Carrie Lam, Tory peer Andrew Tyrie, and the legend that is Eric Monkman, who captained them in that afore-mentioned run to the final three series ago. Their only other BBC appearance besides that was a first round exit in 2003-04. This year's foursome were:
Tom Greig, from Leeds, studying English
Erin Spike, from Sydney, studying Public Health
Captain: Ryan Rhys Griffiths, from Kilkenny in Ireland, studying Physics and Machine Learning
Tommy Lee, from Norwich, studying Classics
St John's College Oxford is a lot older, established in 1555, and, like it's Cambridge namesake once was, is now the university's richest college; it's longer list of alumni include former PM Tony Blair, BBC stalwart Evan Davis and noted quiz host Victoria Coren Mitchell. It is something of a nearly-institution as far as UC is concerned, finishing runners-up three times under Paxo, most recently in 2015-16. This year's quartet were:
Sam Burns, from London, studying History
Isabella Morris, from London, studying English Language and Literature
Captain: Ashley Leeks, from London, studying Evolutionary Biology
Aaron Soor, from London, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and Mr Burns won the buzzer race to say 'Michelle Obama' as soon as Paxo said the trigger word 'Becoming'; a solitary bonus from the opening set followed. A penalty from St John's allowed Wolfson to get off the mark, Mr Lee correctly offering 'Spurs' just before the inevitable football clue came; alas, the Cambridge side got nothing from their first bonus set. Mr Leeks atoned for his earlier error and gave St John's their lead back, again, though, just one bonus followed. The first picture round, on island nations with a large amount of shipping traffic, went to Wolfson, who, again, took just a sole bonus, which put the sides level on 25-each.
Not for long though, as Mr Greig was penalised for buzzing wrongly just as Paxo was finishing the question; St John's couldn't capitalise. Another penalty cost Wolfson another five, and, again, St John's failed to pick up. Mr Soor correctly offered 'Iran' for the next starter though, and they took full advantage with a full bonus set on Rococo architecture. Mr Burns increased the advantage further, giving his side a classic UC bonus set on words differing in the addition of 'VI' at the start; two were taken.
The music starter was, much to Paxo's disgust(!), dropped by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces commonly played at weddings, eventually went to St John's (despite them dropping five on a prior replacement starter that Wolfson didn't get either). None of the bonuses were taken, and more grumbling from the host followed as they mistook Bach for Britten! ("You barbarians!") St John's nonetheless led 75-15, but the lead decreased slightly as they lost another five; Wolfson couldn't capitalise again, succeeding only in making Paxo hit the roof again by suggesting Robert the Bruce fought against the invading Romans! Wolfson did get back into the game on the next starter though thanks to Mr Lee, but just the one bonus followed again. Back came St John's thanks to Mr Burns again, and, again, just the one bonus followed from a set on physics. Another two starters was dropped, though Mr Griffiths was unlucky with one to come up with half the answer, but not the other. Mr Leeks finally got one right, and bonuses on 20th century French women named Simone gave them one correct answer to take them into double figures.
The second picture round, on paintings rejected by the Salon but later part of its 'des Refuses' exhibition, went to Wolfson; no correct bonuses followed though, leaving them trailing 100-40 with very little time left to pull back.
Neither side knew 'solitary' to be the last adjective in Milton's 'Paradise Lost'; another very complex starter about monarchs and chemical elements also escaped both teams. Mr Soor took the next starter for St John's, pretty much wrapping up the win, and, once again, just the one bonus followed. And that was the gong; St John's won 115-40.
Well, it was an entertaining game, I'll give it that, credit to both teams for that, but, alas, I must report it as the lowest scoring game of the BBC era thus far, eclipsing the record set back in the 2004-05 second round. Unlucky Wolfson, but thanks very much for playing. Well done St John's though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Burns was the best buzzer of the night with four starters, while Ms Spike and Mr Lee both got two each for Wolfson. On the bonuses, Wolfson managed just 2 out of 12 (with two penalties), while St John's managed 10 out of 24 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: Edinburgh vs Birkbeck of London, back for the first time since their series victory in 2002-03
Monday, 12 August 2019
Monday, 5 August 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 4: Birmingham vs Bristol
Evening all. So, for the first time in a few years, we're not having a week off on the first Monday of August, so here we are with the fourth match of the series, and a classic tie between two instituitions of a similar age and reputation. Winners tonight would go through to the second round, as would the runners-up if they scored high enough.
Birmingham University is a red brick founded in its current form in 1900, having been around in some form since 1825. Alumni include the late great Victoria Wood, actor and comedian Chris Addison, and fellow quiz blogger Iain Weaver. It last sent a team three series ago, who reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Balliol. This year's foursome were:
Alex Milone, from Brockenhurst in Hampshire, studying Medicine
Izzy Lewis, from Monmouth, studying Physics
Captain: Zoe Bleything, from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, studying Medicine
Ben Sculfor, from Aylesbury, studying Maths
Bristol University came into being in 1909, having also been around in various other forms beforehand. Alumni include physicist Paul Dirac, comedy personalities Matt Lucas and David Walliums, and author David Nicholls, author of 'Starter for Ten', the famous novel based on a quiz of some sort. It has sent a team to UC for the last six series unless I'm mistaken; last year's lost to eventual winners Edinburgh in the quarters. This year's quartet were:
Ben Allen, from South Buckinghamshire, studying Aerospace Engineering
Dan Hawkins, from Locks Heath in Hampshire, studying Geology
Captain: Laura Denton, from Winchester, studying Geology and Biology
Ben Joynson, from Nailsworth in Gloucestershire, studying Chemistry
Off we set again then, and Mr Allen took the first starter of the night by identifying the forthcoming sequel to the Handmaid's Tale; just the one bonus came from the first set. Birmingham followed them off the mark thanks to Mr Sculfor, and they fared rather better, taking a full set of their first bonuses. Bristol drew level on the next starter though, and took the lead with two bonuses from a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing in the replacing of a U with an E. Another starter to Bristol, and a full set of bonuses went with it, suddenly giving them a strong early lead. The first picture round, on electron dot diagrams of the structures of chemical compounds, went to Bristol, who took two bonuses, increasing their lead to 80-25.
