University Challenge

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I regret to have to tell you that I'm not one of the six-figure-salaried viewers of the programme!

We can still be friends Thinking about all the people I know who watch UC, I'm beginning to think that there must be a few seven-figure salaries knocking around!

But yes - an ITV-originating programme, from Granada, who also made (and make) Coronation Street; and intended in those idealist days of the '60s to reach the same audience (which, in my house, and on our street, it did). The idea then seemed to us to be that this was an "elite" that a larger section of society could aspire to and become part of. (Or, much less pompously, just have access to.)

[teamsaint]

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!

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-3621852/More-1m-people-say-earn-100k-year-nearly-50-000-make-1m-survey-finds.html

Although it seems to be the case that in such surveys, many people overestimate their pay.

[gurnemanz]

It struck me that though I have consistently enjoyed watching UC over the decades, the only time I haven't done so, apart from when living abroad, was when I was actually at university myself. As far as I remember, the only TV I watched at that time was Match of the Day, Top of the Tops and Monty Python.

[vinteuil]

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!

... I wonder if they meant 'average' or 'median'. Journalists are sloppy when it comes to statistics, and most of us are a bit shaky in understanding the difference. Thanks be for Tim Harford and his like.

.

[french frank]

Anyone know the viewing figures?

There's some glitch with the recent BARB figures, but the Time reported that the (then) latest episode of Civilisations was 966,000 (half of what the first episode had), and "far smaller than University Challenge".

Average (mean) salary will depend on the profile of the audience. If they are predominantly middle class graduates/professionals, still working, their average salary was apparently £47,000 in 2011.

[Dave2002]

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!

Why? Are you earning a negative salary? Can you assert this based on what you know, or is this conjecture? Of course it also depends on what you mean by "a lot of" - there may be some millionaires who watch it.

[ardcarp]

I've been losing sleep worrying about Ferney's

Like the Olympics

analogy to my suggestion that UC was 'by an elite for an elite'.

Not really. To run a mile in well under 4 minutes is achieved by a small elite of athletes. But the question 'run a mile in under 4 minutes' is a sort of absolute.
Am I going barking....?

[LMcD]

An exciting contest to start the new series.....

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

An exciting contest to start the new series.....

(I rather like the idea of Bob Dylan singing Raindrops are Falling on my Head! )

[Richard Tarleton]

Haven't seen the episode yet but pleased to see the University Challenged blog MrGG alerted us to last year is still on the case. Something has changed in that it's a Tumblr blog (what is Tumblr?) and you have to tick a consent box before continuing....

[LMcD]

Haven't seen the episode yet but pleased to see the University Challenged blog MrGG alerted us to last year is still on the case. Something has changed in that it's a Tumblr blog (what is Tumblr?) and you have to tick a consent box before continuing....

I was VERY careful not to give the slightest clue as to the outcome.....

[Richard Tarleton]

Indeed, noted and appreciated

[BBMmk2]

When was this?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

When was this?

Monday nights (starting last night) from now on, Bbm - BBC2, 8:30pm. And whenever you want for the next month or so here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bbzgly/university-challenge-201819-episode-1

[BBMmk2]

Monday nights (starting last night) from now on, Bbm - BBC2, 8:30pm. And whenever you want for the next month or so here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...1819-episode-1

Oh right! Thanks!