Only Connect

[andy-hughes]

I watch this to be polite, because Mrs Hughes really likes it, but I really can't do with it.

To me, it's far too pleased with itself, contestants, impossible format, even the music!

I do like Victoria Coren-Mitchelll - but I have to click off before her final breathtakingly bad 'amusing' link at the end.

Anyone else feel like that, or are you fans?

[andy-hughes]

sunny-dave - // The Arts/Science thing is interesting.

There was an edition of the 'Alumni' version of UC over Christmas when all 8 of the contestants were from 'The Arts' - so they all too obviously dropped all the Science content - not a single question.

I'm convinced that if the situation was reversed they'd have left a solid quota of Arts questions in, on the basis that people should know things outside their own disciplines. //

I noticed that as well - I guess showing up famous ex-students would not be entertaining TV.

// Why is it acceptable to not know about quarks - but a subject for derision if you don't know King Lear? //

Possibly because you can have a knowledge about King Lear if you have had a rounded education and have general knowledge, which I have, and do - but the serious science questions not only require a science education to answer them, but a science education to even understand them!

My beef there is that I the questions and answers make absolutely no sense to me whatsoever, so they irritate me.

[andy-hughes]

zebo - // If it's acceptable to call intelligent people 'smug' how do we refer to some of the seriously thick ones on other lower level quiz shows? Ones like the woman years ago when asked Who got shot in Dallas in November 1963 replied JR or the one the when asked The Suez canal connects the Red Sea and what other body of water answered The Thames? I can't stand inverted snobbery.
To be honest I think many of the people on Only Connect have every right to look smug, I'm beside myself when I get something right in there, I'm good on the last round! //

I never referred to anyone as 'smug'.

[sunny-dave]

But surely a properly rounded education would include a decent knowledge of Science?

I think you answer rather makes my point for me?

[ichkeria]

I think what annoys me about it is the odd mix of lateral thinking and obscure GK.
I also find the people mildly irritating, but that is entirely down to my likes and dislikes, so I am not blaming rhem.

[gness]

Beside myself too, Zebo.... :-)

I don't see smugness or too pleased....just people who know lots and have the mind that can bring it up immediately.
I know lots.....just have a job finding what I know.

One I will never forget it the Marsupial of all England...I know, I know, I shouldn't laugh...but.... :-)

[Hopkirk]

I still am amused by this fact about Only Connect:

Each programme has two teams of three people competing in four rounds of gameplay. In the first three series, clues in Rounds 1 and 2 and the connecting walls in Round 3 were identified by Greek letters. In series 4 Coren Mitchell announced that this idea had been dropped, ostensibly due to viewer complaints that it was too pretentious. Henceforth Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs (two reeds, lion, twisted flax, horned viper, water, and the eye of Horus) would be used instead.

[andy-hughes]

jim - // Same on the Uni Challenge thing -- the whole point is to ask hard questions anyway, why should hard questions be confined to the Arts and Literature, etc? //

As I have already pointed out - it's not that the science questions are 'hard' - they may be, I have no idea, and that's because I don't begin to understand the questions or the answers!

If I get a non-science question and I don't know the answer, I learn something that may stick, it may not, who cares.

If I get a science question I won't know the answer because I don't understand the question, or the answer when I get it, so I get annoyed.

[andy-hughes]

sunny-dave - // But surely a properly rounded education would include a decent knowledge of Science?

I think you answer rather makes my point for me? //

Come on, you know as well as I do that the science questions are well past the 'O' level science I did at school!

[ichkeria]

You see I can't help feeling that that was deliberate :-)

[jim360]

It's a form of inverted snobbery to suggest that scientific knowledge isn't general knowledge. Of course (some of) it is. But, in any case, University Challenge is meant to test academic general knowledge.

[sunny-dave]

My physics education ended before quarks were even a thing - but an occasional diversion into the Sciency bits of the papers and websites like the BBC (plus the odd edition of Horizon etc on TV) means that I can answer the basic level stuff on UC etc.

Why is that too hard, when knowing about music and literature is regarded as essential to a 'rounded' set of general knowledge?

[zebo]

Someone used the word smug though.

[ichkeria]

I can't help feeling the comment about pretentiousness and changing to the hieroglyphs, that is, was tongue in cheek.
They could have stuck with glyphs that were a little lower ...

[andy-hughes]

Hopkirk - // I still am amused by this fact about Only Connect:

Each programme has two teams of three people competing in four rounds of gameplay. In the first three series, clues in Rounds 1 and 2 and the connecting walls in Round 3 were identified by Greek letters. In series 4 Coren Mitchell announced that this idea had been dropped, ostensibly due to viewer complaints that it was too pretentious. Henceforth Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs (two reeds, lion, twisted flax, horned viper, water, and the eye of Horus) would be used instead. //

Interesting.

Personally, if I was a fan of the show, I wouldn't find Greek letters too pretentious, i would think they fitted in just fine.

[gness]

I remember that, Hoppy.....and could just see the smug faces of the complainers suddenly becoming slack jawed when the new identifications were announced.

[nescio]

Why is it considered acceptable to be completely ignorant of science/maths?
What is more, many people proudly proclaim it.

[Sunk]

I used to print the team and contestant names on University Challenge in a previous job.
On clear plastic placed in front of a lightbox. Very low-fi.

[andy-hughes]

Jim - // t's a form of inverted snobbery to suggest that scientific knowledge isn't general knowledge. //

I'm not suggesting that scientific knowledge is not general knowledge.

What I am saying is that the level of science in UC is well above the average viewer's level, either in understanding the questions or the answers - and to add to that, there is an abnormally high quotient of science questions these days.

//Of course (some of) it is. But, in any case, University Challenge is meant to test academic general knowledge. //

Indeed - and I would suggest that the level of science is above academic general knowledge, and that is borne out by the fact that the responders are the students studying science-based or science-connected subjects.

[andy-hughes]

nescio - // Why is it considered acceptable to be completely ignorant of science/maths?
What is more, many people proudly proclaim it. //

Personally, I don't think it's acceptable either to be completely ignorant of science/maths, and I don't think it's something to be proud of to be ignorant about anything.

A couple of our local radio station presenters (Radio Stoke) occasionally appear proud to be a 'thick Stokie' - I have no idea why.

[Hopkirk]

Thanks Sunk. My son appeared on it, and we still have his name plate in a black frame.