Mr Allen was unfortunate to drop five on the next starter; he heard "Introduced by the English Football League in January 2018...", and shot straight in with 'VAR'. Alas, the question was actually about the Rooney Rule; Birmingham didn't know that, but Mr Milone took the next starter for them, and they took one bonus on fictional hotels. Mr Sculfor then gave them a second starter in a row, and they took two bonuses from the resulting set this time. It was then their turn to drop five though, but, likewise, Bristol didn't pick up. Mr Hawkins took the next starter for them though, and they took a sole bonus on women's sporting achievements, missing another due to not knowing Tracey Neville's forename. (Quoth the Paxman, "Shame on you!")
The music round, on classical pieces used in the films of Wes Anderson, went to Birmingham; no bonuses came though, so they trailed 90-65. The gap narrowed though as Mr Sculfor took the next starter, and bonuses on December 10th gave them two bonuses to pull within five. Then nothing, as Bristol lost five on the next starter, and Mr Milone picked up the drop, giving them the lead; two bonuses followed. Back came Bristol on the next starter though, and two bonuses on rock bands gave them back the lead.
The second picture round, on children's laureates, went to Bristol, who quickly snapped up all three bonuses, which increased their advantage to 130-100. Still either team's game though, and Mr Sculfor kept his side in the game with 'hyperbolic geometry'; a complex bonus set on chemical formulae saw them take a very impressive full set to close the gap to five.
Again, a Bristol penalty put the sides level again, but Birmingham failed to take the lead with the next starter. The next starter asked for a Dickens novel without a character's name in the title; neither team guessed the right one, The Old Curiosity Shop. Then came a crucial moment, as, asked for the year which saw, among other events, Churchill's Iron Curtain speech occurred, Mr Allen was 'ONE YEAR OUT!', and lost another five to boot, giving Birmingham the lead. Another starter was dropped before one finally came up that Mr Sculfor knew... but the gong went before he could give the answer! Not that it mattered, Birmingham won 125-120.
A low scoring match, but a very close one between two reasonable enough teams. Unlucky Bristol, just pipped right at the death, and whose score I don't think will be quite enough for the play-offs, but thanks for playing. Well done Birmingham though, and very best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Sculfor was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with four starters to Mr Hawkins' three. On the bonuses, Birmingham converted 12 out of 21 (with one penalty), while Bristol managed 14 out of 21 (with an ultimately costly four penalties), that's how close and even it was.
Next week's match: Wolfson College Cambridge vs St John's College Oxford
Birmingham University is a red brick founded in its current form in 1900, having been around in some form since 1825. Alumni include the late great Victoria Wood, actor and comedian Chris Addison, and fellow quiz blogger Iain Weaver. It last sent a team three series ago, who reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Balliol. This year's foursome were:
Alex Milone, from Brockenhurst in Hampshire, studying Medicine
Izzy Lewis, from Monmouth, studying Physics
Captain: Zoe Bleything, from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, studying Medicine
Ben Sculfor, from Aylesbury, studying Maths
Bristol University came into being in 1909, having also been around in various other forms beforehand. Alumni include physicist Paul Dirac, comedy personalities Matt Lucas and David Walliums, and author David Nicholls, author of 'Starter for Ten', the famous novel based on a quiz of some sort. It has sent a team to UC for the last six series unless I'm mistaken; last year's lost to eventual winners Edinburgh in the quarters. This year's quartet were:
Ben Allen, from South Buckinghamshire, studying Aerospace Engineering
Dan Hawkins, from Locks Heath in Hampshire, studying Geology
Captain: Laura Denton, from Winchester, studying Geology and Biology
Ben Joynson, from Nailsworth in Gloucestershire, studying Chemistry
Off we set again then, and Mr Allen took the first starter of the night by identifying the forthcoming sequel to the Handmaid's Tale; just the one bonus came from the first set. Birmingham followed them off the mark thanks to Mr Sculfor, and they fared rather better, taking a full set of their first bonuses. Bristol drew level on the next starter though, and took the lead with two bonuses from a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing in the replacing of a U with an E. Another starter to Bristol, and a full set of bonuses went with it, suddenly giving them a strong early lead. The first picture round, on electron dot diagrams of the structures of chemical compounds, went to Bristol, who took two bonuses, increasing their lead to 80-25.
Mr Allen was unfortunate to drop five on the next starter; he heard "Introduced by the English Football League in January 2018...", and shot straight in with 'VAR'. Alas, the question was actually about the Rooney Rule; Birmingham didn't know that, but Mr Milone took the next starter for them, and they took one bonus on fictional hotels. Mr Sculfor then gave them a second starter in a row, and they took two bonuses from the resulting set this time. It was then their turn to drop five though, but, likewise, Bristol didn't pick up. Mr Hawkins took the next starter for them though, and they took a sole bonus on women's sporting achievements, missing another due to not knowing Tracey Neville's forename. (Quoth the Paxman, "Shame on you!")
The music round, on classical pieces used in the films of Wes Anderson, went to Birmingham; no bonuses came though, so they trailed 90-65. The gap narrowed though as Mr Sculfor took the next starter, and bonuses on December 10th gave them two bonuses to pull within five. Then nothing, as Bristol lost five on the next starter, and Mr Milone picked up the drop, giving them the lead; two bonuses followed. Back came Bristol on the next starter though, and two bonuses on rock bands gave them back the lead.
The second picture round, on children's laureates, went to Bristol, who quickly snapped up all three bonuses, which increased their advantage to 130-100. Still either team's game though, and Mr Sculfor kept his side in the game with 'hyperbolic geometry'; a complex bonus set on chemical formulae saw them take a very impressive full set to close the gap to five.
Again, a Bristol penalty put the sides level again, but Birmingham failed to take the lead with the next starter. The next starter asked for a Dickens novel without a character's name in the title; neither team guessed the right one, The Old Curiosity Shop. Then came a crucial moment, as, asked for the year which saw, among other events, Churchill's Iron Curtain speech occurred, Mr Allen was 'ONE YEAR OUT!', and lost another five to boot, giving Birmingham the lead. Another starter was dropped before one finally came up that Mr Sculfor knew... but the gong went before he could give the answer! Not that it mattered, Birmingham won 125-120.
A low scoring match, but a very close one between two reasonable enough teams. Unlucky Bristol, just pipped right at the death, and whose score I don't think will be quite enough for the play-offs, but thanks for playing. Well done Birmingham though, and very best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Sculfor was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with four starters to Mr Hawkins' three. On the bonuses, Birmingham converted 12 out of 21 (with one penalty), while Bristol managed 14 out of 21 (with an ultimately costly four penalties), that's how close and even it was.
