MetaChat - Why is there no outcry about last monday's university challenge?

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01 March 2007

Why is there no outcry about last monday's university challenge? I mean, I realise it's rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but Paxman accepted an incorrect answer from Warwick, without which it would have ended in a tie break. From any other quiz show it'd be par for the course, but this is University Challenge for heaven's sake!

post by: Quentin at: 13:15 | 19 comments

Oh, ehm, that's University Challenge for those of you who don't get BBC.

posted by Quentin 01 March | 13:17

what was the question and answer? you're not giving us much to go on here. I didn't watch that one.

posted by altolinguistic 01 March | 13:20

I was trying to avoid spoilers, and didn't think to put it inside.

It ended 165-160 to Warwick, who hadn't been in the lead prior to that. The question was about Chatham house, and said it was named after a title of nobility given to an english prime minister in . The team captain said "Pitt", at which point a teammate prompted her "Pitt the younger". She then said "Pitt the younger" after which the teammate corrected himself and said "Pitt the elder". The team captain then said "Pitt the younger" again, and without her having nominated anyone Paxo accepted the "Pitt the elder".

posted by Quentin 01 March | 13:27

Why is there no outcry about last monday's university challenge?

Neil from The Young Ones says: "It's only University Challenge! It's only University Challenge!"

posted by Prospero 01 March | 13:28

Yes, but that was back when it was hosted by Bamber Gascoigne (or a reasonable approximation). Now it's *serious*.

posted by Quentin 01 March | 13:32

For ten points, who is the world's biggest bottom-burp?

posted by trondant 01 March | 13:33

I was only half-watching it this week, because I thought UEA were bossing it. Obviously not.

posted by essexjan 01 March | 13:36

Is this something you'd need to pay the UK TV Licensing Fee to know about? And who do we harass to get it on BBC America (to hopefully displace one of their 37 weekly showings of "Whose Line?", a show I used to enjoy)???

posted by wendell 01 March | 13:44

At least Bamber didn't mock the students when they made a wild (and wrong) guess at an answer. Paxo can be such a knob at times. It's alright for him, he's got the answers written down in front of him.

posted by essexjan 01 March | 14:11

(to hopefully displace one of their 37 weekly showings of "Whose Line?", a show I used to enjoy)???

amen, wendell.

posted by initapplette 01 March | 14:17

Inquiry! Inquiry!

posted by mischief 01 March | 14:41

he thinks that I'm a cabbage / 'cos I hate University Challenge!

posted by scody 01 March | 14:47

Paxman can be a shit, and he does mock and sneer excessively sometimes. But some guesses do deserve a certain amount of mockery, like the student who suggested "China and Taiwan" as the two countries linked on the border by a particular mountain pass.

Here's a Youtube video of the Young Ones' satire of it, with "Footlights college" containing Fry, Laurie, Emma Thompson and Ben Elton.

posted by matthewr 01 March | 15:26

For ten points, who is the world's biggest bottom-burp?

Rick!

*bursts into hysterical laughter*

posted by elizard 01 March | 16:16

amen, wendell.

That's the most reverent thing anybody's said to me since the "Cult of Wendell" broke up at Monkeyfilter. Thank you, bless you and good luck.

(Speaking of "Whose Line", whatever happened to Mike McShane? Yes, I know.)

posted by wendell 02 March | 01:24

But some guesses do deserve a certain amount of mockery, like the student who suggested "China and Taiwan" as the two countries linked on the border by a particular mountain pass.

As they say on Millionaire (a far-superior quiz show), it's only easy if you know the answer.

posted by chrismear 02 March | 04:09

Paxman is a knob, and a shit, full stop. :)

posted by By the Grace of God 02 March | 04:10

Yeah, but anyone who gets onto University Challenge really ought to be aware of the fact that Taiwan is an island, 60-odd miles away from China, and the two countries are therefore unlikely to be joined by a mountain pass. UC is supposed to have the brightest/most knowledgeable students from each university, or Oxbridge college, and I think if you put yourself up there and then say something really stupid, you can't expect it to go unchallenged by Paxman.

posted by matthewr 02 March | 08:07

matthewr - I did a televised quiz bowl in high school - the pressure can get to you and make you answer dumbly. I won't bore you with the anecdotes, but suffice to say I gave some pretty dumb answers on TV from time to time.

posted by muddgirl 02 March | 08:30

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