University Challenge

[BBMmk2]

My wife was saying today from the paper she was reading online, that the Cambridge Captain young lady, was rather commented on the way she spoke and her fashion sense. About her having a lisp. I mean, so what does this matter at all?

[burning dog]

I was born at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.

Me Too!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Much mention of 'elites' above. I always try to bear in mind that questions set in UC require a certain sort of intelligence and a certain body of knowledge. (Same goes for crossword puzzles.) Who's to say that...taking an extreme example...an aboriginal from the bush in Australia doesn't have equally valid intelligence and an equally valid body of knowledge which has enabled successful survival for several thousand years in his/her environment?

I'm not knocking UC. Mrs A and I love it, even if we only manage about 5% of the answers. But it is by an elite for an elite.

Yes. Like the Olympics.

[Serial_Apologist]

Me Too!

Destiny, eh?

[burning dog]

As my Dad pointed out at the time when the Doctor boasted that Sir Alexander (by then deceased) and Amelia Fleming worked there - Heroin was first developed there as well. I guess he researched the subject because of his love of Charlie Parker

[oddoneout]

Much mention of 'elites' above. I always try to bear in mind that questions set in UC require a certain sort of intelligence and a certain body of knowledge. (Same goes for crossword puzzles.) Who's to say that...taking an extreme example...an aboriginal from the bush in Australia doesn't have equally valid intelligence and an equally valid body of knowledge which has enabled successful survival for several thousand years in his/her environment?

I'm not knocking UC. Mrs A and I love it, even if we only manage about 5% of the answers. But it is by an elite for an elite.

Given the significant increase in the numbers of school leavers attending university in recent years I'm not sure to what extent that still holds true, at least for non-Oxbridge cohorts? In any case quizes(quizzes?) are popular activities, UC is in many respects an extension of that, which takes into account the assumed greater depth of knowledge possessed by those in higher education?

[LMcD]

And a good memory.

I don't find UC very interesting at all and I never watch it, but I decided to do some research to see how my old university had fared.

I feel obliged to tell you this:

[Exeter] University's team managed what is thought to be the worst score on BBC2's University Challenge quiz show for more than 30 years – a measly 15 points.

Their opponents, Oxford University's Corpus Christi, wiped the floor with them, scoring 350.

Reading scored 0 points in one of the 2018 Christmas specials.

[zola]

Reading scored 0 points in one of the 2018 Christmas specials.

Indeed, but that was a team of alumni and I think two thirds of the way through they gave up and deliberately targeted zero.

[ardcarp]

Jean wrote:

I don't find UC very interesting at all and I never watch it

I can quite understand that many people are not gripped by it. However the fact that the programme has survived, and is given a 'prime-time' slot on BBC2 must mean that considerable numbers of people are. Anyone know the viewing figures? Or is UC just the BBC's way of showing some commitment to kulcher. Maybe they should try some Music?

[greenilex]

I would rather watch Only Connect, even when I fail to understand the connections, because the quiz teams are much more interesting as people, imo.

[Richard Tarleton]

I don't know how you can possibly generalise. University Challenge tends to consist (more) of people of student age, whereas Only Connect tend to be older, many of them experienced quizzers - perhaps that's what you mean. Just occasionally, they're the same people, a few years down the line - take Gail Trimble, the Human Google!, who appeared on Only Connect last season - I think Rosie McKeown was running her close!

[LMcD]

Jean wrote:



I can quite understand that many people are not gripped by it. However the fact that the programme has survived, and is given a 'prime-time' slot on BBC2 must mean that considerable numbers of people are. Anyone know the viewing figures? Or is UC just the BBC's way of showing some commitment to kulcher. Maybe they should try some Music?

In the week ending 25.02.2018 (the latest for which figures are available) UC had a consolidated vierwership (i.e. including 'catch up') of 2.54 million. This would be considered a good figure for this time slot on BBC2.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I would imagine that UC attracts between 1 and 2 million viewers, probably closer to the latter. This would, today, be considered a satisfactory figure for this time slot on BBC2.

A smidgen more, LMcD - for the week, 9 - 15 April, UC was BBC2's third most popular programme with 2.36 million viewers. (OC got 2.47 million, and the most popular was Gardeners' World with 2.66.)

The previous week, UC was again the third most popular BBC2 programme with 2.21million - pipping OC with 2.16.

Civilisations didn't reach the top thirty on BBC2 in either week - possibly because of the preponderence of people running, jumping, and swimming.

ITV's The Chase was the channel's twenty-third-twenty-fifth most popular show during 9th - 15th, with 3.16 - 3.21million.

http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-30/

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And then there's this:

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-06-19/richest-tv-viewers-flock-to-university-challenge-only-connect-and-the-night-manager/

... now, they didn't ask me, but if the "average income" of UC viewers is £30,200, there must be a lot of people with six-figure salaries who watch it!

[LMcD]

In its heyday on ITV, UC attracted some 11 million viewers per episode before being relegated to an off-peak slot, when only 1 million tuned in.
I regret to have to tell you that I'm not one of the six-figure-salaried viewers of the programme!