Next week's match: Wolfson College Cambridge vs St John's College Oxford
Monday, 29 July 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 3: Magdalen vs York
Evening all. Well, it's been a hot week here, and it still hasn't totally cooled down; even though it's a lot better outside, my flat is still very warm from all the built up heat. On with the show then, and a rerun of the 2010-11 final, except with the teams sitting on opposite desks. A place in the second round for the winners, a possible place in the play-offs for the runners-up.
Magdalen College Oxford was founded in 1458, and its alumni include Oscar Wilde and John Betjeman, and more recently John Sergeant and Ian Hislop. It''s UC record in the Paxo era is pretty solid, with a record four grand final victories (wording deliberate) and one grand final defeat, plus an Xmas series win. Hoping to carry on that success were this year's foursome of:
Dominic Brind, from London, studying History
Josie Dallas, from London, studying PPE
Captain: Alex Hardwick, from Wimbledon, studying Ancient Greek Crowd Psychology
Harry Strattan, from Sydney, studying Law
The University of York is a plate glass university, founded in 1962, although James I/VI had the idea for it many years earlier; its alumni include writers Helen Dunmore and Graeme Swift, politician Harriet Harman and comedian Harry Enfield. It has regularly sent teams to UC this century, last year's team were unlucky to draw eventual runners-up St Edmund Hall in the first round. This year's quartet were:
Mickey Conn, from Godalming, studying Social Policy
Sophie Williams, from Telford, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Sam McEwan, from Sevenoaks, studying History and Philosophy
David Eastham, from Lancaster, studying Archaeology
Off we set again then, and York set off the mark first with Ms Williams doing the honours, and two correct answers set things going for the night. Mr Hardwick started Magdalen's campaign by remembering the utter stalemate in last year's Chess World Championship final; the Oxonians took the lead with a full house of bonuses, but then surrendered that lead to a penalty. Mr Conn took the points for York, and they too took a full set on bonuses, on video games released 25 years ago this year (something tells me we'll get quite a few 1994 questions this series). Mr Conn took a second starter in a row, but the Yorkers managed just one correct bonus this time. The first picture round, on blackout poetry, went to Magdalen, who took two correct bonuses, which cut their arrears to 60-40.
Those arrears reincreased when Mr Bring became the first player this series to buzz wrongly literally just as the question was finishing and lose five; York couldn't capitalise. Mr Hardwick recouped those losses on the next starter however, and a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing only by adding a J at the start gave the Oxonians a full set. They then took the lead on the next starter, and a second successive full set went with it. Back came York though, with Mr Eastham correctly offering 'Dodo', and they too took a full set of bonuses, leveling the scores again. Good high quality contest so far.
The music round, on classical works played on the synthesizer, went to Magdalen, who took two correct answers, which gave them a lead of 105-85. And up it went as Ms Dallas took the next starter and one bonus on dwarf planets followed. Mr Brind then made sure all four Oxonians had a starter correctly answered, and this time two correct bonuses on Roman roads followed. A good starter asked for the probability of landing on a station on the first move in Monopoly; Mr Eastham was first in with the correct answer, and two bonuses took the Yorkers into triple figures.
The second picture round, on stills from anthology TV series, went to York, who took a full house, which reduced their gap to 140-125. Unless someone ran away from here on in, we were in for a close finish. A dropped starter wasn't a great starter, but Mr Eastham took the next starter, and bonuses on women born the same year as Queen Victoria followed, of which they took just the one bonus, leveling the scores.
So, a straight shootout to the death; Mr Hardwick blinked first and took the next starter, and bonuses on reptiles followed, of which Magdalen took just the one correct. But when Mr Stratton took the next starter, even though, again, just one bonus followed, you suspected that might just have won it for them. So it proved; though Mr Eastham took the final starter, there was no time for bonuses. At the gong, Magdalen won 170-150.
A good contest between two solid and evenly matched teams, well done both of them and good on them clapping each other at the end. Unlucky York, but a fine performance, and 150 I would imagine will be enough for the play-offs (it hasn't not been enough for a while now IIRC), so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Magdalen though, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Hardwick was, just the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Eastham's four. On the bonuses, Magdalen converted 18 out of 27 (with two penalties), while York managed 14 out of 21.
Next week's match: Birmingham vs Bristol
Magdalen College Oxford was founded in 1458, and its alumni include Oscar Wilde and John Betjeman, and more recently John Sergeant and Ian Hislop. It''s UC record in the Paxo era is pretty solid, with a record four grand final victories (wording deliberate) and one grand final defeat, plus an Xmas series win. Hoping to carry on that success were this year's foursome of:
Dominic Brind, from London, studying History
Josie Dallas, from London, studying PPE
Captain: Alex Hardwick, from Wimbledon, studying Ancient Greek Crowd Psychology
Harry Strattan, from Sydney, studying Law
The University of York is a plate glass university, founded in 1962, although James I/VI had the idea for it many years earlier; its alumni include writers Helen Dunmore and Graeme Swift, politician Harriet Harman and comedian Harry Enfield. It has regularly sent teams to UC this century, last year's team were unlucky to draw eventual runners-up St Edmund Hall in the first round. This year's quartet were:
Mickey Conn, from Godalming, studying Social Policy
Sophie Williams, from Telford, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Sam McEwan, from Sevenoaks, studying History and Philosophy
David Eastham, from Lancaster, studying Archaeology
Off we set again then, and York set off the mark first with Ms Williams doing the honours, and two correct answers set things going for the night. Mr Hardwick started Magdalen's campaign by remembering the utter stalemate in last year's Chess World Championship final; the Oxonians took the lead with a full house of bonuses, but then surrendered that lead to a penalty. Mr Conn took the points for York, and they too took a full set on bonuses, on video games released 25 years ago this year (something tells me we'll get quite a few 1994 questions this series). Mr Conn took a second starter in a row, but the Yorkers managed just one correct bonus this time. The first picture round, on blackout poetry, went to Magdalen, who took two correct bonuses, which cut their arrears to 60-40.
Those arrears reincreased when Mr Bring became the first player this series to buzz wrongly literally just as the question was finishing and lose five; York couldn't capitalise. Mr Hardwick recouped those losses on the next starter however, and a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing only by adding a J at the start gave the Oxonians a full set. They then took the lead on the next starter, and a second successive full set went with it. Back came York though, with Mr Eastham correctly offering 'Dodo', and they too took a full set of bonuses, leveling the scores again. Good high quality contest so far.
