I am sure you are all aware of the Amazon MarketPlace which is basically a second hand dealership ran through Amazon to get hold of books that have been used (or "Pre-loved" as one seller put it :)) or rare.
Something seems to have happened lately too where the books now can qualify for free delivery which when it first started was not the case. This leads to even more bargains!
I have bigged up Charity Shops on here for cheap reference works but Amazon that on the Marketplace now. I have just a bookshelf full of reference books for around £20 using a gift voucher I did not know I had.
Spend a few minutes looking for reference works and you will see what I mean. This is probably old news to a lot of book buyers but I have only just began to realise what a treasure trove it is!
Some particular highlights of books I have and noticed are going cheap on the site (but half the fun is hunting them down yourself) -
Pears quiz Companion which I have mentioned before. A pittance on Amazon and useful on all levels of quizzing.
Trevor Montagues A-Z of Sport...published a few years back but still jam packed full of info and available for the same price as a loaf of bread!
Another Montague classics reference work that acts as an essential guide to the UK and Ireland. One of his best books!
The colourful and brilliant Guinness Book of Knowledge.
I could go on and on here but Ill stick with those four for now, by no means the best bargains but just see for yourself of the joys to have on the marketplace. Saves you a fortune!
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Contestant Call
For anyone in the London area....
"Maverick Television are looking for six fun, lively and outgoing people (based in LONDON or the SOUTH-EAST/ EAST OF ENGLAND) to be contestants in an exciting new quiz show run-through. The run-through will be taking place in a couple of weeks at the beginning of August (the week starting the 6th) - date will be confirmed shortly.
The show is a great format which is a lot of fun to play for competitive people who enjoy quizzes but more importantly like a good laugh!
If interested, please get in contact and we'll be happy to provide you with further details. The run-through is relatively soon so get in touch ASAP!"
And that was taken from this website
"Maverick Television are looking for six fun, lively and outgoing people (based in LONDON or the SOUTH-EAST/ EAST OF ENGLAND) to be contestants in an exciting new quiz show run-through. The run-through will be taking place in a couple of weeks at the beginning of August (the week starting the 6th) - date will be confirmed shortly.
The show is a great format which is a lot of fun to play for competitive people who enjoy quizzes but more importantly like a good laugh!
If interested, please get in contact and we'll be happy to provide you with further details. The run-through is relatively soon so get in touch ASAP!"
And that was taken from this website
Monday, 30 July 2012
Paul Sinha (The Chase) Blog
The Chaser and comedian Paul Sinha has a very entertaining blog I think is well worth linking to. You can find it at http://sinhaha.wordpress.com/ and although its much more than quizzing blog, its definitely worth following!
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Olympic Book Recommendation
I have been recommending a lot lately and indeed the blog seems to have been taken over by the Olympics.
But I just can;t help to suggest this one.
This tome of facts collates all the winners since 1896 of all the events, runners up and results etc. A quizzers dream!
But what really stands out about this book is the little stories and tales it tells, the little bits of Trivia it includes and generally the added information the book gives. I learned quite a lot with my first flick through and its been my side since I got it. It is set out well and contains bags of information.
A link to buy on Amazon with equally positive reviews...
Essential for Quizzers looking to boost Olympic knowledge!
But I just can;t help to suggest this one.
This tome of facts collates all the winners since 1896 of all the events, runners up and results etc. A quizzers dream!
But what really stands out about this book is the little stories and tales it tells, the little bits of Trivia it includes and generally the added information the book gives. I learned quite a lot with my first flick through and its been my side since I got it. It is set out well and contains bags of information.
A link to buy on Amazon with equally positive reviews...
Essential for Quizzers looking to boost Olympic knowledge!
Having a "night" ruined by Google.....an a clear cheating system!
After a few weeks off I returned to a usual quiz on Thursday ran by a friend of mine. It is always a fun quiz, a much more socialable one than I usually go to as it is the closest thing I have to a regular and one usually rife with cheating...
Now the cheating does not usually bother me as much as in other quizzes as I consider this a tough quiz. The references, sources and sort of TV/Media covered is very specific to a certain age range of which I don't fall into, team sizes are usually massive and with 20 points falling across pictures and music it is not usually one I do well in. But I don't much mind.
However, this week I had what I refer to as "the night". Every quizzer will have one of these every so often where questions fall right, everything floods back and it just feels like the quiz was made for you. Even the pictures and music proved no challenge and even though the smallest team by far we raced through scoring much higher than usual and getting very few wrong.
We score 59/70. This would usually win easily every week (5 of those points are based on a bonus for getting all the wipeout questions right) so we dropped only 6 points and 3 of those were through hesitation to answer in a round where we could have been wiped out.
Anyway, I could see rife cheating, and I mean blatant cheating. App's used on phones to recognise songs, picture rounds passed round to non players etc
The worst thing of all, is despite our top score we could see who would win as it was a contest for who would cheat the best! A team of 6-7 players seemed to have a clear system of cheating. After every 3 questions one member would get up and a) go to the loo or b) head outside. It was beyond a joke as we realised what was happening! As soon as they were back they grabbed the pen and obviously wrote in the answer they had googled.
Annoyed is not the word.
As I said this is more of a social occasion with friends than some of the other quizzes I go to but it just makes a shambles of the whole thing. The team that won with 68 points clearly actually did not know anything as they had to google it all, dropped their only 2 points on the virtually ungoogleable pictures and got away with it. Why attend a quiz as an exercise only to cheat?
Anyway rant over and the quiz is one that I will still go to for social reasons but is far from something I will make an effort for.
Now the cheating does not usually bother me as much as in other quizzes as I consider this a tough quiz. The references, sources and sort of TV/Media covered is very specific to a certain age range of which I don't fall into, team sizes are usually massive and with 20 points falling across pictures and music it is not usually one I do well in. But I don't much mind.
However, this week I had what I refer to as "the night". Every quizzer will have one of these every so often where questions fall right, everything floods back and it just feels like the quiz was made for you. Even the pictures and music proved no challenge and even though the smallest team by far we raced through scoring much higher than usual and getting very few wrong.
We score 59/70. This would usually win easily every week (5 of those points are based on a bonus for getting all the wipeout questions right) so we dropped only 6 points and 3 of those were through hesitation to answer in a round where we could have been wiped out.
Anyway, I could see rife cheating, and I mean blatant cheating. App's used on phones to recognise songs, picture rounds passed round to non players etc
The worst thing of all, is despite our top score we could see who would win as it was a contest for who would cheat the best! A team of 6-7 players seemed to have a clear system of cheating. After every 3 questions one member would get up and a) go to the loo or b) head outside. It was beyond a joke as we realised what was happening! As soon as they were back they grabbed the pen and obviously wrote in the answer they had googled.
Annoyed is not the word.
As I said this is more of a social occasion with friends than some of the other quizzes I go to but it just makes a shambles of the whole thing. The team that won with 68 points clearly actually did not know anything as they had to google it all, dropped their only 2 points on the virtually ungoogleable pictures and got away with it. Why attend a quiz as an exercise only to cheat?
Anyway rant over and the quiz is one that I will still go to for social reasons but is far from something I will make an effort for.
Olympic Quiz 2
Well as promised, because I like many other quizzers, will be taking all the events into memory for future quizzing purposes. Here are a few more daily teasers to see how much you have been paying attention.
1. Ryan Locthe defeated Michael Phelps in their first Olympic 2012 dual in the pool. Where did Phelps finish?
2. Who won the men’s Olympic Cycling Road Race, much to the disappointment of Mark Cavendish?
3. Which British Gymnast male will be hoping to build on his Olympic medal in Bejiing after qualifying for the solo Olympic final?
4. Which 38 year old British Marathon runner withdrew from the Olympic race over the weekend?
5. Who did Andy Murray defeat in his opening game of the Olympic Tennis Tournament?
6. Which nation won the first gold of the games?
7. Which nation won the Olympic team event in Men’s Archery by scoring a 10 with the final arrow?
8. If you were beaten by an Ippon, what Olympic sport would you be playing?
9. Colin Oates missed out on a medal despite a surging run through the rounds in what sport?
10. Who became the first American to win individual medals at 5 straight Olympics?
11. Earl’s Court has been playing host to what Olympic Event?
1. Ryan Locthe defeated Michael Phelps in their first Olympic 2012 dual in the pool. Where did Phelps finish?
2. Who won the men’s Olympic Cycling Road Race, much to the disappointment of Mark Cavendish?
3. Which British Gymnast male will be hoping to build on his Olympic medal in Bejiing after qualifying for the solo Olympic final?
