TV Watch - University Challenge

University Challenge – Round Two heat 1/8

JP began by telling us that in the first round Girton Cambridge scored 180 points, despite having what he called a ‘rather diffident performance’. Opponent’s St. George’s London were ribbed mercilessly about being medical students who were unable to answer correctly on the constituent parts of the eyelid.

Girton raced out to a big lead of 100 before St. George’s were able to put a single point on the board.Miss Brown-Kerr of Girton was hugely amused to get a starter which involved identifying that Alan Rickman was playing Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films. She was just as amused as she absolutely lapped up the set of bonuses which involved naming the rest of the Defence from the Dark Arts teachers in the films.

These medics of St. George’s are made of the right stuff, though. 100 points behind and captain Sturgeon claimed the first starter, and they were away. Together with his go-to man Tinsley he set about shutting out Girton for the time being, and hauling his team back into contention. 14 minutes in and the St. George’s boys had reduced the deficit by half. At least one member of Girton kept her head, as Miss Cawley correctly identified Saint Saen’s Carnival of the Animals. St. George’s though kept on coming. By the twenty minute mark the gap was narrowed to 30. This had shrunk to 10 minutes on the 23 minute mark, and with the next starter, all was level. Joy of joy, what a grandstand finish this provided. Miss Cawley of Girton, her team’s star performer IMHO, took the next crucial starter, although they only managed one bonus. Hazlehurst of St. George’s took the next starter and one bonus. All square. Next starter to St. George’s – but no bonuses. Next starter to Girton, all square. Bonuses taken. St. George’s must take the next starter, but it’s a miscue ! Roger Tilling is so excited that he sounds strangulated. St. George’s do manage the next starter, but its too late. Girton win a fantastic match by 170 to 160. I’ve always said that one of my favourite types of UC match is one where one team sprints off to a lead, only for the other to fight back to even terms to set up a virtually photo finish. This delivered.


Jeremy Paxman Watch

JP started early tonight, saying that St. George’s had probably got the answer about the eye wrong in the previous round because maybe they hadn’t reached that chapter in the book yet.

On 20 minutes Dennison of St. George’s buzzed in on a starter, and hesitated, for which JP gave him a stern wigging. He still accepted the correct answer, though.

Interesting Fact That I didn’t Already Know Of The Week

In the future technology of the Star Trek franchise, Eisenberg compensators remove uncertainties in the transporter system of the Starship Enterprise. So THAT’s what does it !