The music round, on classical works played on the synthesizer, went to Magdalen, who took two correct answers, which gave them a lead of 105-85. And up it went as Ms Dallas took the next starter and one bonus on dwarf planets followed. Mr Brind then made sure all four Oxonians had a starter correctly answered, and this time two correct bonuses on Roman roads followed. A good starter asked for the probability of landing on a station on the first move in Monopoly; Mr Eastham was first in with the correct answer, and two bonuses took the Yorkers into triple figures.
The second picture round, on stills from anthology TV series, went to York, who took a full house, which reduced their gap to 140-125. Unless someone ran away from here on in, we were in for a close finish. A dropped starter wasn't a great starter, but Mr Eastham took the next starter, and bonuses on women born the same year as Queen Victoria followed, of which they took just the one bonus, leveling the scores.
So, a straight shootout to the death; Mr Hardwick blinked first and took the next starter, and bonuses on reptiles followed, of which Magdalen took just the one correct. But when Mr Stratton took the next starter, even though, again, just one bonus followed, you suspected that might just have won it for them. So it proved; though Mr Eastham took the final starter, there was no time for bonuses. At the gong, Magdalen won 170-150.
A good contest between two solid and evenly matched teams, well done both of them and good on them clapping each other at the end. Unlucky York, but a fine performance, and 150 I would imagine will be enough for the play-offs (it hasn't not been enough for a while now IIRC), so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Magdalen though, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Hardwick was, just the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Eastham's four. On the bonuses, Magdalen converted 18 out of 27 (with two penalties), while York managed 14 out of 21.
Next week's match: Birmingham vs Bristol
Monday, 22 July 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 2: Corpus Christi vs Merton
Evening all. So last night, I decided on a whim to look on YouTube for an old quiz show I used to like called 'Beg, Borrow or Steal' (used to be on BBC2 after The Weakest Link); unexpectedly, I found one, and who was on it, but Only Connect stalwart Katie Bramall-Stainer! Won't give any spoilers in case you decide to look it up yourself, and I'd recommend you do; it was a good quiz that deserved better than to be cancelled after one series. Anyway, on with tonight's UC, and the first Oxbridge match of the series...
Corpus Christi College Cambridge was founded in 1352 to train new clergymen to replace those who killed in the Black Death; alumni include the playwright Marlowe, the writer Christopher Isherwood and the actor Hugh Bonneville. It last sent a team to UC two series ago, who were unlucky to draw eventual winners St John's in the second round. This year's foursome were:
Alexander Russell, from Bristol, studying Japanese Studies
Will Stewart, from Peterborough, studying History of Art
Captain: Ian Wang, from Trafford in Greater Manchester, studying English
Alex Gunasekera, from from Witney, studying Chemistry
Merton College Oxford is one of the universtiy's oldest, founded 1264; its alumni include the writers TS Eliot and JRR Tolkein, the library founded Thomas Bodley and the politician and cheese fanatic Liz Truss. It also last appeared two series ago, and were also beaten by St John's, though they made it as far as the final before running into them. This year's quartet were:
James Kempton, from Orpington, studying the attack strategies of birds of prey, with applications to designing defensive drone technology
Rowan Wilson, from London, studying English
Captain: Nick Ridpath, from Golders Green, studying Economics
Jacob Robertson, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Robertson opened the game with 'Mercury', but just the one bonus was taken from the opening set. Corpus Christi didn't exactly get off to a great start, a penalty, but they soon recouped the lost points, and tied the score with two bonuses on director Ava DuVernay. Mr Wang (brother of Dennis Wang of the 16-17 Worcester Oxford team) gave his side the lead with 'Taiwan', and a full house of bonuses gave them a steady early advantage. The first picture round, on the titles of Beatles songs written in Old English, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct answers, which increased their lead to 60-15.
Mr Ridpath decided that was enough of that for now, and buzzed in to identify Anya Shrubsole as the first woman to be on the cover of Wisden. A full bonus set put them well back into the game. Another penalty from Corpus Christi, a pickup from Merton, another full house, and suddenly the Oxford side had the lead. And they weren't holding up, Mr Robertson giving them a third in a row, and a bonus set on video games given a perfect rating by Famitsu magazine provided another two correct answers. Back came Corpus Christi, with Mr Wang identifying James Comey as the FBI director hired by Mr Obama and fired by Mr Trump (though Paxo didn't get that far before he was interrupted); one bonus followed.
The music round, on jazz standards, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct bonuses; their mistaking of Ian Hislop lookalike Jimmy Somerville for Sade did not go uncommented on on Twitter! (Mr Somerville's old mate Rev Richard Coles was among those laughing at it!) The Cambridge side now led 90-85, and that lead increased when Mr Gunasekera took the next starter; the subsequent bonuses saw them acquire a further five points. Back came Merton with Mr Kempton doing the honours, and one bonus put them five behind. Mr Robertson then gave them the lead back with 'John Betjeman', and the weekly Shakespeare bonuses gave them a full set.
The second picture round, on selections of stills from film adaptations of novels by the same author, went to Corpus Christi, who took a full bonus set and the lead back, 130-125. Neither side knew Grace Kelly for the next starter (I guessed correctly), Mr Wang took the next, and the side quickly hurried through the resulting bonuses, taking all three and giving them the advantage heading into the home straight.
A Merton penalty put the Cambridge side within sight of victory, but they couldn't pick up. The Oxonians duly pulled one back, and took a full set of their own to keep themselves in the game. But another penalty handed Corpus Christi the advantage again, though they, again, couldn't capitalise. But Mr Stewart then took the next starter; just the one bonus followed, but when Mr Gunasekera took the next, that was game over. A sole bonus was taken again, as was one final starter before the gong; Corpus Christi won 195-140.
A good solid contest, well played both teams. Unlucky Merton, but a good effort, and hopefully 140 will be enough for a play-off place, we'll wait and see. Well played Corpus Christi though, a fine first effort against good opponents, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Messrs Wang, Gunasekera and Robertson were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, Corpus Christi converted 19 out of 30, while Merton managed 16 out of 21 (with both sides incurring two penalties).