4. Which 38 year old British Marathon runner withdrew from the Olympic race over the weekend?
5. Who did Andy Murray defeat in his opening game of the Olympic Tennis Tournament?
6. Which nation won the first gold of the games?
7. Which nation won the Olympic team event in Men’s Archery by scoring a 10 with the final arrow?
8. If you were beaten by an Ippon, what Olympic sport would you be playing?
9. Colin Oates missed out on a medal despite a surging run through the rounds in what sport?
10. Who became the first American to win individual medals at 5 straight Olympics?
11. Earl’s Court has been playing host to what Olympic Event?
Olympic Quiz 1
Well given that my time is entirely devoted now to the Olympic's, yes I am that obsessed!, I will be placing a series of quizzes up at random intervals about the games. They will all be London 2012 quizzes and here is the first!
1. Which famous film director was the principal director of the opening ceremony of the Olympic games?
2. The Sports Direct Arena was required to change its name back to what in order to host Olympic football to comply with Olympic rules?
3. Who scored Team GB’s first goal in the Men’s Football against Senegal?
4. The North Korean women’s football team refused to come out in their opening game against Colombia due to what incident?
5. ….and at what ground did this incident occur?
6. Football dominated the early schedule in the games. Who scored the England Women’s team opening goal of the games?
7. Which British female tennis player was handed a last minute entry into the Olympic tournament on the day of the Opening Ceremony after a fellow player withdrew through injury?
8. Im-Dong Yun broke an individual record in what sport on the first morning of the Olympic despite suffering from severe sight problems?
9. Which female competitor has began her sixth Olympic campaign in Archery?
10. At which Cricket Ground have the Archery competitions been taking place?
11. In the days leading up to the games, bookmakers stopped taking bets on which Athlete lighting the Olympic Coludrun which turned out to be entirely untrue?
12. Who won the first medal for team GB?
1. Which famous film director was the principal director of the opening ceremony of the Olympic games?
2. The Sports Direct Arena was required to change its name back to what in order to host Olympic football to comply with Olympic rules?
3. Who scored Team GB’s first goal in the Men’s Football against Senegal?
4. The North Korean women’s football team refused to come out in their opening game against Colombia due to what incident?
5. ….and at what ground did this incident occur?
6. Football dominated the early schedule in the games. Who scored the England Women’s team opening goal of the games?
7. Which British female tennis player was handed a last minute entry into the Olympic tournament on the day of the Opening Ceremony after a fellow player withdrew through injury?
8. Im-Dong Yun broke an individual record in what sport on the first morning of the Olympic despite suffering from severe sight problems?
9. Which female competitor has began her sixth Olympic campaign in Archery?
10. At which Cricket Ground have the Archery competitions been taking place?
11. In the days leading up to the games, bookmakers stopped taking bets on which Athlete lighting the Olympic Coludrun which turned out to be entirely untrue?
12. Who won the first medal for team GB?
University Challenge
You may have noticed already that there will be no University Challenge tonight....for obvious reason. Looks like a while before the show gets into a full run as after the Olympics it looks like the Paralympics will also see the show pushed off schedules.
Trevor Montague - A-Z of Popular culture
I mentioned that Trevor's new book, A-Z of British and Irish Popular Culture, was out in Kindle format a few weeks back. Well, for those waiting for the Hardback version its now available on Amazon. Another essential reference book from Trevor.
Here is a link...
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Doing The Papers? What’s your technique?
Doing The Papers? What’s your technique?
Whatever level quizzing you are at keeping up to date with the news is vital and for many quizzers catching up with papers is a time consuming (albeit a pleasurable one) and detailed affair. I have often wondered how other quizzers approach this …what papers do you read? How many? How often? And how much time you actually spend on them. I would love to hear other people’s habits.
I tend to read three papers a day on weekdays. Usually a high brow paper such as The Telegraph or The Times which I would spend most time reading. A tabloid to keep up on gossip and news items that are vital for the average pub quiz (usually The Sun) and also another paper depending on features/supplements (anything from the i to the Express). This takes up a few hours of my day and I usually write quiz questions relating to news items as I am going (some of which you will have seen appear on here).
Weekends are very different. I buy The Telegraph on Saturday which is packed with supplements to cover all corners of my knowledge and tend to also buy one tabloid for the reasons above…usually again The Sun.
Sundays, depending on what I am doing, I’ll buy The Observer, Time and The Sun and the supplements usually last me all week. I do try and read all sections at least briefly in case I can pick anything useful up. This takes a lot of time and I would also write questions as I go.
I have found this way and this range of newspapers, along obviously with TV and Radio news, works a treat and although I do drop the odd point at current affairs this technique makes those rounds an easy way to notch up points.
Whatever level quizzing you are at keeping up to date with the news is vital and for many quizzers catching up with papers is a time consuming (albeit a pleasurable one) and detailed affair. I have often wondered how other quizzers approach this …what papers do you read? How many? How often? And how much time you actually spend on them. I would love to hear other people’s habits.
I tend to read three papers a day on weekdays. Usually a high brow paper such as The Telegraph or The Times which I would spend most time reading. A tabloid to keep up on gossip and news items that are vital for the average pub quiz (usually The Sun) and also another paper depending on features/supplements (anything from the i to the Express). This takes up a few hours of my day and I usually write quiz questions relating to news items as I am going (some of which you will have seen appear on here).
Weekends are very different. I buy The Telegraph on Saturday which is packed with supplements to cover all corners of my knowledge and tend to also buy one tabloid for the reasons above…usually again The Sun.
Sundays, depending on what I am doing, I’ll buy The Observer, Time and The Sun and the supplements usually last me all week. I do try and read all sections at least briefly in case I can pick anything useful up. This takes a lot of time and I would also write questions as I go.
I have found this way and this range of newspapers, along obviously with TV and Radio news, works a treat and although I do drop the odd point at current affairs this technique makes those rounds an easy way to notch up points.
"Professional" quizzers in normal pub quizzes.......
There has been an interesting debate occurring on Facebook on the profile page of a well known TV quizzer. I won't mention names suffice to say this chap now makes a living from a tv quiz show.
Anyway, he raised the point in a status update concerning whether it was "ethical" for a "Professional Quizzer" to enter a normal pub quiz. This started a very good debate with top Uk quizzers chipping in with opinions.
Although some quizzers stated that it was perhaps wrong for "professional" quizzers to enter a pub quiz, the vast consensus was that it was perfectly acceptable. This got me thinking about several stories I have read on Facebook and on blogs such as David Clark’s Life After Mastermind of occurrences when "professionals" have been barred from quizzes and asked not to come back. The debate lasted a while with a lot of strong opinions and interesting issues.
The first thing to mention is that this entirely depends on your definition of a “professional”. Obviously if we stick to the root meaning of the term, those that make a living from quizzing, then we are only talking about a very narrow bunch of people. The chances one of those walking into your pub quiz is slim so unless you are in that position it’s a small debate. However if we widen this to include people who take quizzing “seriously” and perhaps to whom its more than a hobby, then it gets more interesting.
1. The non-professional “Professionals”
I remember the first few quizzes I went to in a local. Obviously it was my first few tastes of quizzing in pubs and pub quiz culture shall we say. Close to the start of the quiz a team walked in and there was a groan on the table next to us with them stating “here are the professionals”. I am sure such phrases are heard all over the country in quizzes. Obviously, they were not “professionals” in that sense of the word, they were teachers and quizzed together socially. But because they seemed to win every week, which I soon learned, then they were deemed “professionals” by people who obviously meant - “better quizzers than us”.
Since then most quizzes I have been to regularly, this has happened. If a darts player or snooker player goes into a local pub, often people pay to play them. It’s been part of those sports for years. I remember Bobby George used to play in local pubs around the north east, making a decent wage from playing against people who played for the pleasure. Why is it then that a quiz “professional” who plays against the locals is treated differently? Perhaps it goes back to the school notion of “swats” and “know it alls”.
2. “Committed Quizzers”
What will please people who moan about committed quizzers entering pub quizzes? What is their hope? That they will turn away all competition so that they win every week?
My argument continued and I used my own case study. I consider myself a very committed quizzer. I work full time so spent the rest of my hours learning, quizzing and doing all I can to improve my quizzing skills. My only outlet at the moment is pub quizzing. I have tried to get on TV but failed so far, I am not starting quiz league playing until the next month or so and I cannot financially afford to go to all the GP’s. So without pub quizzing I have no outlet. Why should someone in a similar position as me feel bad or hesitant about doing something we love just because it isn’t considered “right” by some.
By being a committed Quizzer does that mean we as a bunch are spoiling it for others? I think not.
3. The Benefits of the regular winner
Does the average quiz player really only enter a quiz in the hope of winning? By barring professionals and good quizzers this is the message landlords and quiz masters are sending out. I do not for one second believe that regular winners ruins quizzes. Never in my experience has this happened.
In fact, I think the opposite occurs…..The pattern is simple and repeats itself. A team wins every week, this makes the quiz master more alert and up for the challenge and hence produces a better quiz. It could even lead to innovations and changes in the format to prevent repeat wins which sometimes could be for the better.
