Only Connect - Series 6
Round 1 Match 1
Joinees vs Draughtsmen
Well finally Only Connect is back! Perhaps the finest show on TV and with Victoria Coren back in the hot seat it was time to settle down for the first episode in what I am sure is going to be another great series. We kicked off with Joinees vs Draughtsmen
The line up's -
Joinees
Sean Gleeson
Dave James
Rachel Burns
Draughtsmen
Stephen Dodding
Andy Tucker
Iwan Thomas
Some of the names in the Draughtsmen will probably seem familiar as all have been involved in major broadcast quizzes over the past few years. Iwan Thomas is a recent Brain of Britain winner and Mastermind contestant, Andy Tucker made this years Mastermind final and Stephen Dodding was victorious on a number of episodes of Cleverdicks. All are familiar names on the UK scene and make a formidable team indeed as we saw tonight!
Draughtsmen took the first two rounds showing great knowledge and even the questions that were answered wrongly, they were along the right lines if that makes sense. 10-8 was the lead as the Joinees themselves had gave some impressive answers. Maybe the odd balancing issue here as the Windows question was far easier than anything else asked in these two rounds but that not to discredit the effort the Joinees made. What is always good about Only Connect is the eagerness of the contestants to raise ideas for answers, something you don't often see on other team based quizzes. All 6 players were giving input and it was clear this was going to be a tough battle! Its great having Only Connect back!
Onto one of the most famous parts of the show the Connecting Wall (by the way if you have got an iphone try the app!). Joinees got a full house without any real problems as did the Draughtsmen. Can anybody who has been on the show fill me in on a little point....do the second team to take the wall know how the first team did at this point? I was going to use the phrase "put the pressure on" but that would not apply if the Draughtsmen did not know the Joinees result. Anyway I'm rambling. The Draughstmen pilloried through the wall, saw through the red herrings and landed maximum points to lead 20-18 going into the final round. Even if talk of Andy Tucker's Cherry was more than we needed :)
Cue one of the best endings to Only Connect I recall....
A quick wrong answer, coupled with the giveaway of the correct answer made the scores level immediately and the round went to and fro throughout. Both teams put together runs, the Draughtsmen had lost themselves 3 points and the most significant run went to the Joinees as they were, at point I think, 4 ahead. Sean Gleeson particularly was on fire in what looked like a rampage to victory. But good quizzers are never beaten until the bell goes and Draughtsmen stormed back to leave it 26-26 and a tie break.
Iwan Thomas, former Brain of Britain, got in ahead of rival captain Dave James to take the Draughtsmen into the quarter final! The final round is hard enough with out all that pressure and I don't envy either player. I certainly had no idea and it all seemed a sudden end to a captivating episode!
What an episode to kick off the series of Only Connect. The Draughtsmen only really got into trouble in the final buzzer round but looked very solid throughout the opening 3 rounds and will take some beating. Over eager buzzing cost both teams in the end but overall this was a high level of quizzing, congratulations to all involved and I look forward to seeing the Draughtsmen in the next round!
Welcome back Only Connect....you have been missed!
Draughtsmen took the first two rounds showing great knowledge and even the questions that were answered wrongly, they were along the right lines if that makes sense. 10-8 was the lead as the Joinees themselves had gave some impressive answers. Maybe the odd balancing issue here as the Windows question was far easier than anything else asked in these two rounds but that not to discredit the effort the Joinees made. What is always good about Only Connect is the eagerness of the contestants to raise ideas for answers, something you don't often see on other team based quizzes. All 6 players were giving input and it was clear this was going to be a tough battle! Its great having Only Connect back!
Onto one of the most famous parts of the show the Connecting Wall (by the way if you have got an iphone try the app!). Joinees got a full house without any real problems as did the Draughtsmen. Can anybody who has been on the show fill me in on a little point....do the second team to take the wall know how the first team did at this point? I was going to use the phrase "put the pressure on" but that would not apply if the Draughtsmen did not know the Joinees result. Anyway I'm rambling. The Draughstmen pilloried through the wall, saw through the red herrings and landed maximum points to lead 20-18 going into the final round. Even if talk of Andy Tucker's Cherry was more than we needed :)
Cue one of the best endings to Only Connect I recall....
A quick wrong answer, coupled with the giveaway of the correct answer made the scores level immediately and the round went to and fro throughout. Both teams put together runs, the Draughtsmen had lost themselves 3 points and the most significant run went to the Joinees as they were, at point I think, 4 ahead. Sean Gleeson particularly was on fire in what looked like a rampage to victory. But good quizzers are never beaten until the bell goes and Draughtsmen stormed back to leave it 26-26 and a tie break.
Iwan Thomas, former Brain of Britain, got in ahead of rival captain Dave James to take the Draughtsmen into the quarter final! The final round is hard enough with out all that pressure and I don't envy either player. I certainly had no idea and it all seemed a sudden end to a captivating episode!
What an episode to kick off the series of Only Connect. The Draughtsmen only really got into trouble in the final buzzer round but looked very solid throughout the opening 3 rounds and will take some beating. Over eager buzzing cost both teams in the end but overall this was a high level of quizzing, congratulations to all involved and I look forward to seeing the Draughtsmen in the next round!
Welcome back Only Connect....you have been missed!
Thanks Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI only use cherry juice for my gout!
looking forward to your MM debut
Hi Andy. Have to say that line certainly put a smile on me and my other halfves face (who doesn't usually pay attention to TV quiz shows but spent the whole time wondering where she had seen you before...Mastermind).
ReplyDeleteThanks for this Daniel, can't believe you got it out so quickly!
ReplyDeleteWe were obviously very disappointed not to make it through, but the Draughtsmen's pedigree just couldn't be disputed - we didn't find out that we were facing a Brain of Britain till the cameras stopped rolling, and I've only discovered they also had a Mastermind finalist and a Cleverdick from your post! With that in mind, I'm much more pleased with our performance.
And to answer your question, we have no idea how the other team has done on their Wall until the divine Miss C reads out the scores at the start of the missing vowels round.
That was a quality team effort on both sides. It was a shame that one of the teams had to lose. If David Bodycombe reads this blog, thank you for continuing to make the best televised quiz show in the world.
ReplyDeleteHi Sean
ReplyDeleteAlways good to hear from a contestant and thanks for the info!