Next week's match: Magdalen College Oxford vs York
Corpus Christi College Cambridge was founded in 1352 to train new clergymen to replace those who killed in the Black Death; alumni include the playwright Marlowe, the writer Christopher Isherwood and the actor Hugh Bonneville. It last sent a team to UC two series ago, who were unlucky to draw eventual winners St John's in the second round. This year's foursome were:
Alexander Russell, from Bristol, studying Japanese Studies
Will Stewart, from Peterborough, studying History of Art
Captain: Ian Wang, from Trafford in Greater Manchester, studying English
Alex Gunasekera, from from Witney, studying Chemistry
Merton College Oxford is one of the universtiy's oldest, founded 1264; its alumni include the writers TS Eliot and JRR Tolkein, the library founded Thomas Bodley and the politician and cheese fanatic Liz Truss. It also last appeared two series ago, and were also beaten by St John's, though they made it as far as the final before running into them. This year's quartet were:
James Kempton, from Orpington, studying the attack strategies of birds of prey, with applications to designing defensive drone technology
Rowan Wilson, from London, studying English
Captain: Nick Ridpath, from Golders Green, studying Economics
Jacob Robertson, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Robertson opened the game with 'Mercury', but just the one bonus was taken from the opening set. Corpus Christi didn't exactly get off to a great start, a penalty, but they soon recouped the lost points, and tied the score with two bonuses on director Ava DuVernay. Mr Wang (brother of Dennis Wang of the 16-17 Worcester Oxford team) gave his side the lead with 'Taiwan', and a full house of bonuses gave them a steady early advantage. The first picture round, on the titles of Beatles songs written in Old English, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct answers, which increased their lead to 60-15.
Mr Ridpath decided that was enough of that for now, and buzzed in to identify Anya Shrubsole as the first woman to be on the cover of Wisden. A full bonus set put them well back into the game. Another penalty from Corpus Christi, a pickup from Merton, another full house, and suddenly the Oxford side had the lead. And they weren't holding up, Mr Robertson giving them a third in a row, and a bonus set on video games given a perfect rating by Famitsu magazine provided another two correct answers. Back came Corpus Christi, with Mr Wang identifying James Comey as the FBI director hired by Mr Obama and fired by Mr Trump (though Paxo didn't get that far before he was interrupted); one bonus followed.
The music round, on jazz standards, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct bonuses; their mistaking of Ian Hislop lookalike Jimmy Somerville for Sade did not go uncommented on on Twitter! (Mr Somerville's old mate Rev Richard Coles was among those laughing at it!) The Cambridge side now led 90-85, and that lead increased when Mr Gunasekera took the next starter; the subsequent bonuses saw them acquire a further five points. Back came Merton with Mr Kempton doing the honours, and one bonus put them five behind. Mr Robertson then gave them the lead back with 'John Betjeman', and the weekly Shakespeare bonuses gave them a full set.
The second picture round, on selections of stills from film adaptations of novels by the same author, went to Corpus Christi, who took a full bonus set and the lead back, 130-125. Neither side knew Grace Kelly for the next starter (I guessed correctly), Mr Wang took the next, and the side quickly hurried through the resulting bonuses, taking all three and giving them the advantage heading into the home straight.
A Merton penalty put the Cambridge side within sight of victory, but they couldn't pick up. The Oxonians duly pulled one back, and took a full set of their own to keep themselves in the game. But another penalty handed Corpus Christi the advantage again, though they, again, couldn't capitalise. But Mr Stewart then took the next starter; just the one bonus followed, but when Mr Gunasekera took the next, that was game over. A sole bonus was taken again, as was one final starter before the gong; Corpus Christi won 195-140.
A good solid contest, well played both teams. Unlucky Merton, but a good effort, and hopefully 140 will be enough for a play-off place, we'll wait and see. Well played Corpus Christi though, a fine first effort against good opponents, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Messrs Wang, Gunasekera and Robertson were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, Corpus Christi converted 19 out of 30, while Merton managed 16 out of 21 (with both sides incurring two penalties).
Next week's match: Magdalen College Oxford vs York
Monday, 15 July 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 1: Lancaster vs Glasgow
Evening all. We're back! What's happened since I posted here last? Well, Mastermind was won by Judith Lewis, Andy Tucker became the latest Only Connect runner-up to win Fifteen-to-One 2.0, I've switched to a new laptop, and, just this afternoon, David Stainer won Brain of Britain, meaning all three of the Crossworders have won that show now! Most bizarrely of all, though, I went to watch Peterhead play at home and they won! (Hadn't happened in four prior visits!) Football talk on my other blog resumes shortly. In the meantime, on with the first heat of the EIGHTH(!) series I've covered on here...
Lancaster University is a plate glass uni founded in 1964, and its alumni include actor Andy Serkis, cyclist Jason Queally, TV presenter Ranvir Singh and motorhead James May. It last appeared on UC, back in the first series I covered on here, losing in the second round to St George's of London. This year's foursome were:
Stephen Ford, from Durham, studying Maths
Daniel Green, from Nottingham, studying Philosophy
Captain: Holly Lawton, studying French and German
Matt Roscoe, from Chester, studying Volcanology
Glasgow University is considerably older, the second oldest university in Scotland in fact, founded in 1451; its alumni include economist Adam Smith, TV pioneer John Logie Baird, Europhiles Nicola Sturgeon and Vince Cable, and, apparently, The Doctor (not 'Doctor Who', Paxo!). Last year, it reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to Manchester. This year's quartet were:
Ben Whitcombe, from Northwich, studying History and Film & TV studies
Cat McAllister, from Glasgow, studying Physics Education
Captain: Finlay McRobert, from Aberdeen, studying Maths
Ben Whitworth, from Ashton-under-Lyme, studying Education
Off we set again then, and Mr Whitcombe provided the first starter of the series; as soon as 'creator of Family Guy' was mentioned, both he and myself jumped in with 'Seth'. Two bonuses from the first set of the series were taken. Mr McRobert took the second starter for his side, with the resulting bonuses providing Paxo's first exclamation of the series! One bonus was taken. Another starter to Glasgow, another two bonuses, and already they were looking a solid team; as if to further this, they took a fourth and a full house of bonuses on Wilfred Owen (I knew 'Dolce et Decorum est', having studied it in school, and watched a documentary about Owen by Paxo!) The first picture round, on places named after chemical elements, went to Glasgow, who took two bonuses, and already led 100-0.
Lancaster finally opened their account on the next starter, with Mr Ford correctly offering 'surd'; alas, nothing come from their first bonus set. Mr Whitworth resumed normal service for Glasgow, with a starter and a pair of bonuses adding to their score. A second starter in a row went to Mr Whitworth, but the Scots side got nothing from a bonus set on the Louvre.