Also a regular winner can act as a measuring stick……A team that wins each week soon becomes known and people can measure their performance not just on placing but on the winners. “Only 7 points behind them this week…” etc etc. This certainly is the case in a few quizzes I attend.
4. The Moaners
Back to the question above. Does the average quiz player really only enter a quiz in the hope of winning? The answer is no.
I would say at least 75% of players in an average quiz are not focused on winning. Yes, everybody wants to do their best but winning is the focus of the minority. Let’s not forget it’s first and foremost a social occasion which is why the vast majority play. The people who are moaning obviously care about winning. Especially of a jackpot is concerned….money brings out the worst in people.
My theory is simple and maybe a bit harsh. If you are moaning about being beaten in a quiz…get better. You wouldn’t moan at Wayne Rooney because he is a better footballer than you, you wouldn’t moan at Usain Bolt because he runs faster….so why moan at regular pub going folk who happen to be better at quizzes than you? What happened to the “it’s the taking part that counts?”.
Phew…anyway rant over. Sorry it that seemed a bit random but the stories of good quizzers being banned from pubs and asked not to return irritates me a lot!
Anyway, he raised the point in a status update concerning whether it was "ethical" for a "Professional Quizzer" to enter a normal pub quiz. This started a very good debate with top Uk quizzers chipping in with opinions.
Although some quizzers stated that it was perhaps wrong for "professional" quizzers to enter a pub quiz, the vast consensus was that it was perfectly acceptable. This got me thinking about several stories I have read on Facebook and on blogs such as David Clark’s Life After Mastermind of occurrences when "professionals" have been barred from quizzes and asked not to come back. The debate lasted a while with a lot of strong opinions and interesting issues.
The first thing to mention is that this entirely depends on your definition of a “professional”. Obviously if we stick to the root meaning of the term, those that make a living from quizzing, then we are only talking about a very narrow bunch of people. The chances one of those walking into your pub quiz is slim so unless you are in that position it’s a small debate. However if we widen this to include people who take quizzing “seriously” and perhaps to whom its more than a hobby, then it gets more interesting.
1. The non-professional “Professionals”
I remember the first few quizzes I went to in a local. Obviously it was my first few tastes of quizzing in pubs and pub quiz culture shall we say. Close to the start of the quiz a team walked in and there was a groan on the table next to us with them stating “here are the professionals”. I am sure such phrases are heard all over the country in quizzes. Obviously, they were not “professionals” in that sense of the word, they were teachers and quizzed together socially. But because they seemed to win every week, which I soon learned, then they were deemed “professionals” by people who obviously meant - “better quizzers than us”.
Since then most quizzes I have been to regularly, this has happened. If a darts player or snooker player goes into a local pub, often people pay to play them. It’s been part of those sports for years. I remember Bobby George used to play in local pubs around the north east, making a decent wage from playing against people who played for the pleasure. Why is it then that a quiz “professional” who plays against the locals is treated differently? Perhaps it goes back to the school notion of “swats” and “know it alls”.
2. “Committed Quizzers”
What will please people who moan about committed quizzers entering pub quizzes? What is their hope? That they will turn away all competition so that they win every week?
My argument continued and I used my own case study. I consider myself a very committed quizzer. I work full time so spent the rest of my hours learning, quizzing and doing all I can to improve my quizzing skills. My only outlet at the moment is pub quizzing. I have tried to get on TV but failed so far, I am not starting quiz league playing until the next month or so and I cannot financially afford to go to all the GP’s. So without pub quizzing I have no outlet. Why should someone in a similar position as me feel bad or hesitant about doing something we love just because it isn’t considered “right” by some.
By being a committed Quizzer does that mean we as a bunch are spoiling it for others? I think not.
3. The Benefits of the regular winner
Does the average quiz player really only enter a quiz in the hope of winning? By barring professionals and good quizzers this is the message landlords and quiz masters are sending out. I do not for one second believe that regular winners ruins quizzes. Never in my experience has this happened.
In fact, I think the opposite occurs…..The pattern is simple and repeats itself. A team wins every week, this makes the quiz master more alert and up for the challenge and hence produces a better quiz. It could even lead to innovations and changes in the format to prevent repeat wins which sometimes could be for the better.
Also a regular winner can act as a measuring stick……A team that wins each week soon becomes known and people can measure their performance not just on placing but on the winners. “Only 7 points behind them this week…” etc etc. This certainly is the case in a few quizzes I attend.
4. The Moaners
Back to the question above. Does the average quiz player really only enter a quiz in the hope of winning? The answer is no.
I would say at least 75% of players in an average quiz are not focused on winning. Yes, everybody wants to do their best but winning is the focus of the minority. Let’s not forget it’s first and foremost a social occasion which is why the vast majority play. The people who are moaning obviously care about winning. Especially of a jackpot is concerned….money brings out the worst in people.
My theory is simple and maybe a bit harsh. If you are moaning about being beaten in a quiz…get better. You wouldn’t moan at Wayne Rooney because he is a better footballer than you, you wouldn’t moan at Usain Bolt because he runs faster….so why moan at regular pub going folk who happen to be better at quizzes than you? What happened to the “it’s the taking part that counts?”.
Phew…anyway rant over. Sorry it that seemed a bit random but the stories of good quizzers being banned from pubs and asked not to return irritates me a lot!
University Challenge Quiz Book
I have probably linked to this before, but with the new series of University Challenge on our screens then I thought I would further recommend the excellent University Challenge quiz book. Packed full for fresh, testing and detailed questions in the style of the show this is one of the most used and loved quiz books in my collection.
Here is a link to buy on Amazon, I am sure you won't regret it....
Here is a link to buy on Amazon, I am sure you won't regret it....
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Where did that come from?
I have touched on this in a previous post on this blog, but the more I learn the more it is starting to happen....
If you are a long term reader you may have read my post earlier in the year asking readers which questions gave quizzers the most satisfaction. Chestnuts? One's you have taken time to learn? Questions you get straight away without thinking? Questions you have to work out?
The answers were pretty varied but lately I have started to question where my knowledge has come from. Usually when I question comes up I know, I know how I know it (that make sense?). But lately when watching TV shows (Cleverdicks and UC in particular) answers keep popping into my head that I say out loud, immediately doubt and they turn out to be right. Being rather obsessive I then spend the next 5 minutes trying to remember how I know it. For someone who likes being in control and is very obsessive about hobbies etc, this really throws me. I suppose its a sign I am becoming a better quizzer but it has not changed my opinion on the above debate.
My favourite questions still remain ones you have to work out. Where answering based on a fact you know is not enough and you have to do some lateral thinking etc. Only Connect style questions being a prime example. Using fact based knowledge for other purposes and spending time to work out the right answer is still the highlight for me. Answering chestnuts and easy questions is always satisfying to some degree but you cannot beat working hard for that one point..........
If you are a long term reader you may have read my post earlier in the year asking readers which questions gave quizzers the most satisfaction. Chestnuts? One's you have taken time to learn? Questions you get straight away without thinking? Questions you have to work out?
The answers were pretty varied but lately I have started to question where my knowledge has come from. Usually when I question comes up I know, I know how I know it (that make sense?). But lately when watching TV shows (Cleverdicks and UC in particular) answers keep popping into my head that I say out loud, immediately doubt and they turn out to be right. Being rather obsessive I then spend the next 5 minutes trying to remember how I know it. For someone who likes being in control and is very obsessive about hobbies etc, this really throws me. I suppose its a sign I am becoming a better quizzer but it has not changed my opinion on the above debate.
My favourite questions still remain ones you have to work out. Where answering based on a fact you know is not enough and you have to do some lateral thinking etc. Only Connect style questions being a prime example. Using fact based knowledge for other purposes and spending time to work out the right answer is still the highlight for me. Answering chestnuts and easy questions is always satisfying to some degree but you cannot beat working hard for that one point..........
Cleverdicks....again
Cleverdicks continues it's rerun on Challenge as we reach about the half way point of its thirty episode run. I am still enjoying it very much and would still urge anyone who has not seen it to try it out.
This weeks episodes have saw another top UK quizzer triumph in a number of shows, Diane Hallagan. What has particularly impressed me about Diane's run is that she has not resorted to guessing wildly. I am not criticising any other players who have won episodes for doing this by any means, its a valid tactic and one that has proven successful but Diane has played a different tactic and sat back, waited for a solid answer to come and went for it. Obviously there are times when guessing is a must (numerical questions etc) but Diane has resisted Anne's constant "just guess" jibes in the final round.
Due to being Olympic mad I will probably be recording the next few episodes to watch when the games are over (Yes...I will be that hooked) so the next update won't be for a while.
Easily the best new quiz show to emerge this year whereas the parts of Tipping Point I sometimes have the misfortune of catching make it a clear contender for the worst.
The Chaser Goes Olympic!
You may or may not be aware that one of the stars of ITV's The Chase, Paul Sinha, is a successful UK comic. Anyway, he has recently put together a show for BBC Radio 4 entitled The Sinha Games which aired this week and I enjoyed it quite a lot when I listened to it on BBC iplayer last night.
