University Challenge (also featuring Only Connect and other BBC quiz shows)

First in to mention there was a reference to ROCKISM in today's University Challenge.

the way that captain talks to the mic is reeeeeeeeeeeally annoying

No, Stairway

Is Carson the nicest captain? He always compliments his teammate for good answers..

I think he's great. There was a bit of name-calling upthread, but I've played quizzes with him a few times and he's super nice and really good at (1) deferring to people who know stuff he doesn't and (2) recognising the contributions of team-mates.

I was on a TV quiz when I was a kid back in 1975. Thank god there wasn't 'social media' back then, I'd be in no doubt what 'the world' thought of me..

The question about the earth being a basketball, how were you meant to work that out quickly?

Reminds me of the binary arithmetic questions a few years ago which meant having to convert two longish binary numbers to decimal and the sum back into binary

Is Carson the nicest captain? He always compliments his teammate for good answers..

I hadn't seen UC for ages, but watched last night and thought this. They really played as a team, and they seemed willing to just say things without making each other feel like crap.

Also I have never seen a team get so many opera questions right before.

damn, that was an annihilation

The winning team look like the villains in an American college comedy.

Paxo was in full "we are not worthy" mode, for sure.

Funnily enough, he was running the "Have I got" show like a man driving an automatic car, badly. But entertaining thanks to the other guests...

Insert a "last night, as well" somewhere in that last sentence, tky.

He was very poor on HIGNFY? !

Watched UC on iPlayer. Managed 115 points' worth.

Tom Jones (novel), The Alchemist, Brazil (country), Independence Day (date), Iris Murdoch, Thomas Gray (elegy), Dave Brubeck, Nocturnes (title), Stein / Pound / Picasso (pictures), et al.

foe Iris Murdoch. I got as far as "alzheimers! black prince!" and lau finished it off. so I guess that's an assist right?

I got 'curmudgeon'

The art styles / cheeses thing was impressive

I take it Newcastle lost? I had to step out..

They did yeah, good game tho.

questions get nearly impossible in the semis, it's not nearly as fun to play along. i did dredge Avogadro out of the depths of my memory though.

There was a haunted air to Newcastle last night. The answers just weren't coming

And seeing as how they came the closest to beating the other finalist team (who stormed it last week), then hey ho.

Yeah the questions are too hard at this point, although they seem to be doing more 'concept' type questions which I quite enjoy even if I'm stumped. 'British composer' will always be Benjamin Britten tho

This year's Grand Final

the contortions involved in making more questions about women are frankly a bit silly seeing as they then have to make it about eg the geography involved and drop a large hint

best UC in years for likeable teams

also im killing this i may actually be winning

McKeown won that

Merton a bunch of bottlers in the end

newcastle captain, mckeown and woodland the series standouts

peplow shat it. check him for a spurs jersey underneath

questions will be asked about Woodland's ability to do it on the biggest stage

she had them....55 to nil ahead, no?

no one's doubting the raw talent, but the best players - yer Lovedays, yer Trimbles - have the moral courage to stand up and be counted when the questions aren't going their way

where are the contests filmed and what was the weather like

Salford, so there's a fairly high chance it's raining at any given time

Salford in February, I'd say a high chance of the kind of weather that'd scare yer classy continental libero type.

good british core to each finalist team this year trevor

oxbridge final, bah. democratise this competition and end oxbridge domination now.

Love it when there's a Boutros Boutros Ghali answer; must be some long-lost Fast Show chuckles still lurking in my brain.
Mckeown is brilliant

Why didn't any of you tell me this was back

I didn't know!

what

its bloody july

madness

acoustic metamaterials yo

I wondered what benthic meant after reading it in that Stewart Lee article. Not enough to look it up but enough to wait until it's an answer on UC

These were clearly never Teenage Dirt bags.

lol big man Paxo can't pronounce "Nicomachean"

yin is a powerful man but the eau gorsh of him is a bit much

Spagnum.

Captcha also pronounced oddly by one of the contestants. Had obviously only ever seen it written down and missed the pun.

Never heard of Iron Maiden. Kids today, huh?

paxo not even familiar with modus ponens v tollens, smh

"you're a nice team"

Ugh patronising Paxman on top form tonight.

That New York kid was really something this round.

Apparently he's quite the star on the quiz circuit. Total demolition, he's going to take some beating.

Enjoyed twirly moustache dude not knowing Nathan Barley.