To be shocked at lack of general knowledge amongst quiz show contestants?

[angelicanto]

Watching 5 gold rings with Phillip Schofield.

It's shite.

Last week, no one knew where the Scottish border was.

This week 2 contestants did not know the date of American Independence Day.

Currently some people seem to think Wales in Yorkshire (although they are actually looking for cheddar gorge )

It's an embarrassment.

Could be nerves?

Watching reruns of old quiz shows like Bullseye (i spend my time well) the level of contestants general knowledge was much higher.

I've auditioned for a few gameshows (been on a couple of daytime ones). General knowledge isn't top of the list of things they are looking for on the prime time ones

I guess for some it's nerves, for others it'll be that the show's producers have deliberately chosen people without the best general knowledge as it makes good TV.

This programme isn’t really about general knowledge though. It’s not that they don’t know where it is, necessarily. We played a version at a shopping mall this summer and when you’re on the floor it’s bloody impossible, and directing the other person is the same. Add nerves in and panic and it’s a mess!
It’s a lot different when you can see it all from your armchair!!

Private Eye don’t have their ‘Dumb Britain’ feature for nothing, you know. Every issue they print at least four stupid answers to questions on TV quiz shows. Judging by that, I’d say that Tipping Point attracts the dimmest contestants!

I'm sure nerves must play a big part in it. Remember the episode of The Celebrity Chase with Rory McGrath? Yes, he can be very smug indeed, but there's no denying that he's a very intelligent person with an excellent memory for facts. Everybody assumed he was an absolute cert for taking and winning the higher offer, but he didn't do very well in the cashbuilder and then went for the low offer; poor bloke was shaking, though (I think he got through, IIRC).

However, as you rightly say, an awful lot of people really do appear to have no general knowledge whatsoever. I like the stupidly-easy Tipping Point (don't judge me ) questions such as "From which country would a Portuguese person originally come?" and they sometimes still don't get them. I've heard that they always look for a fun, bubbly personality when choosing contestants, so that might be a factor - comedy wrong answers and overwrought dramatics are considered more entertaining than just a cool, dull smartypants going bang, bang, bang, instant right answer, instant right answer, instant right answer.

I've identified four basic quiz show contestant types:

1. Superbrains, who know just about everything;
2. Good to Average, who know the answers to maybe 60-70% and pass on the rest;
3. Hopeless Cases, who don't even get the absolute gift questions and don't even listen to the question i.e. "Which male British singer...." and they guess at Madonna (again, could be extreme nerves);
4. Very good with good reasoning skills, who do at least as well as type 2, or better, but also have the ability to make an intelligent guess at the right answer or, with multiple choice, can at least discount the obviously-wrong answer.

I too was watching 5GR today, though and we were both shouting at the screen, words to the effect of "But he TOLD you it's CHEDDAR cheese - it's RIGHT THERE in the name - CHEDDAR, as in the village of CHEDDAR in SOMERSET!!!!! HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF CHEDDAR GORGE?!?!?!"

Still, who comes out best in the end - us, moaning online about how thick people are or the ones who, mainly through luck and guesswork, end up winning thousands of pounds?!

I think the internet is partly causing this.

Years ago, people didn't have information available on their phones via Google etc; they had to commit stuff to memory and embed it. Now, we have everything the whole world sat in our pockets/handbags and it makes our memories lazier. Our attention spans are shorter than ever, our attention to detail is limited and our need to retain information is reduced. It's all Dr Google's fault.

I have a theory that the earlier in the day the quiz, the easier the questions. Therefore the lunchtime ones are still catering to the Jezza fans and by half 8 we're on to Uni Challenge.