Mastermind (1972)
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness. Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round. Wright drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. The atmosphere is helped by Mastermind's famously ominous theme music, "Approaching Menace" by the British composer Neil Richardson. The quiz programme originated and was recorded in Manchester at studios such as New Broadcasting House and Granada Studios, before permanently moving to MediaCityUK in 2011.
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Episode 1 - Episode 1
Release Date: 2014-08-08John Humphrys and the famous black chair return for another series of TV's toughest quiz. 96 contenders start the journey towards the final but only one will be crowned Mastermind Champion. Subjects in the first heat are Yes Minister, the Battle of Lepanto, JM Barrie and St Paul's Cathedral.
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Episode 2 - Episode 2
Release Date: 2014-08-22Host John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. Subjects in this heat are The Thick of It, Eric Clapton, British poetry and TE Lawrence.
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Episode 3 - Episode 3
Release Date: 2014-08-29John Humphrys questions four more contenders. The subjects are Bobby Moore, the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the TV series Our Friends in the North and Richard the Lionheart.
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Episode 4 - Episode 4
Release Date: 2014-09-05John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. The subjects are champagne, the Manhattan Project, the photographer Tina Modotti and the TV series The Prisoner.
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Episode 5 - Episode 5
Release Date: 2014-09-12John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are the TV series House of Cards, John Milton, the Siege of Constantinople of 1453 and FA Cup finals at the old Wembley.
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Episode 6 - Episode 6
Release Date: 2014-09-19John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are the summer Olympic Games, Duke Ellington, Hammer films and General James Wolfe.
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Episode 7 - Episode 7
Release Date: 2014-09-26John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are Les Dawson, West Indies cricket, the life and films of Howard Hawks, and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
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Episode 8 - Episode 8
Release Date: 2014-10-03John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are the Rolling Stones, the Bayeux Tapestry, TV series Mad Men and King Ludwig the Second of Bavaria.
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Episode 9 - Episode 9
Release Date: 2014-10-10John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. The subjects are the films of Sergio Leone, Robert Peel, Leonard Cohen, and Anton Bruckner.
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Episode 10 - Episode 10
Release Date: 2014-10-17The subjects are the Thames path, Monica Dickens, the life and music of Steve Reich and the life and poetry of Thomas Chatterton.
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Episode 11 - Episode 11
Release Date: 2014-10-31John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions. The subjects are the films of John Hughes, King David I of Scotland, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Iggy Pop.
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Episode 12 - Episode 12
Release Date: 2014-11-07John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are the crown jewels, Tamla Motown, the Battle of Gettysburg and Dusty Springfield.
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Episode 13 - Episode 13
Release Date: 2014-11-14John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are the sitcom Peep Show, the Battle of the Atlantic, the band Suede and the life and works of Charlotte Bronte.
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Episode 14 - Episode 14
Release Date: 2014-11-21The subjects are Pink Floyd, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, the novels of James Herbert and the life and career of Theodore Roosevelt.
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Episode 15 - Episode 15
Release Date: 2014-11-28John Humphrys asks the questions as four contenders take the walk to the black chair. The subjects are Marc Bolan, the Empress of Ireland, the Sasanian Empire and 'Allo 'Allo.
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Episode 16 - Episode 16
Release Date: 2014-12-05John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Doctor Who, lost rivers of London, Brian Epstein and the Anglo-Zulu Wars of 1879.
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Episode 17 - Episode 17
Release Date: 2014-12-12John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Cary Grant, the CSS Alabama, the Masters of Rome novels of Colleen McCullough and Marc Almond.
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Episode 18 - Episode 18
Release Date: 2014-12-19John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are one hit wonders, UK general elections 1979 - 2010, West Bromwich Albion and Empress Livia.
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Episode 19 - Episode 19
Release Date: 2015-01-02John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects U2, first ladies of the USA, the films of Stanley Kubrick and Athens in the age of Pericles.
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Episode 20 - Episode 20
Release Date: 2015-01-09John Humphrys asks the questions as four contenders take the walk to the black chair. The subjects are the novels of Dick Francis, British railway disasters, Gram Parsons and Welsh international rugby from 1960 to 1980.
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Episode 21 - Episode 21
Release Date: 2015-01-16John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Breaking Bad, the Spanish Civil War, the Clash and the Peter Wimsey novels of Dorothy L Sayers.
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Episode 22 - Episode 22
Release Date: 2015-01-23John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are UK chart music of the 1960s, the poetry of John Betjeman, US Masters golf 1970-present and the life and films of Luis Bunuel.
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Episode 23 - Episode 23
Release Date: 2015-01-30John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Game of Thrones, Neil Young, Bournville Village and the life and career of Sir Edward Marshall Hall.
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Episode 24 - Episode 24
Release Date: 2015-02-06John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. The subjects are Joy Division, the Battle of the Somme, the Novels of EM Forster and the Big Bang Theory.
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Episode 25 - Episode 25
Release Date: 2015-02-13John Humphrys invites five contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the first semi-final of the series. The subjects are Kraftwerk, the Turkish archaeological dig at Catalhoyuk, Sir Martin Frobisher, the novels of Douglas Coupland and the Pentateuch.
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Episode 26 - Episode 26
Release Date: 2015-02-20John Humphrys puts the questions to five more semi-finalists. The subjects are Inspector Morse, the life of CB Fry, the life of Reinhard Heydrich, the life and career of Jack Johnson and the Gospel according to Mark.
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Episode 27 - Episode 27
Release Date: 2015-02-27John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt for the nation's Mastermind reaches the semi-final stage. The subjects are the Miss Marple novels of Agatha Christie, the Scottish national football team, John Clare, King Henry VII, and the life and work of Aubrey Beardsley.
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Episode 28 - Episode 28
Release Date: 2015-03-06John Humphrys hosts another semi-final of Britain's toughest quiz. Five more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The subjects are Alex Higgins, Erasmus Darwin, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Margot Fonteyn and the Dirk Pitt novels of Clive Cussler.
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Episode 29 - Episode 29
Release Date: 2015-03-13John Humphrys asks the questions as five contenders take the walk to the black chair in another semi-final. The subjects are the League of Gentlemen, the Harry Devlin novels of Martin Edwards, the Romanov dynasty, Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and the life of Ernest Hemingway.
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Episode 30 - Episode 30
Release Date: 2015-03-20Host John Humphrys invites five more contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the last semi-final of the series. The subjects are the Bodyline Ashes tour, the life and work of Elizabeth David, Will Hay, British admirals of the Napoleonic Wars and the life and works of Mary Shelley.
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Episode 31 - Grand Final
Release Date: 2015-03-27The search for the nation's Mastermind reaches its climax as John Humphrys tests the six grand finalists on their specialist subjects and their general knowledge. Subjects covered are the Falklands conflict, Caterina Sforza, Paul Scott's Raj Quartet, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, the Ashes 1964-1981 and the life of Rudolph Nureyev. The winner will claim the famous glass bowl and the title of Mastermind.