So for anyone with a remote interest in the games, or more to the point comedy, you can listen to the show on iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l0dpb/The_Sinha_Games/
So for anyone with a remote interest in the games, or more to the point comedy, you can listen to the show on iplayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l0dpb/The_Sinha_Games/
Olympic Book Recommendation
With all the hype and coverage of the history of the Olympic Games, quizzers cannot really have an excuse now for getting questions on the subject wrong!
I was expecting quizzes to be dominated by Olympic questions to start emerging throughout the summer so spent a lot of time earlier in the year ensuring my knowledge was spot on and one book, amongst others, I have found very very helpful has been John White's Olympic Miscellany which you can find a link to buy on Amazon below.
This is a cracking little treasure trove of both well known and obscure facts about the games that knowledge of has won me quiz points. Its well written, concise and perfect to dip in and out of!
You may be sick of Olympic Talk but this is well worth reading!
I was expecting quizzes to be dominated by Olympic questions to start emerging throughout the summer so spent a lot of time earlier in the year ensuring my knowledge was spot on and one book, amongst others, I have found very very helpful has been John White's Olympic Miscellany which you can find a link to buy on Amazon below.
This is a cracking little treasure trove of both well known and obscure facts about the games that knowledge of has won me quiz points. Its well written, concise and perfect to dip in and out of!
You may be sick of Olympic Talk but this is well worth reading!
University Challenge 2012/13 - First Round Match 2
University Challenge - Round 1 Match 2
St. George's London vs Kings College Cambridge
A much closer affair this week with two well matched teams who went toe to toe. Was it just me or did tonight's questions seem much harder than last week? In either case there was some excellent knowledge on display and again the question setting was of the highest order.
For the second show in a row no-one really dominated the buzzer and everyone chipped in. I think a few times Kings captain purged ahead without fully consulting the team much to their cost as they lost a close fought battle by a mere 30 points. It was neck and neck until the final few moments but St Georges managed to put together a confident run in the last 4-5 minutes to win this episode of University Challenge.
As I said, I thought tonight's episode had very hard questions for a first round match so St Georges may well prove hard to beat.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Quiz of the Weeks News
A bit later than usual, due to spending the weekend at the fabulous Sunderland Air Show, but here is the quiz of the weeks news for you to have a go at. Noticed quite a Sports heavy theme this week. Answers as usual in the comment box.....
1. Which comedian was appointed as an associate director of Crystal Palace this week?
2. Who was revealed to be the highest earning television personality at the BBC, earning £3 Million a year?
3. Name the founder of the band Deep Purple who passed away this week?
4. Fabio Capello was announced as the new manager of which national team this week?
5. Cardiff and Swansea football supporters broke into a mass brawl at which racecourse?
6. Which comedian was cleared of a driving offence after being able to prove he was not at the wheel of the car at the time of the event?
7. Which team will replace Rangers in the Scottish Premier League?
8. In which US State did a gunman murder 12 people whilst attending a screen of the latest Batman film?
9. A plug was pulled on which Rock Stars gig at Hyde Park this week in the midst of a duet with Paul Mcartney?
10. The Olympic Stadium in London was nominated for which architectural prize this week?
Friday, 20 July 2012
Cleverdicks - Week 2 of Re-Runs Round Up
Well, I have been continuing to enjoy the re-run of Cleverdicks on Challenge. This week saw notable quizzers involved as usual with Stephen Dodding putting together a solid run of wins, this years Mastermind winner Gary Grant taking the throne and high ranked uk quizzers including Kathryn Johnson taking part.
My opinion on this show remains the same as last week, largely positive. I have noticed this week an imbalance too in the round of head to head. You can get far more answers wrong than your opponent and still win due to the way the system works. I think this, as well as the over-guessing aspect are the two main areas that need to be looked at to balance the field a little.
As for the host, I may be in the minority here but I think she does a good job generally. Far better than some of the so-called professional presenters they could have put it there.
I really hope the ratings are solid enough in the re-runs to impress Sky to make another series. It may even lead to further "high-quality" quizzing shows in the future with a top level of quizzing if this does well.....
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
University Challenge 2012/13 - Match 1
Guess what is back!!!!
University Challenge crept back onto BBC Two last night for the start of the 2012/2013 run. Its good to have it back even though I was not expecting to see it so early in the year.
As usual we will be following the show on TQA and here is hoping this years University Challenge is as entertaining as last years series.
The first match of the first round this year pitted York against newcomers Trinity Laban with the line ups as follows -
York - Alex Leonhardt, Robin Virgo, Rebecca Woods, Edward Haynes
Trinity Laban - Kate Barton, Dicken Cooper, Sam Draper, Amber Jackson-Bond
Here we go…
York got the first score on the board and a strong buzz by Virgo resulted in them taking a further lead early on. Trinity Laban were not long in gettig points of thier own on the board and it was lining up to be a very close encounter to kick off the series!
A tough picture round on types of photographic film was picked up quickly by Draper who couldn't quite capitalise on the buzz pushing Trinity Laban into the lead. A string of wrong answers followed though but York got back into the lead with a buzz through Woods. Everyone looked to Leonhardt for answers but only one bonus was picked up. This looked liked it could run to the wire.
It was a case of failing to take on bonuses points after buzzing as York managed a few solid buzzes but failed to build up a singificant lead by topping up with bonuses...always risky on University Challenge!
York had built up a 35 point lead though heading into a cracking music round focusing on bands with common band members. Trinty Laban managed to get the music bonuses following a further buzzer question. A very enjoyable round and Trinity Laban showed a key mistake in quizzing...assuming the answer is right without hearing all clues/parts of the question and getting that answer stuck in the head. We have all done it! They did not manage to put together a correct answer and still trailed.
Jackson-Bond buzzed impressively for her first real show of the night and the debutants were looking to form a path back into the contest. Everyone seemed to be looking at Cooper for answers but just the one was forthcoming taking the gap down to ten points. Draper managed to pick up a bonus and draw the contest level at 65-65.
The lead soon followed and Draper really tookn the captains lead and for the first time York trailed. With no one really dominating buzzer it was wide open heading into the final third.
York soon had the lead back heading into a interesting picture round with pictures of cities to identify. If the question setting tonight is anything to do by then we are in for a cracking series!
Under 5 minutes remained and a run by York took them to a 40 point lead which seemed to be a winning margain. This lead kept building and building and York had come into form where it mattered in the final moments.
The final score ended up with 180-105 in favour of York.
Based on this evidence York may be able to make a run to the latter stages. Well done to Trinity on debut in University Challenge but York went on a run towards the end that ended thier hopes. Neither team really took full advantage of thier bonuses and as I have said, a close match turned into a comfortable win points-wise for York.
Its good to have University Challenge back and as mentioned, if the question setting is of the standard seen tonight we are in for a treat!
University Challenge 2012/13 - Round 1 Match 1
York vs Trinity Laban
As usual we will be following the show on TQA and here is hoping this years University Challenge is as entertaining as last years series.
The first match of the first round this year pitted York against newcomers Trinity Laban with the line ups as follows -
York - Alex Leonhardt, Robin Virgo, Rebecca Woods, Edward Haynes
Trinity Laban - Kate Barton, Dicken Cooper, Sam Draper, Amber Jackson-Bond
Here we go…
York got the first score on the board and a strong buzz by Virgo resulted in them taking a further lead early on. Trinity Laban were not long in gettig points of thier own on the board and it was lining up to be a very close encounter to kick off the series!
A tough picture round on types of photographic film was picked up quickly by Draper who couldn't quite capitalise on the buzz pushing Trinity Laban into the lead. A string of wrong answers followed though but York got back into the lead with a buzz through Woods. Everyone looked to Leonhardt for answers but only one bonus was picked up. This looked liked it could run to the wire.
It was a case of failing to take on bonuses points after buzzing as York managed a few solid buzzes but failed to build up a singificant lead by topping up with bonuses...always risky on University Challenge!
York had built up a 35 point lead though heading into a cracking music round focusing on bands with common band members. Trinty Laban managed to get the music bonuses following a further buzzer question. A very enjoyable round and Trinity Laban showed a key mistake in quizzing...assuming the answer is right without hearing all clues/parts of the question and getting that answer stuck in the head. We have all done it! They did not manage to put together a correct answer and still trailed.
Jackson-Bond buzzed impressively for her first real show of the night and the debutants were looking to form a path back into the contest. Everyone seemed to be looking at Cooper for answers but just the one was forthcoming taking the gap down to ten points. Draper managed to pick up a bonus and draw the contest level at 65-65.
The lead soon followed and Draper really tookn the captains lead and for the first time York trailed. With no one really dominating buzzer it was wide open heading into the final third.
York soon had the lead back heading into a interesting picture round with pictures of cities to identify. If the question setting tonight is anything to do by then we are in for a cracking series!