The music round, on classical pieces associated with flowing water, went to Lancaster, who took two correct bonuses, which reduced their arrears to 130-30. A second starter in a row went to Lancaster, and a bonus set on geometry provided them with a much needed full house. Back to Glasgow, with Ms McAllister ensuring all four of the team had a starter to their name; one bonus followed. The next starter was a classic pub quiz one: which animal indicates a zoo on a map (reminds me of one of my favourite wrong answers on The Weakest Link!); Mr Whitcombe and myself both knew it to be an elephant, but Glasgow got nothing from the bonuses. Mr Ford came back in for Lancaster with 'Kansas City' (nice crossover with Brain of Britain that), and a bonus set on volcanoes fell right into the lap to volcanologist Mr Roscoe, another full set.
The second picture round, on stills from films on the BFI's list of films one must be before you're 14, went to Glasgow, who took a full house of their own, which took the scores to 180-80. Still time for either team to mount a late run, and Lancaster showed they weren't out of contention for, at least, a play-off place yet as Mr Ford took his latest starter of the game; two bonuses deservedly took them into triple figures.
Mr Whitworth identified Ezra Pound's critique of Walt Whitman for the next starter, though, and two bonuses took Glasgow past 200; that was game over, and it was now a question of whether Lancaster could muster a late play-off charge. Two starters in a row were dropped, before Mr Ford incurred the first penalty of the series; Mr Whitworth took the points, and bonuses on Brazilian state capitals provided Glasgow with two correct answers. There was just time for one more starter to Glasgow before the gong went; Glasgow won 230-95.
An OK match to start the series, albeit surprisingly one-sided; usually they start the series with a close one. Unlucky Lancaster, who seemed a good team and I suspect would've beaten another team, but a fair effort, thanks for playing! Very well done Glasgow though, an excellent opening performance, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Whitworth was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with six starters to Mr Ford's five. On the bonuses, Lancaster converted 10 out of 15 (with the night's one penalty), while Glasgow managed 20 out of 36.
Next week's match: Corpus Christi College Cambridge vs Merton College Oxford
Lancaster University is a plate glass uni founded in 1964, and its alumni include actor Andy Serkis, cyclist Jason Queally, TV presenter Ranvir Singh and motorhead James May. It last appeared on UC, back in the first series I covered on here, losing in the second round to St George's of London. This year's foursome were:
Stephen Ford, from Durham, studying Maths
Daniel Green, from Nottingham, studying Philosophy
Captain: Holly Lawton, studying French and German
Matt Roscoe, from Chester, studying Volcanology
Glasgow University is considerably older, the second oldest university in Scotland in fact, founded in 1451; its alumni include economist Adam Smith, TV pioneer John Logie Baird, Europhiles Nicola Sturgeon and Vince Cable, and, apparently, The Doctor (not 'Doctor Who', Paxo!). Last year, it reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to Manchester. This year's quartet were:
Ben Whitcombe, from Northwich, studying History and Film & TV studies
Cat McAllister, from Glasgow, studying Physics Education
Captain: Finlay McRobert, from Aberdeen, studying Maths
Ben Whitworth, from Ashton-under-Lyme, studying Education
Off we set again then, and Mr Whitcombe provided the first starter of the series; as soon as 'creator of Family Guy' was mentioned, both he and myself jumped in with 'Seth'. Two bonuses from the first set of the series were taken. Mr McRobert took the second starter for his side, with the resulting bonuses providing Paxo's first exclamation of the series! One bonus was taken. Another starter to Glasgow, another two bonuses, and already they were looking a solid team; as if to further this, they took a fourth and a full house of bonuses on Wilfred Owen (I knew 'Dolce et Decorum est', having studied it in school, and watched a documentary about Owen by Paxo!) The first picture round, on places named after chemical elements, went to Glasgow, who took two bonuses, and already led 100-0.
Lancaster finally opened their account on the next starter, with Mr Ford correctly offering 'surd'; alas, nothing come from their first bonus set. Mr Whitworth resumed normal service for Glasgow, with a starter and a pair of bonuses adding to their score. A second starter in a row went to Mr Whitworth, but the Scots side got nothing from a bonus set on the Louvre.
The music round, on classical pieces associated with flowing water, went to Lancaster, who took two correct bonuses, which reduced their arrears to 130-30. A second starter in a row went to Lancaster, and a bonus set on geometry provided them with a much needed full house. Back to Glasgow, with Ms McAllister ensuring all four of the team had a starter to their name; one bonus followed. The next starter was a classic pub quiz one: which animal indicates a zoo on a map (reminds me of one of my favourite wrong answers on The Weakest Link!); Mr Whitcombe and myself both knew it to be an elephant, but Glasgow got nothing from the bonuses. Mr Ford came back in for Lancaster with 'Kansas City' (nice crossover with Brain of Britain that), and a bonus set on volcanoes fell right into the lap to volcanologist Mr Roscoe, another full set.
The second picture round, on stills from films on the BFI's list of films one must be before you're 14, went to Glasgow, who took a full house of their own, which took the scores to 180-80. Still time for either team to mount a late run, and Lancaster showed they weren't out of contention for, at least, a play-off place yet as Mr Ford took his latest starter of the game; two bonuses deservedly took them into triple figures.
Mr Whitworth identified Ezra Pound's critique of Walt Whitman for the next starter, though, and two bonuses took Glasgow past 200; that was game over, and it was now a question of whether Lancaster could muster a late play-off charge. Two starters in a row were dropped, before Mr Ford incurred the first penalty of the series; Mr Whitworth took the points, and bonuses on Brazilian state capitals provided Glasgow with two correct answers. There was just time for one more starter to Glasgow before the gong went; Glasgow won 230-95.
An OK match to start the series, albeit surprisingly one-sided; usually they start the series with a close one. Unlucky Lancaster, who seemed a good team and I suspect would've beaten another team, but a fair effort, thanks for playing! Very well done Glasgow though, an excellent opening performance, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Whitworth was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with six starters to Mr Ford's five. On the bonuses, Lancaster converted 10 out of 15 (with the night's one penalty), while Glasgow managed 20 out of 36.
Next week's match: Corpus Christi College Cambridge vs Merton College Oxford
Wednesday, 1 May 2019
Only Connect Series 14: Grand Final: Dicers vs Time Ladies
OK, here we are at the grand final of Only Connect's fourteenth series, the last one I'm reviewing on here. For now at least. I may sit the next series out and try again with Series 16 if I feel like I missed it. And I may decide to go and look back and some of the older series seeing as I've just found a whole load of them online, including the entirety of the fifth (and best IMO) series. Anyway, on with this week's final, which, following on from the orchestra in Series 11 and the acapella group last series, the opening theme for today was provided by a guest performer, this time an organ grinder, complete with toy monkey!
