University Challenge 2023: First Round Heat 2: Open University v. Newcastle

The Teams

Open University

Dan Twigg

Freddie Myles

James MacGregor (capt.)

Jess Baker

Newcastle

John Ingham

Tom Speller

Sam Keay (capt)

Elizabeth Lamb

Hello dearly beloved. Once again we see the enigma that is the Open University taking its place in University Challenge. Why enigma? Well, the Open University has twice won the series. Yet it often surprises me that they don’t, as a rule, do better than they do. I mean, they don’t always feature in the televised stages of the competition, but when they do, they don’t seem to have the edge that having older teams might suggest. Well, at a sprightly average age of 31, this OU team weren’t that much older than their opposition.

Glory be, the first starter was a Science one – and I knew it. Mind you, I should think that a lot of people knew Louis Pasteur developed the rabies vaccine. Tom Speller did. And if you think that prevented me from taking a lap of honour round the sofa then you don’t know me very well. Bonuses on music inspired by the sea brought Newcastle 2 more correct answers.I surprised my daughter when I answered “Beowulf” when all that was said was “To what vernacular epic was Seamus Heaney . “Well, I knew he wrote a much lauded modern translation. Freddie Myles opened the Open’s account with that one. Now, I’m very sorry, but I would also happily have taken another lap of honour for the bonus on computerised tomography – but I don’t like to show off. These bonuses on nobel prizes and stuff brough the Open 2 correct answers. Freddie Myles took his second consecutive starter knowing about slate and a Welsh national park. Bonuses on the novels of Sarah Waters brought me 2 on the only two I know, and the Open knew the first.So to the picture starter. We saw a partial UK Map showing locations of branches of the Science Museum group. Neither team recognised this. It was worth hanging on with the next starter. I didn’t know that the Australian Wattle tree is a form of Acacia, but I knew darn well that Acacia often precedes Avenue. It worked for John Ingham too. Three more maps showing British museums and their branches brought 2 bonuses. Thus as we approached the 10 minute mark both teams were often and runig, with Newcastle ahead 40 – 35.

Freddie Myles took his third starter, interrupting a description of Hegel – whom David Hume could outconsume, so I’m informed. Prime Ministers saw the OU talk their way all around the answers, but still fail to trouble the scorer. Something about ohms and resistors was resisted by both teams who answered incorrectly. For the next starter it really helped to have a film student on Newcastle’s team, as Elizabeth Lamb interrupted to identify Frankenstein as being shown in the other film in question. West End Musicals brought 2 bonuses. Both teams sat back on their buzzers a little for the next starter, looking for the fish – the pike. Altogether now – don’t tell him, Pike. Tom Speller snapped up that specific unconsidered trifle. The Mind provided bonuses and Newcastle didn’t mind taking a couple. John Ingham knew that Switzerland had only been attacked once since Methuselah was a nipper for the next starter. Modern art provided more points, and things were looking ominous for the OU. So to the music set.Freddie Myles chanced his arm early, but it fell to Elizabeth Lamb to give s shrug and a guess of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs – she seemed more surprised than anyone that it was right right right. Other artists whose work was sampled on Beyonce’s Lemonade provided bugger all to any of us. Words ending in -int – allowed Freddie Myles to stop the rot for the OU and earn bonuses on a rather gentle set on British clubs in European football competitions. They took 2, but missed out on Leeds United’s 1975 European Cup final appearance. When the next starter mentioned ‘novel’ and ‘poisoned mushrooms’ I shouted ‘The Emperor Claudius”. John Ingham offered ‘I’Claudius’ and got the rub of the green since the question asked for the character, not the actual novel. Solid geometrystarted promisingly with dodecahedron but then started burbling about edge and vertices and that was me done. The full house taken by Newcastle meant that they led by 130 to 65, and the on course bookies were allowing you to name your own price on the OU.

Frankly, the whole question on the next starter sounded like nonsense to me, so it was ironic that the answer – which neither team had – was nonsense mutation. James MacGregor played a captain’s innings with an early buzz for the next starter on the African Nations Cup. Bonuses on words relating to payment only paid off to the tune of 5 points. So to the second picture starter, and bearing in mind that this showed a film director holding a pair of Oscars, it was no surprise that Elizabeth Lamb struck again. Other film festival awards brought the funniest moment of the night. “The Palme D’Or” said captain Sam Keay. “Cannes.” Added Elizabeth Lamb. “Oh, the Can D’Or” the skipper amended his answer. Don’t worry, they got the points. Tom Speller added to the OUs woes by taking the next starter knowing various French words beginning with the letters MO. A rather gentle set on the Abu Simbel temples brought another full house and a lead of 100 points. Freddie Myles had a good guess that Say Please Mr Elton is a mnemonic for the 4 novels published during Jane Austen’s lifetime – well, the ones that she wrote anyway. Bonuses on constellations whose names have other meanings in English provided a lovely UC special set which brought us both 2 bonuses. Freddie Myles again took the next starter recognising that Leinster contains none of the counties JP gave us. World capitals brought just the one bonus. Tom Speller knew Bari is the capital of Apulia for the next starter. Medieval history bonuses brought one bonus and put them one question away from 200. Nobody had the geometry start that followed, leaving Newcastle winners by 195 to 115.

Well played Newcastle. A good range of answers, and fine buzzing from more than just one player. Which was partly the issue for the OU – very little buzzing came from anyone other than the impressive Freddie Myles. JP said they might return – to be honest with 115 it’s not that likely. Newcastle will, though, and I look forward to that,.

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

The Wattle is a species of Acacia.