Under 5 minutes remained and a run by York took them to a 40 point lead which seemed to be a winning margain. This lead kept building and building and York had come into form where it mattered in the final moments.
The final score ended up with 180-105 in favour of York.
Based on this evidence York may be able to make a run to the latter stages. Well done to Trinity on debut in University Challenge but York went on a run towards the end that ended thier hopes. Neither team really took full advantage of thier bonuses and as I have said, a close match turned into a comfortable win points-wise for York.
Its good to have University Challenge back and as mentioned, if the question setting is of the standard seen tonight we are in for a treat!
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Sunday Quiz
A mixture of current affairs, GK and some Olympic Quiz Questions thrown in, just to be topical....Answers as usual in the comment box.
Little hint if you are stuck on any, two answers to consecutive questions will be exactly the same.
1. At the Mexico Olympics in 1968, who was the first man to break the ten second barrier in the 100m?
2. This week, Ed Milliband became the first Labour Party Leader to speak at the Durham Miners Gala since who?
3. What is the name of David Blunkett's long serving guide dog who died this week?
4. A crazed gunman in North Carolina demanded which celebrity's hand in marriage this week when negotiating his surrender to police?
5. Johnny Weismuller famously won 5 Olympic Gold medals in swimming events before going onto play Tarzan on the big screen. What other Olympic event did he twice win bronze in?
6. The father of a famous young singer, which celebrity announced he will be taking Class A drugs live on Channel 4 in a documentary set to air in the coming months?
7. The Deutsche Borsche prize is awarded in what field of the arts?
8. Who is the subject of "The Clouds" by Aristophanes?
9. Which former Brazilian International Footballer famously once played for English non-league outfit, Garforth Town, making one brief 12 minute appearance as a sub?
10. Margaret Chan is the Director-General of which global organisation?
11. Name the author. Her debut novel was "The Island", she has recently released "The Thread" and is married to the editor of a famous Political Magazine?
12. What was the name of the character played by Halle Berry in "Die Another Day"?
Little hint if you are stuck on any, two answers to consecutive questions will be exactly the same.
1. At the Mexico Olympics in 1968, who was the first man to break the ten second barrier in the 100m?
2. This week, Ed Milliband became the first Labour Party Leader to speak at the Durham Miners Gala since who?
3. What is the name of David Blunkett's long serving guide dog who died this week?
4. A crazed gunman in North Carolina demanded which celebrity's hand in marriage this week when negotiating his surrender to police?
5. Johnny Weismuller famously won 5 Olympic Gold medals in swimming events before going onto play Tarzan on the big screen. What other Olympic event did he twice win bronze in?
6. The father of a famous young singer, which celebrity announced he will be taking Class A drugs live on Channel 4 in a documentary set to air in the coming months?
7. The Deutsche Borsche prize is awarded in what field of the arts?
8. Who is the subject of "The Clouds" by Aristophanes?
9. Which former Brazilian International Footballer famously once played for English non-league outfit, Garforth Town, making one brief 12 minute appearance as a sub?
10. Margaret Chan is the Director-General of which global organisation?
11. Name the author. Her debut novel was "The Island", she has recently released "The Thread" and is married to the editor of a famous Political Magazine?
12. What was the name of the character played by Halle Berry in "Die Another Day"?
Interview with Dan Smith
Last week I posted a glowing review of Dan Smith's new quiz book, "Think You Know It All". I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book and without repeating myself I found it refreshing, interesting and it really did expose some gaps in my knowledge!!
Anyway, have a gander at the review in a previous blog entry if you get chance, but for today Dan has been kind enough to give a quick interview. Links to buy the book are below the main text.
How would you describe “Think You Know It All” in one sentence?
A quiz book that not only tests the breadth of your knowledge, but its depth too.
What inspired you to write the book?
A life-long love of quizzes and general knowledge, of both the useful and useless varieties!
The questions in the book cover a whole range of topics, how did you decide what to include?
It was lovely to have the freedom to put in whatever I wanted to. I suppose my guiding principles were that this should be a book that a family could share. No one is going to know everything in it but everyone should be able to find something they can do. So whether it’s your eight-year-old Harry Potter-fanatic niece, your football loving uncle or your sciency mum or dad, they’ll have their chance to shine. I wanted to cover everything from low and high culture to sport, politics and science.
Did you purposely set out to create a quiz book that was ‘a little different’ from the usual Question and Answer formats?
Yes, I suppose so. When I sat down with the publisher, we realised that the quiz book market is a crowded place and that most of what is on offer is similar in format: lists of questions, with each having a single right answer. Our twist, if you like, was to have quizzes in which for the most part a single question demands a whole set of answers that will tax you for longer. For instance, rather than asking who the first man on the moon was, I ask you to name all the men who have ever walked on the moon. Or all the members of Abba. Or all the Summer Olympic host cities. It might drive you mad trying to work it out, but when you do get every answer, it really is satisfying!
Tell us a little bit about any experience you have with quizzing?
As I mentioned, I’ve always loved general knowledge. As an example, in the late-1980s a great tome was published called The Chronicle of the 20th Century, and I can remember consuming it from cover to cover. I was in my early teens at the time and should really have been sneaking a fag behind the bike sheds, but that was the way it was. I also loved ‘Trivial Pursuit’, an absolutely integral part of every Christmas. In later years came the pub quizzes, which I still enjoy to this day, especially when I’m on the winning team. Pub quizzes can bring out the best and worst in people, and it is fascinating to watch how teams interact. There are the classic ‘dominators’ always convinced that they are right, the ‘quiet ones’ who know when their team’s ‘dominator’ is wrong but are too afraid to say, then of course the ‘recriminators’ who take strange joy from having their suggested answer rejected only to see the team’s alternative answer proved wrong. Sociologists can have a field day at a pub quiz.
How is your own general knowledge and did you find writing the book to be a learning process?
Well, it’s not bad, though I am aware of plenty of failings (which I obviously won’t reveal here). The book was a great learning process, though I fear much of that new information has now been lodged deep in my attic mind where I won’t find it again. Ask me today to name all the Jonas Brothers, which I briefly knew during the writing of the book, and I will just stare at you blankly…
If you were to appear on Mastermind, what would your specialist subject be?
The thought of Mastermind terrifies me. Anything beyond ‘My favourite breakfast cereals’ would probably find me out. I have written a couple of books on Sherlock Holmes, so that would be an obvious choice, and I have also written a history of the Second World War Dig for Victory campaign. So let’s say Sherlock for the opening round and Dig for Victory in the final. (There’s no harm in a little over-confidence, after all.)
Links to buy the book from Amazon...
Quick Quiz
A few questions for today. Perhaps a little harder than some of the usual quiz questions I put up (put then again I am rubbish at deciding what is hard and what isn't). Answers in comment box as usual...
1. Which 100m sprinter will become the first man to compete in the event at 5 separate Olympic Games in London 2012?
2. The last verse in the traditional six verse "God Save the Queen" anthem, refers to which Rebellion?
3. Which two nations competed in the Water Polo match at the 1956 Olympic Games that later became known as the "Blood in the Water" match?
4. What is the only British film to claim the best animated feature Oscar?
5. Which Scientist first discovered capillaries in the human lung?
6. Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard are found in which English British County?
7. "Fork Handles", "O's", "Pumps" and "plugs" feature in a comedy sketch by which double act, voted by the BBC as the funniest comedy sketch of all time?
8. In Shakespeare's "As You Like It", what name does Rosalind use to disguise herself after she has fled the new Duke?
9. Who painted "The View of Toledo"?
10. Which England football player, who played a key role in Euro 2012, won his first four international caps whilst playing for four different clubs?
1. Which 100m sprinter will become the first man to compete in the event at 5 separate Olympic Games in London 2012?
2. The last verse in the traditional six verse "God Save the Queen" anthem, refers to which Rebellion?
3. Which two nations competed in the Water Polo match at the 1956 Olympic Games that later became known as the "Blood in the Water" match?
4. What is the only British film to claim the best animated feature Oscar?
5. Which Scientist first discovered capillaries in the human lung?
6. Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard are found in which English British County?
7. "Fork Handles", "O's", "Pumps" and "plugs" feature in a comedy sketch by which double act, voted by the BBC as the funniest comedy sketch of all time?
8. In Shakespeare's "As You Like It", what name does Rosalind use to disguise herself after she has fled the new Duke?
9. Who painted "The View of Toledo"?
10. Which England football player, who played a key role in Euro 2012, won his first four international caps whilst playing for four different clubs?
Saturday, 14 July 2012
A Question of Genius
A Question Of Genius is a show, in all honesty, I had never even heard of until I attended the World Quizzing Championships and got talking to a fellow contestant who mentioned he had appeared.
I have since hunted the show down on Youtube where a few episodes from series 2 are on offer. The show ran from 2009-2010, hosted by Kirsty Wark, over two series and based on what I have read on Wikipedia it changed in its format over the two series.