Playing for the title were the Dicers, George Corfield, Joey Goldman (hoping to be only the second person to do the Quizzy Mondays double) and captain Hugh Binnie, who got here by beating the Birdwatchers (twice), the Brews and the Ancient Alumni, and the Time Ladies, Charlotte Jackson, Emma Harris and captain Rebecca Shaw, who defeated the Motorheads, the Pyromaniacs, the LARPers and the Poptimists en route here.
Round 1. The Time Ladies opened the final with Eye of Horus: 'D-Day', then 'Charles and Camilla's wedding', then 'Launch of BBC2' (I had it here), and finally 'Wimbledon final between Ivanisevic and Rafter'. They suggested them to have happened on dates where the number of the day and the month were the same; not right. Their opponents knew that they were all postponed (by one day), and collected the first point of the match. For their own first question, the Dicers chose Lion: 'Rebecca and Rowena', then 'Mrs De Winter', then 'The Wide Sargasso Sea'; they came in here and offered 'retellings from a different perspective', which wasn't quite right. Their opponents saw 'Death Comes to Pemberley', and offered 'sequels written by a different author', which also didn't quite hit the X either. They are follow-ups written by other authors, none of them retellings and one of them a prequal, not a sequel. The Ladies chose Two Reeds next: 'envy <-> rail', then 'abjurer <-> nowhere', then 'cheryl <-> purely', and finally 'clerk <-> pyrex'. They didn't have an answer, their opponents did: the second words are what you get if you move the letters in the firsts on by 13 letters. For their own question, the Dicers chose Horned Viper, and got the music set: we heard Verdi's 'Force of Destiny' overture, then 'A Simple Twist of Fate' by Bob Dylan, then 'Carmina Burana'; they saw their names to mean 'fate', and collected two points. The Ladies chose Water next: 'di Niccolo di Betto Bardi' (in purple), then 'Sanzio da Urbino' (in red), then 'di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni' (in orange); they saw them to be the surnames of those who the Teenage Mutant Mutant/Hero Turtles were named after and the colour of the turtle in question's headband, and collected their first points of the night. ('da Vinci' in blue would've been fourth) Left with Twisted Flax, and the pictures, the Dicers saw Sue the PG Tips chimp, then a field of red poppies, then Narandra Modi alongside a Om-style swastika, and finally Gail Porter. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents: they are things that have been projected onto parliamentary buildings. At the end of the first round, the Dicers led 4-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Ladies started with Two Reeds: 'Y: 8760-8784', then 'M: 672-745', and then 'W: 167-169'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are the number of hours in a year, month and week, so 'D: 23-25' would be fourth. The Dicers chose Eye of Horus next: 'United Arab Emirates', then 'Nigeria', and then 'Ghana'. They saw them to be the countries with the first three capital cities to come alphabetically (Abu Dhabi, Abuja and Accra), and so offered 'Ethiopia' (Addis Ababa, home of Ted and Dougal's friend Mwengwe) for the points. The Ladies chose Lion next: 'Elephants', then 'Diplodocus and Triceratops', and then 'Diplodocus'. They saw them to be what was on display in the Hintze Hall of the Natural History Museum, and so offered Alan Davies' favourite 'Blue Whale' for the points. The Dicers chose Horned Viper next, and got the pictures again: we saw a map of the world with certain countries highlighted in black, then one with a few more in green, and then one with even more in red. They guessed that the rest would be in blue, and were correct for the points, the sequence being what colour passports issued in those countries are. For their final choice, the Ladies chose Water: 'The Show', then 'Greedy Italians', and then '-2-1'. They saw them to be TV shows with a 1, a 2 and a 3 missing, so offered 'in a Bed' for the two points. Luckily they offered a Channel 4 show, as the more precise sequence would've been that the number removed was that of the channel they're shown on, and we've had quite enough contention this series. Left with Twisted Flax again, the Dicers saw '12: Nitrogen', then '3: nothing', and then '6: Sulphur'. They saw them to be the elements represented by the numbers on each compass point on a clock, so '9: Tungsten' would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Dicers led 10-6.
On to the Walls. The Dicers went first, and chose the Lion wall. After spotting some potential links, and some wrong tries, they had their first set: 'Sue', 'Bob', 'Dec' and 'Dom' are first names of one half of a double act. A second set, 'Jan', 'Aug', 'Sep' and 'Nov', which are abbreviations of months, followed, and the final sets slotted in after that: 'Mar', 'Gel', 'Era' and 'Eto' are anagrams of body parts, which they got, while 'Mal', 'May', 'Arm' and 'Cus' can all have 'Dis' added in front to make longer words, which they didn't see. Seven points there.
The Time Ladies thus set to work on the Water wall with a chance to claw back lost ground. They also spent time looking carefully for links, before eventually isolating 'Arc', 'Tac', 'Sep' and 'Exo', which can all form longer words by adding 'tic' afterwards. That was all they could get in line in the time though, so they had to try for bonus points: 'Jan', 'Aug', 'Nov' and 'Dec' are abbreviations of months, which they got, 'Ape', 'May', 'Gif' and 'Wha' are anagrams of fruit and vegetables, which they didn't see, while 'Mar', 'Ear', 'Mer' and 'Sat' are the first letters of the names of planets, which they did see. Four points there, so the Dicers now led 17-10 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels to finish with, with the Time Ladies needing a good round to stand a chance. 'Things with an extra dimension', such as 'BERMUDA PYRAMID' and 'TRAFALGAR CUBE', went to the Dicers 2-(-1). 'Mnemonics with the words in the wrong order, such as 'RICHARD OF VAIN GAVE BATTLE IN YORK', went to the Ladies 3-1, though the Dicers win the award for best working out of the series by getting 'DIVORCED DIED DIVORCED BEHEADED SURVIVED BEHEADED'! 'Words containing four consecutive vowels' have one to the Ladies before time ran out. The Dicers won the game and the series 20-13.
A fine end of the series, some great quizzing by both teams, well done both teams. Unlucky Time Ladies, but a great series of performances, thanks very much indeed for playing. Very very very well done Dicers though, very worthy series winners!
And that's it for this series! Thanks to all who have read my OC reviews over the past four series. As I said at the start, I'll probably be sitting out the next series, but I may decide to start reviewing again with the one afterwards. We'll see. I may be back with some final thoughts on the Quizzy Mondays season some time in the coming days. But if I don't, then, until we next meet, bye for now!
