University Challenge

[Richard Tarleton]

Only one egg for breakfast n'all

Indeed, one egg in un oeuf

[oddoneout]

Indeed, one egg in un oeuf

un oeuf is un oeuf

[Nick Armstrong]

None of whom appeared even to have heard of Racine, judging by their reactions upon hearing Paxo give them the answer.

Embarrassing poseurs (esp that daft captain)...

[ardcarp]

Incidentally, I wonder what the annual fees are at the London Institute in Paris? French universities are, I gather, much cheaper than British ones.

[Nick Armstrong]

I wondered how the Paris-based team managed to get through the qualifying heats or eliminators or whatever method the producers use to select the teams that make it on air.

Indeed... Paxman delivered an enjoyably double-edged dismissal of the Paris lot - You had a great sense of humour to take part in this - but it did make me wonder what the rest were like if this lot got on the TV round.

Hope they're not starting to select some 'freakshow' teams (in the manner of selecting candidates for The Apprentice) ... in the hope of Twitter-storms and spin-off series (Anyone seen the unwatchably awful Seagull and Monkman spin-off? )

[Richard Tarleton]

(Anyone seen the unwatchably awful Seagull and Monkman spin-off? )[/COLOR]

Tuning in for the last minute or two before UC more than enough - insufferable....talking rubbish on top of Snowdon.....

[LMcD]

Indeed... Paxman delivered an enjoyably double-edged dismissal of the Paris lot - You had a great sense of humour to take part in this - but it did make me wonder what the rest were like if this lot got on the TV round.

Hope they're not starting to select some 'freakshow' teams (in the manner of selecting candidates for The Apprentice) ... in the hope of Twitter-storms and spin-off series (Anyone seen the unwatchably awful Seagull and Monkman spin-off? )

I've never watched 'Strictly', but I understand that in every series there's a contestant (examples include Ann Widdecombe, John Sargent and Ed Balls) whose primary role is to annoy people of a serious disposition, including the judges, and entertain the general public, who can then annoy the judges by voting for the supposed no-hopers. This is presumably good for the ratings and gives the viewer a sense of superiority. One of the joys of 'UC' over the years has been the producers' persistence in not tampering with a perfectly satisfactory format.
I, too, had the misfortune to catch the last couple of minutes of Monkman and Seagull - as you say, unwatchably awful - almost as embarrassing than the performance of the Anglo-French team on Monday night.

A BA in French studies in Paris will set you back £9250 in the 2018-2019 academic year.

[ardcarp]

A UK student doing a 4-year language course can/must do the 3rd year abroad. On the Erasmus scheme the year's fees at a French university are approx 1500 euros for the year, with cheaper accommodation, more contact time with lecturers and vastly superior health care. There is the usual French predilection for paperwork to get through (e.g. having your birth certificate translated into French by an official translator, contracts written out by hand and signed on every page) but once all that's done, everything seems to be win-win.

[Dave2002]

(Anyone seen the unwatchably awful Seagull and Monkman spin-off? )

I thought it might be fun, but saw the last ten minutes or so. Dreadful and pointless - with selfies. I only went up Snowdon once and I recall the weather being very good with virtually no haze. We could see for miles, perhaps out to the Isle of Man.

I shalln’t watch them again.

[ardcarp]

Last night's contest was much better...two pretty capable teams, even if one was a bit slow off the blocks. The classical music questions were pretty straightforward, just asking for composers' names. Loved the question...composers who didn't win the Prix de Rome. (Ravel, Dukas, Messiaen, Saint-Saens.) One team captain was studying music, BTW.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bndyrr

[BBMmk2]

Last night's contest was much better...two pretty capable teams, even if one was a bit slow off the blocks. The classical music questions were pretty straightforward, just asking for composers' names. Loved the question...composers who didn't win the Prix de Rome. (Ravel, Dukas, Messiaen, Saint-Saens.) One team captain was studying music, BTW.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bndyrr

Yes, and he didn’t buzz!

I knew them all, of course but yes they were straightforward.

[Richard Tarleton]

Last night's contest was much better...two pretty capable teams, even if one was a bit slow off the blocks. The classical music questions were pretty straightforward, just asking for composers' names. Loved the question...composers who didn't win the Prix de Rome. (Ravel, Dukas, Messiaen, Saint-Saens.) One team captain was studying music, BTW.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bndyrr

http://universitychallenged.tumblr.com/

He was a pretty useless captain, indecisive and letting the deliberations ramble on while he sat back in his chair....but, fortunately for his team he was entirely surplus to requirements with the star of the programme sitting to his right - "Walker was all over it", as Kerry says in her blog. The other team started and finished well.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

http://universitychallenged.tumblr.com/

He was a pretty useless captain, indecisive and letting the deliberations ramble on while he sat back in his chair....but, fortunately for his team he was entirely surplus to requirements with the star of the programme sitting to his right - "Walker was all over it", as Kerry says in her blog. The other team started and finished well.

[ardcarp]

...ooh, a bit harsh?

[BBMmk2]

...ooh, a bit harsh?

Quite true though.