It is well worth a watch and much like Cleverdicks which I have been posting about this week, A Question of Genius focuses on the ability of the players and thus you get top quality questions and notable quizzers. For instance both Rob Hannah and Michael Mcpartland feature in the episode I have linked to below.
I really have been enjoying catching up with this on Youtube and I am not too sure how I managed to miss this first time round!
Does anyone know if there are any other episodes featured elsewhere online?
I have since hunted the show down on Youtube where a few episodes from series 2 are on offer. The show ran from 2009-2010, hosted by Kirsty Wark, over two series and based on what I have read on Wikipedia it changed in its format over the two series.
It is well worth a watch and much like Cleverdicks which I have been posting about this week, A Question of Genius focuses on the ability of the players and thus you get top quality questions and notable quizzers. For instance both Rob Hannah and Michael Mcpartland feature in the episode I have linked to below.
I really have been enjoying catching up with this on Youtube and I am not too sure how I managed to miss this first time round!
Does anyone know if there are any other episodes featured elsewhere online?
Interview with Caroline Taggart
You may be wondering where you have seen the name Caroline Taggart before? She is in fact the author of the "I Used to Know That" book, which to date has sold around 230,000 copies I am told. The book looks at those essential treasure troves of information we all feel we should know and probably once did know but have perhaps forgotten or need refreshed on. Ideal for Quizzers! Caroline also has wrote books including The Book of London Place Names and the book we will focus on here, "I Used to Know That Activity Book".
I will be reviewing this title in the coming days as I continue to work my way through it. All I will say on the subject now is that if you put aside the title regarding school, this is a cracking book for quizzers of all abilities testing both the breadth and depth of knowledge in certain areas as well as working an ideal family book. Well worth a look. Links to purchase the book via Amazon are below.
Here is a link to buy the book on Amazon...
I will be reviewing this title in the coming days as I continue to work my way through it. All I will say on the subject now is that if you put aside the title regarding school, this is a cracking book for quizzers of all abilities testing both the breadth and depth of knowledge in certain areas as well as working an ideal family book. Well worth a look. Links to purchase the book via Amazon are below.
Interview with Author Caroline Taggart
How would you describe the book in one sentence? A quiz book with a bit of a difference, based on stuff you (probably) learned at school but have (probably) forgotten most of.
What inspired you to write the book? A few years ago I wrote a book called I Used to Know That: stuff you forgot from school. It was really amazingly successful – I thought it was partly nostalgic, partly jokey, but it was published at exam time and people obviously thought that it would be useful for parents wanting to help kids with their revision. That hadn't been my intention at all, but it was a real bonus. So revamping it in an 'activity book' format seemed both fun and potentially useful. I suspect most people keep my books in the loo (I know a number of my friends do), but that’s fine too.
The questions in the book cover a whole range of topics, how did you decide what to include? I did a lot of radio interviews for the original book and was surprised to discover that what most people wanted to talk about was maths, because it brought back such horrid memories. The chapters are roughly subjects that most of us are forced to do for GCSE or (if you're as old as me) O level, so part of the point is to recall things we hated, like Pythagoras and apostrophes and (a personal bugbear) Wuthering Heights. Apart from that, it had to be something that interested me (well hey, it's my book).
Did you purposely set out to create a quiz book that was ‘a little different’ from the usual Question and Answer formats? Yes, absolutely. This has multiple choice/mix and match questions and 'identify places on the map' questions and ‘what's happening in this diagram?’ questions, so it's also more interesting to look at than some conventional quiz books.
Tell us a little bit about any experience you have with quizzing? I set quizzes for a while about a hundred years ago, then didn't do much for years. About ten years ago some friends and friends-of-friends from work got together and started going to a pub quiz in a place I had better not name. The organiser was very sweet but often got things wrong and one particular friend and I would argue with him (waste of time) and then spend a lot of the following morning sending each other angry emails. My friend knows everything there is to know about horse racing and it was amazing how often it came up and how often the quiz master got it wrong. After a while we stopped getting cross and it just became funny; at the risk of sounding immodest we often use to win anyway and we'd pour our winnings back over the bar – which is surely what pub quizzes are all about.
Has the success of the original reference books surprised you? The nostalgic look was part of it; the timing was part of it. But funnily enough I think the real interest is from people who may be quite young but still have a feeling that the country generally and educational standards in particular are going to the dogs. There’s another book in the series called My Grammar and I (or should that be ‘Me’?), which I co-wrote. I've done a lot of radio about that too and doing a radio phone-in on the subject of grammar and English usage is the easiest way I know to make a living: people ring up and say, ‘What really drives me mad is…’ – and it could be anything from the greengrocer’s apostrophe in banana’s and tomatoes’ to split infinitives to txtspk. Then all I have to do is murmur sympathetically and they do all the talking. And these people aren’t all 93, by any means.
How is your own general knowledge and did you find writing the book to be a learning process? I come from a family of crossword solvers and trivia lovers: all my life I've been a great one for looking things up, just for the sake of it. I like stuff. I've also edited general non-fiction books for 30 years, so I've read about all sorts of things, from Douglas aircraft to Rupert Bear to dinosaurs, that I wouldn't necessarily have chosen. I remember the tip of the iceberg of all these things, but if I remembered the whole lot I could sink the Titanic. Having said that, I'm ashamed now to say that I was bored rigid by geography at schooland rubbish at science, so writing about either of those subjects always teaches me quite a lot. Which I then promptly forget, of course.
If you were to appear on Mastermind, what would your specialist subject be? I'd like to say something clever here, but it would probably be the Regency romance novels of Georgette Heyer. My comfort reading in times of stress and I do know several of them almost off by heart. How sad is that?
Further information about Caroline can be found at
carolinetaggart.co.uk/books
Here is a link to buy the book on Amazon...
Friday, 13 July 2012
Quiz of the Weeks News
A few more questions than usual this week. Answers for this Quiz of The Weeks news in the comment box as usual.
1. Frances O'Grady became the first woman appointed to which role this week?
2. Which film star, of "Lawrence of Arabia" fame, announced his retirement this week, ending a career which involved 8 best actor Oscar nominations but no wins?
3. Name the security company involved in the bust-up over staffing levels at London 2012 this week?
4. And on an Olympic theme, the waxwork of which current Olympic star greeted passengers at Heathrow airport this week where it will be on display until it enters Madame Tussauds later in the month?
5. Hans Kristian Rausing has been in the news frequently this week. His fortune comes from which product?
6. Which world leader made the headlines this week after being spotted with a female by his side in photographs, who was later revealed to be an ex-popstar?
7. It was announced this week Chris Moyles be replaced as host of the Radio 1 breakfast show by who?
8. Which mobile phone network, with 23 million customers in the UK, collapsed this week rendering its users unable to make calls or send text messages?
9. Ben Wishaw was announced as the latest actor to play which role in a famous franchise of movies this week?
10. Three British Climbers were killed on a "cursed mountain" this week in the Alps. What is the name of the mountain?
11. Which Royal announced he will abseil down The Shard this week with the wife of William Hague?
12. Nick Park, creator of "Wallace and Gromit" revealed this week that Gromit was originally intended to be what kind of animal?
13. Which South African cricketer announced his retirement this week after a horrific accident which saw him being struck in the eye with a cricket ball?
14. David Haye and Derek Chisora meet in a grudge Boxing match tomorrow night at which football ground?
15. Which centre for Contemporary Art based in Gateshead, celebrated its 10th anniversary this week?
1. Frances O'Grady became the first woman appointed to which role this week?
2. Which film star, of "Lawrence of Arabia" fame, announced his retirement this week, ending a career which involved 8 best actor Oscar nominations but no wins?
3. Name the security company involved in the bust-up over staffing levels at London 2012 this week?
4. And on an Olympic theme, the waxwork of which current Olympic star greeted passengers at Heathrow airport this week where it will be on display until it enters Madame Tussauds later in the month?
5. Hans Kristian Rausing has been in the news frequently this week. His fortune comes from which product?
6. Which world leader made the headlines this week after being spotted with a female by his side in photographs, who was later revealed to be an ex-popstar?
7. It was announced this week Chris Moyles be replaced as host of the Radio 1 breakfast show by who?
8. Which mobile phone network, with 23 million customers in the UK, collapsed this week rendering its users unable to make calls or send text messages?
9. Ben Wishaw was announced as the latest actor to play which role in a famous franchise of movies this week?
10. Three British Climbers were killed on a "cursed mountain" this week in the Alps. What is the name of the mountain?
11. Which Royal announced he will abseil down The Shard this week with the wife of William Hague?
12. Nick Park, creator of "Wallace and Gromit" revealed this week that Gromit was originally intended to be what kind of animal?
13. Which South African cricketer announced his retirement this week after a horrific accident which saw him being struck in the eye with a cricket ball?
