c4countdown

If you went on Mastermind what would your specialist subject be?

Mine would be either The Inspiral Carpets (band) or Damien Hirst.

Probably something to do with either Eurovision or Manchester United.

Kirk Bevins.

Slayer, if they let me.

Good question. I've thought about it from time to time and never come up with a definitive answer. I have always decided though that I would go with a short run TV series, something Fawlty Towers-esque (only 12 episodes) as I think this would be very easy to learn and also quite fun to learn.

It's always something I've thought about.

James Bond films would obviously be my first choice, if not, then History of Huddersfield Town 2000-present day, if not, The Blackadder saga, then if not, maybe surprising to a lot of you, the TV show Friends.

Father Ted

Lincoln City FC
Babylon 5
Lincoln Cathedral
The Life & Career of Shigeru Miyamoto

They're the ones I've applied with anyways. Here's hoping I can actually get past the audition this time. Or, indeed, get another audition...

Ben Wilson wrote:Lincoln City FC
Babylon 5
Lincoln Cathedral
The Life & Career of Shigeru Miyamoto

They're the ones I've applied with anyways. Here's hoping I can actually get past the audition this time. Or, indeed, get another audition...

Didn't someone do Lincoln Cathedral recently?

(up the apse)

Was thinking about this recently and wondered if Countdown would be a feasible choice.

Heroes of Atheism

Team Orders in Formula 1

Ben Wilson wrote:Lincoln City FC
Babylon 5
Lincoln Cathedral
The Life & Career of Shigeru Miyamoto

They're the ones I've applied with anyways. Here's hoping I can actually get past the audition this time. Or, indeed, get another audition...

Do you have to submit four to them, then? I always assumed it was three - one for the heat, one for the semi and one for the final.

The three I've come up with are national flags, Eurovision (I'd limit it to 2004 to present, if allowed) and Seinfeld.

Knitting cakes
Baking kittens
Wiping hands, faces, and bums
Bob the Builder

Lesley Hines wrote:Knitting cakes
Baking kittens
Wiping hands, faces, and bums
Bob the Builder

Just for you Lezza H...

1. Which British rapper, with the real name Dylan Mills, won the 2003 Mercury Prize for his album “Boy in da Corner”?
2. J. M. Barrie is credited as popularising which girl’s name, after using it as the name for his female protagonist in a series of stories?
3. Which song provided Lou Bega with his only number one single?
4. What name, other than sardine, is given to the group of several types of small, oily fish related to herrings?
5. What was the name of David Corbett’s black and white mongrel who found a newspaper wrapped package in South London worth around £3000?
6. “Writing to Reach You”, “Driftwood” and “Turn” were hits for which Scottish group in 1999?
7. What three letter palindrome can be defined as: a hairstyle, a hanging weight or to move up and down repeatedly?
8. Who played the role of Rocky in “Boon” and Tony in “Men Behaving Badly”?
9. What 3 words did Barack Obama popularise during his presidential campaign using them as his secondary slogan?
10. What links the previous 9 answers?

I've noticed that a specialist subject that's just a TV programme or series of books/films can be pretty easy - I remember some girl who's subject was the Harry Potter series, and I could answer almost all the questions when all I'd done was read the books. With that in mind I reckon The Raccoons would be pretty doable. I might have a chance at British gameshows from 1990 onwards, too, with a bit of prep.

Ryan Taylor wrote:

Lesley Hines wrote:Knitting cakes
Baking kittens
Wiping hands, faces, and bums
Bob the Builder

Just for you LESLEY H...
V. funny stuff

A-lol Got 'em all except 9, that on reflection I suspect to be Yes We Can! I hope it isn't though, cos that's a really shit catchphrase from a potential World Leader.

Countdown.

Michael Wallace wrote:I might have a chance at British gameshows from 1990 onwards, too, with a bit of prep.

Think Larsen will beat you to that one.

Lesley Hines wrote:

Ryan Taylor wrote:

Lesley Hines wrote:Knitting cakes
Baking kittens
Wiping hands, faces, and bums
Bob the Builder

Just for you LESLEY H...
V. funny stuff

A-lol Got 'em all except 9

So you got one then? You suck!

Ryan Taylor wrote:So you got one then? You suck!

That's a good thing, right?

F1 from the 1980s.

Gavin Chipper wrote:F1 from the 1980s.

Mine would be 2000's though.

Ryan Taylor wrote: 1. Which British rapper, with the real name Dylan Mills, won the 2003 Mercury Prize for his album “Boy in da Corner”?
2. J. M. Barrie is credited as popularising which girl’s name, after using it as the name for his female protagonist in a series of stories?
3. Which song provided Lou Bega with his only number one single?
4. What name, other than sardine, is given to the group of several types of small, oily fish related to herrings?
5. What was the name of David Corbett’s black and white mongrel who found a newspaper wrapped package in South London worth around £3000?
6. “Writing to Reach You”, “Driftwood” and “Turn” were hits for which Scottish group in 1999?
7. What three letter palindrome can be defined as: a hairstyle, a hanging weight or to move up and down repeatedly?
8. Who played the role of Rocky in “Boon” and Tony in “Men Behaving Badly”?
9. What 3 words did Barack Obama popularise during his presidential campaign using them as his secondary slogan?
10. What links the previous 9 answers?

