to want to know if any MNer has been on University Challenge?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Just catching up and thinking how I would have loved to have been on there, seriously thinking of signing up with OU to have a crack!

@LAgeDeRaisin

I had the most soul crushing conversation with a new friend when I was at Cambridge:

Me: "Hey so do you watch university challenge?"

Her "Oh yeah I won that"

The off handedness was absolutely sickening. I spent the next several years in quiet envied awe.

She actually said “I won it” rather than “I was on so and so team which won it”?

TartanTexan I think the joy of it is that requires the teams intelligently to apply excellent general knowledge, drawing connections and inferences etc.. The teams that do best are those that can find right answers to questions to which they don't "know" the answer

I was, about 20 years ago. Was seriously relieved to get over 100 because every time we got a starter right we got some obscure art or architecture question - we were quite science biased for a team with a philosophy student and a law student.

I think we were supposed to be the university 2nd team but we beat the firsts in the pre TV state. First stage was a massive paper "exam" on random general knowledge.

We play the University Challenge Challenge when we watch at home - you have to get 5 questions correct IN A ROW and before the contestants. 4 is hard but doable with the right category (1 starter plus 3 follow on), but the clincher is getting another one before or afterwards. I believe it’s only be completed once in my household.

The age thing definitely applies - I feel like these days half of the teams are made up of mature students or postgraduate.

I get a lot right watching but it's mostly on good guesswork. The next round is on prime ministers in the 1800s. Ok I only know one so I will say them until it's the right answer. I did biology at uni and I find the biology questions are generally quite easy, A level standard, so I don't know about the other subjects relative difficulty.

University Challenge is a lot about intelligent guesswork.

The one I'd really like to be on is House of Games. I'm hoping they'll do a version for ordinary mortals.

No but I've been on Mastermind. Narrowly missed out on going through to the next round... Don't pass people!

Mostly, I barely understand the questions, let alone know the answers 🙈

It's the people on Only Connect that I"m really impressed with - so much knowledge combined with lateral thinking!! I almost never get any of those, but I do occasionally get some of the University Challenge ones that are factual - they're often easy if they are in your field, but very hard if not. But the Only Connect ones can just be totally fiendish (and I don't know enough to recognise any of the pictures, songs etc, which doesn't help)

Yep, I was on twice (won one, lost one) in about 2007. It was fab. Jeremy Paxman is friendly in real life and like
to relax between takes by reading the Sun in the green room Happy to answer any questions!

likes to*

I am reasonably intelligent, I promise

• I buzzed in twice and got both right.
• I still have the clear sticker things that go across the light box with my name and my uni name on.
• I was 21 at the time.
• I was the only woman on my team

@Palavah

University Challenge is a lot about intelligent guesswork.

The one I'd really like to be on is House of Games. I'm hoping they'll do a version for ordinary mortals.

I really want them to make a House of Games for us mortals - mostly because I just love the format (and would like to have the admittedly slim opportunity to shag richard osman)

I’m with you on that one @KnitFastDieWarm

I live for 6 pm!!

@Soontobe60 I think it’s the way he says ‘well done if you got that at home’ that plays into my (clearly unresolved) teacher/authority figure kink

I was!

No but my cousin won a car on The Price Is Right…

Not me but my son has been on University Challenge and Only Connect, it was a few years ago now. He's a very keen quizzer, a lot of them all know each other and did University league quizzing.

My husband was so I got to be in the studio. It was really interesting. They lost their first match (and thus were out straight away) because they came up against Warwick Uni, who take it very seriously.

Paxman was exactly as you'd expect.

@thefemaleJoshLyman

I tried to take part when at university. The test questions to get on the team were harder than those on TV! I didn't make it! My DD (11) is obsessed with Mastermind, Only Connect and University Challenge - she might get there where I failed.

Monday night is literally the only night with anything worth watching! I have a permanent reminder set on my phone for 19:25 on Mondays so I don’t miss the line up!

Haven't been to universe but I applied to get on The Professionals through work, anyone interested in joining the team had to do the test paper which was shockingly difficult. In the end we didn't qualify as a team as nobody got a high enough score.

Paxman is surprisingly tall!

Got through to Only Connect audition stage- was incredibly difficult and full on! Didn’t make it onto the show itself.

I am so glad that I am not the only person who would be applying to be on Richard Osman's House of Games for Mere Mortals!!!

I suspect that they would be overwhelmed with applications.

I also agree with the PP who said that Mastermind questions are easier than UC, the Sleb MM questions are emabarssingly easy! I am very impressed at those who have been on, or nearly on. I play UC the Judi Dench way. She marks her correct answers and keeps score week to week. My PB is 12, usually about 8 or so.

@MaskingForIt Totally agree. Monday night and then a five day catch up on friday for HOG!