Playing for the title were the Dicers, George Corfield, Joey Goldman (hoping to be only the second person to do the Quizzy Mondays double) and captain Hugh Binnie, who got here by beating the Birdwatchers (twice), the Brews and the Ancient Alumni, and the Time Ladies, Charlotte Jackson, Emma Harris and captain Rebecca Shaw, who defeated the Motorheads, the Pyromaniacs, the LARPers and the Poptimists en route here.
Round 1. The Time Ladies opened the final with Eye of Horus: 'D-Day', then 'Charles and Camilla's wedding', then 'Launch of BBC2' (I had it here), and finally 'Wimbledon final between Ivanisevic and Rafter'. They suggested them to have happened on dates where the number of the day and the month were the same; not right. Their opponents knew that they were all postponed (by one day), and collected the first point of the match. For their own first question, the Dicers chose Lion: 'Rebecca and Rowena', then 'Mrs De Winter', then 'The Wide Sargasso Sea'; they came in here and offered 'retellings from a different perspective', which wasn't quite right. Their opponents saw 'Death Comes to Pemberley', and offered 'sequels written by a different author', which also didn't quite hit the X either. They are follow-ups written by other authors, none of them retellings and one of them a prequal, not a sequel. The Ladies chose Two Reeds next: 'envy <-> rail', then 'abjurer <-> nowhere', then 'cheryl <-> purely', and finally 'clerk <-> pyrex'. They didn't have an answer, their opponents did: the second words are what you get if you move the letters in the firsts on by 13 letters. For their own question, the Dicers chose Horned Viper, and got the music set: we heard Verdi's 'Force of Destiny' overture, then 'A Simple Twist of Fate' by Bob Dylan, then 'Carmina Burana'; they saw their names to mean 'fate', and collected two points. The Ladies chose Water next: 'di Niccolo di Betto Bardi' (in purple), then 'Sanzio da Urbino' (in red), then 'di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni' (in orange); they saw them to be the surnames of those who the Teenage Mutant Mutant/Hero Turtles were named after and the colour of the turtle in question's headband, and collected their first points of the night. ('da Vinci' in blue would've been fourth) Left with Twisted Flax, and the pictures, the Dicers saw Sue the PG Tips chimp, then a field of red poppies, then Narandra Modi alongside a Om-style swastika, and finally Gail Porter. They didn't get this, nor did their opponents: they are things that have been projected onto parliamentary buildings. At the end of the first round, the Dicers led 4-2.
Round 2, What Comes Fourth? The Ladies started with Two Reeds: 'Y: 8760-8784', then 'M: 672-745', and then 'W: 167-169'. They didn't get it, nor did their opponents: they are the number of hours in a year, month and week, so 'D: 23-25' would be fourth. The Dicers chose Eye of Horus next: 'United Arab Emirates', then 'Nigeria', and then 'Ghana'. They saw them to be the countries with the first three capital cities to come alphabetically (Abu Dhabi, Abuja and Accra), and so offered 'Ethiopia' (Addis Ababa, home of Ted and Dougal's friend Mwengwe) for the points. The Ladies chose Lion next: 'Elephants', then 'Diplodocus and Triceratops', and then 'Diplodocus'. They saw them to be what was on display in the Hintze Hall of the Natural History Museum, and so offered Alan Davies' favourite 'Blue Whale' for the points. The Dicers chose Horned Viper next, and got the pictures again: we saw a map of the world with certain countries highlighted in black, then one with a few more in green, and then one with even more in red. They guessed that the rest would be in blue, and were correct for the points, the sequence being what colour passports issued in those countries are. For their final choice, the Ladies chose Water: 'The Show', then 'Greedy Italians', and then '-2-1'. They saw them to be TV shows with a 1, a 2 and a 3 missing, so offered 'in a Bed' for the two points. Luckily they offered a Channel 4 show, as the more precise sequence would've been that the number removed was that of the channel they're shown on, and we've had quite enough contention this series. Left with Twisted Flax again, the Dicers saw '12: Nitrogen', then '3: nothing', and then '6: Sulphur'. They saw them to be the elements represented by the numbers on each compass point on a clock, so '9: Tungsten' would be fourth. At the end of the second round, the Dicers led 10-6.
On to the Walls. The Dicers went first, and chose the Lion wall. After spotting some potential links, and some wrong tries, they had their first set: 'Sue', 'Bob', 'Dec' and 'Dom' are first names of one half of a double act. A second set, 'Jan', 'Aug', 'Sep' and 'Nov', which are abbreviations of months, followed, and the final sets slotted in after that: 'Mar', 'Gel', 'Era' and 'Eto' are anagrams of body parts, which they got, while 'Mal', 'May', 'Arm' and 'Cus' can all have 'Dis' added in front to make longer words, which they didn't see. Seven points there.
The Time Ladies thus set to work on the Water wall with a chance to claw back lost ground. They also spent time looking carefully for links, before eventually isolating 'Arc', 'Tac', 'Sep' and 'Exo', which can all form longer words by adding 'tic' afterwards. That was all they could get in line in the time though, so they had to try for bonus points: 'Jan', 'Aug', 'Nov' and 'Dec' are abbreviations of months, which they got, 'Ape', 'May', 'Gif' and 'Wha' are anagrams of fruit and vegetables, which they didn't see, while 'Mar', 'Ear', 'Mer' and 'Sat' are the first letters of the names of planets, which they did see. Four points there, so the Dicers now led 17-10 going into the final round.
So, Missing Vowels to finish with, with the Time Ladies needing a good round to stand a chance. 'Things with an extra dimension', such as 'BERMUDA PYRAMID' and 'TRAFALGAR CUBE', went to the Dicers 2-(-1). 'Mnemonics with the words in the wrong order, such as 'RICHARD OF VAIN GAVE BATTLE IN YORK', went to the Ladies 3-1, though the Dicers win the award for best working out of the series by getting 'DIVORCED DIED DIVORCED BEHEADED SURVIVED BEHEADED'! 'Words containing four consecutive vowels' have one to the Ladies before time ran out. The Dicers won the game and the series 20-13.
A fine end of the series, some great quizzing by both teams, well done both teams. Unlucky Time Ladies, but a great series of performances, thanks very much indeed for playing. Very very very well done Dicers though, very worthy series winners!
And that's it for this series! Thanks to all who have read my OC reviews over the past four series. As I said at the start, I'll probably be sitting out the next series, but I may decide to start reviewing again with the one afterwards. We'll see. I may be back with some final thoughts on the Quizzy Mondays season some time in the coming days. But if I don't, then, until we next meet, bye for now!
Friday, 26 April 2019
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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