Ryan this ingenuity is why you are my favourite. I'm giving you some quizzy likes xxx

Oh and in answer to the OP, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Dinos Sfyris wrote:

Ryan Taylor wrote: 1. Which British rapper, with the real name Dylan Mills, won the 2003 Mercury Prize for his album “Boy in da Corner”?
2. J. M. Barrie is credited as popularising which girl’s name, after using it as the name for his female protagonist in a series of stories?
3. Which song provided Lou Bega with his only number one single?
4. What name, other than sardine, is given to the group of several types of small, oily fish related to herrings?
5. What was the name of David Corbett’s black and white mongrel who found a newspaper wrapped package in South London worth around £3000?
6. “Writing to Reach You”, “Driftwood” and “Turn” were hits for which Scottish group in 1999?
7. What three letter palindrome can be defined as: a hairstyle, a hanging weight or to move up and down repeatedly?
8. Who played the role of Rocky in “Boon” and Tony in “Men Behaving Badly”?
9. What 3 words did Barack Obama popularise during his presidential campaign using them as his secondary slogan?
10. What links the previous 9 answers?

Ryan this ingenuity is why you are my favourite. I'm giving you some quizzy likes xxx

Oh and in answer to the OP, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Aww thanks babe. I've got loads more where that came from. You would really like my quiz nights I do. (I think).

Mine would have to be Countdown or PDC Darts. I'd have to memorise stats such as lists of quarter finalists etc first though.

I think what links them is that they're all far easier (and more rooted in pop culture) than you'd get on Mastermind.

Martin Smith wrote:I think what links them is that they're all far easier (and more rooted in pop culture) than you'd get on Mastermind.

There is nothing easy, or popular, about wiping bums. At least in my house anyway.

Edit: Obviously that refers to children's bums - the adults in the house are keen to observe all normal personal hygiene rituals.

Burnley Football Club.
Antonia Forest's books.
And the chances of me needing a third are negligible-to-nil, if that. (As are the chances of me needing a second, or even a first.)

[Edit - I should add, I have actually appeared on Mastermind. In two of last year's heats, if you looked very carefully in the back row behind John Humphries during the intro, and if you knew exactly where I was sat, you could pick me out.]

Martin Smith wrote:I think what links them is that they're all far easier (and more rooted in pop culture) than you'd get on Mastermind.

If a dislike button was ever introduced, your post would be my first 'dislike'. For sure.

Martin Smith wrote:I think what links them is that they're all far easier (and more rooted in pop culture) than you'd get on Mastermind.

Some of the highest scorers in recent years on the specialist subjects have been for pop culture-based topics.

Ian Volante wrote:

Martin Smith wrote:I think what links them is that they're all far easier (and more rooted in pop culture) than you'd get on Mastermind.

Some of the highest scorers in recent years on the specialist subjects have been for pop culture-based topics.

Exactly this. Plus winners of the competition have had pop culture based topics too. Look at Pat Gibson (who just won the Champion of Champions) and as I recall had subjects like Father Ted and then the Disney Pixar films. You have to be incredibly ignorant to snub pop culture when after all it is a quiz and literally anything can come up. Going on Mastermind isn't all about answering questions on the works of Liszt or the life of Thomas Cranmer. So I think your post was absolute sloblock and it's actually made me a little bit angry inside. Nobody likes it when I'm angry.

Ryan Taylor wrote:Nobody likes it when I'm angry.

See above.

Just as an observation Shakespeare was pop culture when he started. Just because something's been around for a while* doesn't mean it's great, and just cos something's new doesn't make it rubbish.


*Not Shakespeare, obviously he's top even if he is rammed with historical and geographical inaccuracies, but The Water Babies was unreadable tripe. Cartoon was alright.

For comparison, subjects which I offered for A Question Of Genius were:

(a) The World Professional Snooker Championship, 1977 - present
(b) Female-fronted bands of the 1990s
(c) Industrial refrigerants

Considering that the boundaries of (a) are well-defined, and furthermore, every result plus a heap of stats are available online, it was a no-brainer to pick that one. Subject (b) would be more difficult to revise, but it's an area where my knowledge is pretty sound. Subject (c) is so mind-numbingly dull, I knew that the researchers would never go for it, which was the plan since I wanted them to let me have (a) or (b).

Interestingly, I would probably not be allowed to pick subject (a) on Mastermind as it has been picked before, many years ago. I remember scoring quite well when it came up, and that's the reason I picked it for A Question Of Genius. The only other occasion I've scored so many points on someone else's specialist subject was from a Junior Mastermind episode, when bizarrely I got about 8 or 9 on the subject of Take That. I have also scored quite well when Green Day, and Manic Street Preachers, have appeared as specialist subjects.

Sports Mastermind was a cracking show. If they ever do another series, I could be tempted to apply.

I remember a few years ago someone took "Top 40 hits of the 1980s" (I think it was that anyway, might have been top 75) and there was only one answer I didn't know, so would probably do something like that if it was allowed. I could probably have a decent-ish go at Seinfeld or The Simpsons (although I'd have been far better off doing the latter about fifteen years ago, when there was a lot less of it).

New series of Mastermind has started, first episode was last week.

Eoin Monaghan wrote:New series of Mastermind has started, first episode was last week.

I'm told that Rachel is doing a celebrity version of the show that'll be out around Christmas time.

Wonder what her specialist subject will be..............

Golf would be my specialist subject, simple choice since I play twice a week and follow all the main tours

David Barnard wrote:Golf would be my specialist subject, simple choice since I play twice a week and follow all the main tours

I doubt if 'Golf' would be allowed as a specialist subject - without being qualified further it's a tad broad.

Ok maybe PGA tour or european tour since 2000 of something like that may be a bit better

I would go for Bond films, something to do with Sunderland AFC (probably SAFC in the 1970s, been reading about this a lot recently) or a recent England cricket-related category. American presidents would be another possibility but I would need to do a lot more research for this.