Mastermind, what would be your chosen subject?

[Bebee]

and how do you think you would do?

Me? pass


two minutes starting from now

[eldar]

Mastermind, and terrible.

[CharlesAL]

Mine would probably be F1 or, since I'm in the middle of re-watching it and its fresh in my mind, The Sopranos. Or The Simpsons but it would have to be limited to the first 10 seasons if they would allow that.

Don't think I'd have a chance of winning though, never do too well on the general knowledge round.

[CzechItOut]

To make matters worse, if you actually apply to be on Mastermind you have to specific three subjects - one for each round!

[campionissimo]

not sure what mine would be, but the other day one chap had chosen "British Railway Disasters 1830-1939".

[Bebee]

campionissimo said:

not sure what mine would be, but the other day one chap had chosen "British Railway Disasters 1830-1939".

He'd make a good drinking buddy.

[condor]

The poems of ST Coleridge

[moffspeed]

Japanese manufacturers winning at Le Mans 1923 - 2014.

[Bebee]

1991 with Johnny H

[budfox]

Round 1 - NASA's Mercury missions
Round 2 - NASA's Gemini missions
Round 3 - NASA's Apollo missions

You should see my bookshelf, it's rather space-based.

[wotnot]

Funnily enough I've just applied to go on Mastermind.
I've put my three subjects as:
Cuthbert Collingwood
Edward John Trelawny
The history of Rolls Royce Motorcars

Fingers crossed!

[Tony2or4]

British Tanks of World War One for me.

Then I'd nominate any two random subjects for rounds 2 and 3, being confident that I wouldn't get through so I'd have no need to swot up on them: I'd probably do well enough not to be embarrassed on the Tanks questions, but it's General Knowledge that would sink my chances of going through to the second round.

[Tony2or4]

When you think about it, you'd be unwise to choose a subject that everybody sees as 'your area', and therefore expects you to do well in. For example if you're a soccer player for Manchester United, then don't choose The History of the Premier League.

Thing is that if you did OK in that subject, then people would just say "Well, he is supposed to be an expert in that field, after all."; whereas if you do badly, then you just end up looking like a complete berk.

I remember 3 or 4 years ago Michel Roux Junior appearing on the Christmas celebrities edition of Mastermind, & his specialist subject was something like The History of French Cooking.

He suffered a blank mind and bombed totally, scoring about 3 points in that round.

[Moonhawk]

Questions for which the answer is 11

[Bebee]

Tony2or4 said:

When you think about it, you'd be unwise to choose a subject that everybody sees as 'your area', and therefore expects you to do well in. For example if you're a soccer player for Manchester United, then don't choose The History of the Premier League.

Thing is that if you did OK in that subject, then people would just say "Well, he is supposed to be an expert in that field, after all."; whereas if you do badly, then you just end up looking like a complete berk.

I remember 3 or 4 years ago Michel Roux Junior appearing on the Christmas celebrities edition of Mastermind, & his specialist subject was something like The History of French Cooking.

He suffered a blank mind and bombed totally, scoring about 3 points in that round.

I seem to remember Murry Walker doing rather badly on the subject of F1.

[MrHorsepower]

British and American Youth Culture, 1955-62

[Halmyre]

CzechItOut said:

To make matters worse, if you actually apply to be on Mastermind you have to specific three subjects - one for each round!

Is that a new stipulation? IIRC you used to be able to pick your original subject if you made it to the final.

[Eric Mc]

budfox said:

Round 1 - NASA's Mercury missions
Round 2 - NASA's Gemini missions
Round 3 - NASA's Apollo missions

You should see my bookshelf, it's rather space-based.

Hee hee.

Same here - although I might go with "US Manned Space Programme - 1959 to 1975"
for round one.
"RAF World War 2 Bombers" for Round 2
Maybe the "NASA Space Shuttle" for Round 3
And back to "US Manned Space Programme - 1959 to 1975" for the final (if I got there).

[andy_s]

Anoraks, 9.99 to 19.99.

Or answering the question before last...

Magnus Magnusson: And so, to our first contender. Good evening, your name please?

Contestant: Uh, good evening.

Magnusson: In the first heat your chosen subject was "answering questions before they were asked." This time, you have chosen to "answer the question before last, each time." Is that correct?

Contestant: Charlie Smithers.

Magnusson: And your time starts...Now! What is paleontology?

Charlie Smithers: Yes, absolutely correct.

Magnusson: What's the name of the directory which lists members of the peerage?

Smithers: A study of old fossils?

Magnusson: Correct. Who are Len Murray and Sir Geoffrey Howe?

Smithers: Burkes [berks]?

Magnusson: Correct. What is the difference between a donkey and an ass?

Smithers: One's a trade union leader and the other's a member of the cabinet.

Magnusson: Correct. Complete the quotation "To Be or Not To Be."

Smithers: They're both the same?

Magnusson: Correct. What is Bernard Manning famous for?

Smithers: That is the question.

Magnusson: Correct. Who is the present archbishop of Canterbury?

Smithers: He's a fat man who tells blue jokes.

Magnusson: Correct. What do people kneel on in church?

Smithers: The Right Reverend Robert Runcie.

Magnusson: Correct. What to tarantulas prey on?

Smithers: Hassocks.

Magnusson: Correct. What would you use a rip cord to pull open?

Smithers: Large flies.

Magnusson: Correct. What sort of person lived in Bedlam?

Smithers: A parachute [parish hoot].

Magnusson: Correct. What is a jockstrap?

Smithers: A nutcase.

Magnusson: Correct. For what purpose would a decorator use methylene chlorides?

Smithers: A form of athletic support.

Magnusson: Correct. What did Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec do?

Smithers: Paint strippers?

Magnusson: Correct. Who is Dean Martin?

Smithers: He's a kind of artist.

Magnusson: Yes, what sort of artist?

Smithers: Erm...Er...Pass! [Piss (piss artist)]

Magnusson: That's near enough. What make of vehicle is the standard London bus?

Smithers: A singer?

Magnusson: Correct. In 1892, Brandon Thomas wrote a long-running English farce, what was it?

Smithers: British Leyland.

Magnusson: Correct. Complete the following quotation (siren goes) I started, so I'll finish. Complete the following quotation about Mrs. Thatcher: "Her heart may be in the right place but her - "

Smithers: Charlie's aunt! [(charlies aren't]

Magnusson: Correct. You scored 18 with no passes.

[Nightmare]

One thing i've wondered is what the 'breadth' of knowledge has to be?

I remember many years ago watching it and the first chap had something like 'the published works of JD Salinger' (well it wasn't him, but someone who had only produced 3 books ever). the lady following chose 'British Wildlife' - which is just a MASSIVE subject and she bombed as most of it ended up being 'the latin name for insert obscure hedgerow weed' or similar

Struck me then that depending on what you choose would be big advantage/disadvantage in terms of what they COULD ask you