Mastermind

[QuizmasterG]

Should the contestants be allowed to give only surnames as answers to questions?
I can accept the usual very famous ones- Beethoven, Shakespeare,Schubert etc etc....but when asked who starred in the movie "The Reader" the answer Winslett was given as correct.
This happened a couple of other times during the questions.
If the question was "who wrote the novel Wuthering Heights?" would the answer Bronte be equally acceptable?
Surely, only the full name should be accepted?

[davebro]

I would suppose it's at the discretion of the quizmonster. Obviously there aren't a lot of actors called Winslett but there were a number of writers called Bronte!

[Mamyalynne]

Where there is room for doubt then the full name should be given, as you say with Bronte.

I have seen similar on UC and it's fine until you get someone like Pieter Brueghel, they are then asked which one.

[grumpy01]

I think this is a trait with “quizzes” in an attempt to get more questions in the time and possibly score more.

[grumpy01]

Quizzers.

[QuizmasterG]

Not very fair on the other contestants who answered their questions in full?

[gingejbee]

Fair? It's a light entertainment TV programme. Nobody dies because the questions/answers are deemed to be unfair by some.

[Prudie]

Quizmaster I thought just the same as you, that woman gave surnames only to all her answers which I thought unfair.. I'm never sure how mastermind works, is the quicker you answer the more questions you can get through?

[QuizmasterG]

"Fair? It's a light entertainment TV programme"
I'm sure the contestants who prepared diligently for the contest may disagree!

[calmck]

I think there are a set number of questions for specialist subject and as many GK as you can answer in the time but not sure

[ladybirder]

There was nothing stopping any of the others giving one word answers. She admitted she did it for the quickness and it paid off.
I bet we'll see a lot more people doing that now but as Mamya says if there's doubt the full name should be given.

[ladybirder]

Calm I don't see how there can be a set number of questions for the specialist subject. If the answers are given quickly and without hesitation the round could possibly finish with time to spare. I don't think that happens does it?
I'll count the questions next time I watch it:-) If I remember!

[QuizmasterG]

Perhaps they thought it may be in the spirit of the quiz to give full answers?

[ladybirder]

They probably did. That woman was determined to win. Had she given full names it may well have ended up a draw.
I wonder if there have been any complaints from the other contestants.

[lankeela]

Don't they make the questions longer or shorter so that all contestants get an equal amount of time?

[Ken4155]

The idea is to cram as many answers into the 2 and a half minutes as you possibly can. I see absolutely nothing wrong with giving just surnames as answers provided there is only one possible correct answer to the question posed.

[dannyk13]

On the Chaser, ,if a contestant answers with a surname, Bradley asks for more information.

[Ken4155]

^
Maybe them's the rules for The Chaser, Danny. I would imagine the contestants of our tv quiz shows are made aware of all the rules prior to taking part.

[gingejbee]

You lot are taking things way too seriously...seriously!

[DTCwordfan]

John Humphreys - "What's the synonym for a col or cym?"

Contestant - "Pass."

[Jackdaw33]

Like it.