14. David Haye and Derek Chisora meet in a grudge Boxing match tomorrow night at which football ground?
15. Which centre for Contemporary Art based in Gateshead, celebrated its 10th anniversary this week?
Cleverdicks (Week 1 Re-Runs) - Thoughts?
As mentioned Challenge TV have been re-running the quiz show CleverDicks, as previously aired on Sky Atlantic. Rumour has it that Sky are looking at the viewing figures closely for this re-run to decide on a second series and for the majority of people, including me, its the first chance to see the show it a full run.
I reviewed the first episode of Cleverdicks when it first aired and repeated the review earlier in the week so you will find that further towards the bottom of this page if interested.
After 5 shows my opinion of Cleverdicks has not changed much at all. I still am really enjoying the show and until Mastermind, Brain of Britain and University Challenge return it is my favourite broadcast quiz by a mile. The questions are well pitched, the idea of the contestants being picked on quizzing ability to right up my street and the general overall show is very entertaining.
This week has seen a whole range of faces known in the quizzing world pop up. Rob Hannah won a fantastic four shows before going out in the fifth, David Stainer set a first round score that I think is still a record on show one, Brian Pendreigh of Mastermind, Eggheads etc has also appeared coming a close second. Add to the mix GP regulars like Stephen Dodding, Michael Mcpartland and Nic Mortimer and you have a selection of the UK quizzing scene.
As a side note, I was pleased to see Nic Mortimer on the show. I do not attend GP's often as of yet but always purchase the questions from the British Quiz Association and Nic Mortimer is always the name in and around the sort of score I am getting so its good to put a face to the name!
Anyway, I have said Cleverdicks is fun, informative and overall very enjoyable with good questions but there are a few things I dislike.
1. The lack of reward from round to round. Resetting scores obviously adds to the tensions and gives everyone more of a chance but the fact that great runs like David Stainer's in the first round of the first show are unrewarded and wiped out after the round seems harsh. Maybe just a bonus for the highest scoring player etc would work on Cleverdicks. I noticed on a few episodes, naming no names, players took the eye off the ball when they knew they had made it into the next round. Giving them something to play for in each round rather than qualifying would work better.
2. Guessing. Obviously Cleverdicks rewards good guessing which is not a bad thing at all but the way in which the players can buzz and buzz and buzz without penalty seems rather silly. Already in 5 episodes "guess-a-thons" have exploded in which the top quizzing players in the country have shouted after name after name.....heck, I would do it if I were on so no complaints.....but it just takes the edge of sometimes. Locking Cleverdicks players out of the round where an incorrect guess has been made would lead to more thought out answers and careful play.
Of course each episode has been won on skill. I have yet to see a round where pure guessing has resulted in victory but the format I imagine could prove frustrating for some.
But those are two minor gripes in what I am finding to be a great show and I hope Cleverdicks is a success on Challenge and we see another series.
I would love to hear other peoples views on Cleverdicks.
Podcast App
I have mentioned a few times that I heavily use pod casts in my quiz revision, learning and to in some cases answer testing knowledge through questions. In the next few months I will aim to post more to recommend various pod casts to you which I feel would interest readers. I mentioned Pod Quiz a few months ago which is still going strong and there is a wealth of goodies the BBC have now put out there.
Anyway, I have been diverted. The main reason I am writing this post is to let any iphone users like myself know that a new app has just been released, free of course, which allows you to store, listen to, series link and search for podcasts much easier than before meaning hopefully I can discover a lot more in the next few months.
It is simply called Pod Casts on the app store....
Anyway, I have been diverted. The main reason I am writing this post is to let any iphone users like myself know that a new app has just been released, free of course, which allows you to store, listen to, series link and search for podcasts much easier than before meaning hopefully I can discover a lot more in the next few months.
It is simply called Pod Casts on the app store....
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Review
Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Review
I was really rather intrigued when I found out that Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire would be airing for a three night special this week. With the "trial" run of play-along-at home, a new studio and a new style promised I was hoping this Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire would be something of a trial run for a possible new series..............I was hoping for so much more.
Without sitting on the fence, Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire last night was one of the worst hours of TV I have seen in a long time. Perhaps it was made worse by the fact that I actually was hoping for better. I should have known, after ITV unleashed the painful Tipping Point on us last week, now its the turn of WWTBAM to get the naff treatment.
The show suffered early on from a mixture of factors -
1) Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire seemed like it wanted to be Surprise Surprise. In typical ITV fashion Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was turned into a mixture between Cilla's famous show and X-Factor sob stories. Not the Millionaire of old and certainly no the Millionaire I want. I can see how someone, somewhere thought this might work (the underdog/hard-done-to person playing for cash to change their life) and maybe it is the quizzer in me that hates this and the general public will love it....time shall see.
2) Dumbing Down. Questions were hideous last night...utterly hideous. Everyone of them was painfully easy and I partly feel this was to do with a) the standard of contestants on show (no disrespect but for a Scotsman not to know the date, or even rough date, of Burns Night is bad) and b) the new play-along-at-home feature. They probably wanted to make the questions easy to encourage people playing at home to stick with it.
3) No fastest finger first means hand picked contestants more than ever. You need a story if you want to be on this show! I applied and now realise the "What would you do with the money?" box was the crucial one. The phone a friend "in the studio" was a nice touch but everything else about the show was terrible.
I also cannot help feel the last contestant was a bit "fixed" in the way it leaves viewers with an interest on a bit of a cliffhanger.
All in all Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was a terrible show in my eyes and has moved away from being about the questions and large wins in favour of something else. I may watch Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to see if it improves but I cannot imagine it doing so.
Sadly, I was hoping Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire would be so much more and as has been said before, the show has changed the way it wants to "draw" in viewers. The big prize and questions are now not enough for the producers...it is the age of the TV sob story. Thanks reality TV! Thanks very much!
Cleverdicks - Re-runs - Review Repeat!
As I mentioned Cleverdicks started its re-run on Challenge last night bringing the show to a much wider possible audience. I already reviewed the first episode when it first aired on Sky Atlantic so, being lazy, I will just repost that review with a not so clever bit of copying and pasting. Reviews of episodes following this will of course be original...
Cleverdicks finally started its run last night on Sky Atlantic. In all I enjoyed the show, there were some negatives but I think Cleverdicks is well worth watching and could grow into being on the best quiz shows on tv if a few of the issues are ironed out!
The first round involves each contestant facing 2 minutes of questions worth up to 5 points each. 5 clues are on offer, the more clues you take the less points. There is no punishment for guessing though which takes the edge of things as it means when you get a round such as “A Tennis Player” it can become a guessing spree on each clue. The questions in this round are well written though and enjoyable to play along with at home.
In terms of this episode, David Stainer, who you may have seen on only connect or know from the UK Quiz circuit, lead the way after the first round, way ahead of his rivals. His score of 44 included 25 points from getting the answers from one clue which was fantastic going, he stated it was “inspired guesswork”.
The second round sees Cleverdicks change into a buzzer quiz, testing a different sort of skill than the first round. The contestant with the lowest score from round one was eliminated, this being Susan, leaving three to compete in the second round. It’s a simple buzz and bonus format where a successful buzz leads to 3 bonus questions. The one problem I had before this round even started was that there was seemingly no reward for first round performance as the scores were reset. So despite David Stainer clearly ahead after round one, it was now all down to buzzing ability. The questions to buzz in on are similar to the first round with 5 clues, but revert to normal questions for the bonuses. There is no punishment for buzzing in with a wrong answer though meaning if you get it wrong you can buzz again which does seem a bit odd. Again though it does revert to guessing as contestants soon realised if they didn’t buzz in with a guess someone else would. Especially as unlike University Challenge the bonus questions are opened to the others if answered wrong.
The results in this weeks episode were a reversal of the first round and David Stainer was eliminated which I found quite unfair given how much he had dominated round one. He was clearly only a split second behind in most of the buzzes and because he had not been given any reward for such a lead after round one he found himself eliminated leaving Steve vs Rob to play for a place in the final.
The third round is a head to head battle between the final two. It is turn based with no clues. A wrong answer adds a triangle to your stack, the higher the stack the worse it is for you as once a descending white line hits your stack you are out. You can remove the Triangles by getting questions right. I enjoyed this round probably more than the others, just straight up fast paced general knowledge questions.
Rob took a lead and moved towards the final of Cleverdicks. I suppose for viewers one positive aspect here is even a four point lead can be turned out very quickly so it keeps things open but that wasn’t to happen here. The white line collided with Steve’s stack and he was out. A great effort and a round I really enjoyed.
The final involves questions falling onto the board. The questions only drop off the screen when they are right, a wrong answer and the questions start to stack. If the list touches the descending white line you are out, if you survive 2 minutes you win! A nice format but again promotes guesswork which is not necessarily a bad thing but does detract from things a little. Two life lines are given for questions to drop off the board. Rob stuttered on a few and the white line caught up with him with around 30 seconds to go. This is going to be a difficult final game to win! The winner does return next time though for another chance with a rolling £1,000 jackpot.
One thing I did not like was the opening banter between Anne and the contestants. “I’m a Cleverdick because….” Made me cringe a little and all credit to the contestants they did the best they could with the bad line. Also at an hour, 45 minutes discounting breaks, it did seem a bit long and if you cut out the pointless chit chat then you could easily get this show into a more concise 30 minutes.
What about Anne Widdicombe as a host? She seems to have taken a lot of stick online about this first episode but I did not find her too bad. The most annoying parts of the hosting were not her fault at all and she is new to this so give her credit where it is due. I certainly didn’t think her presenting got in the way of my enjoyment of the show but I still do not like the banter between rounds. Apparently she gets better as the series goes on or so I am told by people who have appeared on latter episodes.
All in all I did enjoy Cleverdicks and will continue to watch this show. There are a few issues such as the balancing of points in the second round, the lack of reward coming from the first round and the reward for guessing. Additionally as mentioned I am not keen on the banter between rounds and it makes the show feel overlong in parts. Despite this though the questions are well written, its great to see top class quizzing on TV and I really hope the show is a success!
Cleverdicks gets a thumbs up from me!
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Pub Quiz Machine Guide: Piggy Bank Quiz
I have in the past reviewed a few games you are likely to find on the average pub quiz machine. Based on my traffic reports there seems to be a lot of people googling the term "Pub Quiz Machine".....more than likely looking for answers rather than opinions....but it has reminded me of the series.
I still play the machines regularly. If I go to the local Wetherspoons for Breakfast a few 50p's end up in the machine, at the start of a night out there is quizzing done and generally if there is a quiz machine in a pub I am in, I am too tempted to play!
Piggy Bank Quiz is the latest game to appear on local machines. But before I mention it I have a theory...
I am convinced that games that appear on quiz machines with "new" on them are in some way made easier at first and allow bigger wins than later in their life. I can see why this might be done....you win on a new game, the next time you play the machine which game will you play? You mention it to people in the pub and they play. I may be wrong but several times over this has happened where I have won relatively big on a new game in the first few goes on easy questions and then struggled weeks later.
Piggy Bank Quiz is as simple as they come. You answer multiple choice questions to rack up the total. Each answer in the first round is worth 10p but you must get all ten correct to get the £1 prize. This tends to be an easy £1 to rack up to be fair with very simple questions and only one stopper towards the end of the round but with two Try Agains and a Pass to play with you can navigate this. Round two is worth 20p a questions with 5 questions and so on all the way to £10.
One positive side of this game is that rather than the harder questions all being "stoppers" (questions no one would know and where the answer is so obscure its guesswork all the time) they are just Mastermind Level GK questions. It means you can think about them rather than have to guess at random meaningless answers.
I found the questions refreshing and entertaining on this particular pub quiz machine game and whilst it still has all the complaints and problems of any game on one of these machines, its well worth a look for enthusiasts!
The Week in TV Quizzing...
As mentioned, one of the highlights of the TV this week is going to be the start of the repeats of Cleverdicks on Challenge this week. Shown earlier in the year on Sky, Cleverdicks is a quiz show where top quiz players compete against each other in, as Anne puts it, "proper general knowledge questions". I saw the first episode but was unable to watch the rest due to a house move so will certainly be tuning into Cleverdicks on Challenge TV this week at 7pm.
I mentioned earlier in the year that online applications for a new Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire show were being accepted. I obviously have not been successful in that as the show starts tomorrow at 9pm on ITV. Live Who Wants to Be a Millionaire will continue for three nights in succession and I for one am glad to see it back on TV!
For those of you enjoying Tipping Point that remains in the 5pm slot on ITV. The less said about this show the better...........
Repeats of Weakest Link, Pointless and Eggheads continue after a short hiatus due to the Tennis and speaking of Tennis Sue Barker hosts new episodes of A Question of Sport from Friday at 7.30pm.
And if you can tolerate Davina The Million Pound Drop (with from what I see vastly dropping viewing figures) airs on Friday!
EDIT: And I have also just realised a new run of "All-New Blockbusters" starts tonight kicking of with a celebrity special.
Quiz Kings
I have possibly posted about Quiz Kings before but did not get much of a reply. Does anyone know anything about this? I have no idea what it was made for, where it was filmed or anything so any bit of information about Quiz Kings would be nice!
Quiz of The Weeks News
Just a quick quiz of this weeks news today.
11.
Who was announced as the captain of the Great
Britain football team for the forthcoming Olympic Games tournament?
2. Who seemingly assassinates the Go Compare Tenor in the latest advert for the brand?
3. Why was Oscar Pistorius in the news this week?
4. Who was named as the new Director General of the BBC this week?
5. Where were the Olympic Gold Medals for the upcoming games taken to this week for safe keeping?
6. Which British rider took the Yellow Jersey in the Tour De France this week?
7. The worlds first double-decker, open-top cable car system opened in which country this week?
8. A British Prisoner won the right to have what in his cell overnight?
9. What was the cause of a terror attack on the M6 this week?
10. Who is at number 1 in the UK Singles Charts with the song “This is Love”?
2. Who seemingly assassinates the Go Compare Tenor in the latest advert for the brand?
3. Why was Oscar Pistorius in the news this week?
4. Who was named as the new Director General of the BBC this week?
5. Where were the Olympic Gold Medals for the upcoming games taken to this week for safe keeping?
6. Which British rider took the Yellow Jersey in the Tour De France this week?
7. The worlds first double-decker, open-top cable car system opened in which country this week?
8. A British Prisoner won the right to have what in his cell overnight?
9. What was the cause of a terror attack on the M6 this week?
10. Who is at number 1 in the UK Singles Charts with the song “This is Love”?
Friday, 6 July 2012
Think You Know it All?
I have one word for this book....marvellous!
This is not the "normal" kind of quiz book you will be used to using and I would strongly recommend it to quizzers on any level. The closest thing I can actually compare it to is either the "On the tip of my tongue" book or the website Sporcle (which I am sure you have all used).
It is ideal for quiz revision, learning and testing yourself and others. The questions do not come as standard quiz questions but in all kind of interesting formats from giving you dates of composers with you required to name them, quotes from Shakespeare you link to a play, maps with points you need to identify....my words and descriptions won't do the book justice as there is so much diversity from the simple to the challenging that it will give any level of quizzer a serious workout.
I have found some gaps in my knowledge, realised I know more than I do and above all else when I have had an hour or so with this book I have felt as if I have had a real genuine brain workout! Dan Smith has done a fantastic job on this and even though the "activity book for grown ups" is a bit of an odd choice of title, suffice to say this is a cracking general knowledge test.
If you liked "On the tip your tounge" you will love this!
Below is the link to buy it on Amazon, a snip at £5.49 as it will keep you entertained for hours. Go on treat yourself.....
Tipping Point
Well Tipping Point continues to air on ITV this week and after my initial review slating it my opinion has not changed. This is coming close to being one of the worst game shows I have ever had the misfortune of seeing! I have given up on it now and only caught a fraction of the last episode but I see no reason to watch Tipping Point again.
If interested, check out my review earlier in the week. In a nutshell tipping point is a boring format with abysmal quiz question, an unfair format and is full of tedium!
I cannot remember being so bored of a quiz show quickly....bring back the chase
EDIT: I am also hearing that Tipping Point has started strongly in ratings but dive bombed amid the horrid reviews and viewers becoming bored. Try again ITV!
If interested, check out my review earlier in the week. In a nutshell tipping point is a boring format with abysmal quiz question, an unfair format and is full of tedium!
I cannot remember being so bored of a quiz show quickly....bring back the chase
EDIT: I am also hearing that Tipping Point has started strongly in ratings but dive bombed amid the horrid reviews and viewers becoming bored. Try again ITV!
Film Quiz
A quick few quiz questions for you this afternoon on movies. Answers in the comment box as usual.
1. What was the first name of the “one-day” wife of James Bond?
2. Lon Chaney, Anthony Quinn, James Cagney and Charles Laughton have all played which character?
3. If his horse is Pancho and his sidekick is Diablo, who is he?
4. He was a swimmer who played both Tarzan and Flash Gordon. Name the actor?
5. What films is missing from the following….The Enforcer, Magnum Force, Sudden impact and The Dead Pool?
6. How is Don Diego de Vega better known?
7. Disney’s Tinkerbell is said to be modelled on which Hollywood star?
8. The Thin Man is based on stories by which author?
9. What is the name of Tarzans Chimpanzee?
10. Keyser Soze appears in which film?
11. Clarence Nash provides the voice of which animated character?
12. Who played Inspector Clouseau in “Inspector Clouseau”?
13. In the Wizard of Oz, what is Dorothy’s surname?
14. Which classic movie tells the tale of the relationships between Laura Jeeson and Alec Harvey?
15. Basil Rathbone played which famous detective during the 1930’s-40’s?
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