Round Britain Quiz

(Trivia: Amend teams for 2011.)
(Trivia: Revise current teams)
Line 60: Line 60:
== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
-
Teams for the most recent series, broadcast in 2011, were:
+
Teams for the most recent series, broadcast in 2012, were:
-
* South of England - Fred Housego, Marcel Berlins
+
* South of England - Marcel Berlins, Marcus Berkmann
* Midlands - Rosalind Miles, Stephen Maddock
* Midlands - Rosalind Miles, Stephen Maddock
* North of England - Diana Collecott, Jim Coulson
* North of England - Diana Collecott, Jim Coulson
Line 69: Line 69:
* Scotland -  Michael Alexander, Alan Taylor
* Scotland -  Michael Alexander, Alan Taylor
-
Previous contestants include: Michael Ayrton, Thomas Ellis, John Foote, Adele Geras, Alan Gibson, Philippa Gregory, Richard Gregory, Patrick Hannan, Jack House, Eric Korn, Jessica Mann, John Julius Norwich, Patrick Nuttgens, Hubert Phillips, Michael Schmidt, Peter Stead, and, for 30 years, [[Irene Thomas]].
+
Previous contestants include: Michael Ayrton, Thomas Ellis, John Foote, Adele Geras, Alan Gibson, Philippa Gregory, Richard Gregory, Patrick Hannan, Jack House, Eric Korn, Jessica Mann, John Julius Norwich, Patrick Nuttgens, Hubert Phillips, Michael Schmidt, Peter Stead, Fred Housego, and, for 30 years, [[Irene Thomas]].
== Web links ==
== Web links ==

Revision as of 17:39, 24 September 2012

Contents

Host

Hosts for known years:

1948: Gilbert Harding and Philip Hope-Wallace

1954-9: Gilbert Harding and Lionel Hale

1965: Roy Plomley and Lionel Hale

1974: Anthony Quinton and Jack Longland

1978-82: Anthony Quinton and Gordon Clough

1984-91: Louis Allen and Gordon Clough

1992-95: Anthony Quinton and Gordon Clough

Nick Clarke (1997-2005)

Tom Sutcliffe (2007-present)

Broadcast

BBC Home Service / Radio 4, 2 November 1947 -

Synopsis

Amongst the most erudite radio panel games, Round Britain Quiz grew out of the wartime Transatlantic Quiz. For many years, two representatives from London would travel to each of the BBC's Regions, and each team would be faced with very difficult questions posed (until 1995) by two different quiz masters.

The format has evolved over the years as have the questions. Originally, the material covered basic you-know-it-or-you-don't stuff such as this one posed by Gilbert Harding in June 1954:

"Eight infantrymen raised their rifles and fired, a volley for each wound: Ball's Bluff, Antietam and Fredericksburg. Who received these wounds, and on what occasion were these volleys fired?"

The answer, which the contestant got right, was "The funeral of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes." Over the years, the format evolved into more of a puzzle-solving regime with three to six different entrance points leading to a linked theme. From these clues, the team would make their deductions, unravel the code, and arrive at the correct answer. When they couldn't complete the logical steps on their own, the chairman would give some guidance.

Here's an example from 1982:

"What contribution to opera is made by a segment of The Divine Comedy when accompanied by ten times a unit of sound?"

The answer is: Bel Canto, which earned the team three points. These days each question is marked out of a potential six points; half-marks were awarded on and off until the 1980s, but scoring is now done in whole numbers.

Each team receives their four questions at the start of the recording session, allowing them a little time to prepare their thoughts. Questions are not handed over to the other team for bonuses.

RBQ was formally taken out of production in 1996, following the death of chairman Gordon Clough. It was revived barely a year later, with a new chairman, new teams, and a new format of six teams playing four matches, leading to an overall winner. The new host, Nick Clarke, developed cancer after recording the 2005 series; following a one-year gap, the programme returned under the chairmanship of Saturday Review host Tom Sutcliffe.

Some suggest that questions in the Clarke and Sutcliffe era are less difficult than the past; others maintain that RBQ has always adapted with the times, and that the questions are already quite hard enough as it is. What has certainly changed lately is the transparency of when the questions are given to the contestants. It has been suspected that, in the past, contestants may have had some prior knowledge of the questions or even (shock, horror) some access to reference materials before recording began.

See also

X Marks the Spot

Theme music

The current theme music is Scherzo and Trio, performed by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. A previous theme was Radioscope by Georges Delerue.

Trivia

Teams for the most recent series, broadcast in 2012, were:

  • South of England - Marcel Berlins, Marcus Berkmann
  • Midlands - Rosalind Miles, Stephen Maddock
  • North of England - Diana Collecott, Jim Coulson
  • Wales - David Edwards, Myfanwy Alexander
  • Northern Ireland - Polly Devlin, Brian Feeney
  • Scotland - Michael Alexander, Alan Taylor

Previous contestants include: Michael Ayrton, Thomas Ellis, John Foote, Adele Geras, Alan Gibson, Philippa Gregory, Richard Gregory, Patrick Hannan, Jack House, Eric Korn, Jessica Mann, John Julius Norwich, Patrick Nuttgens, Hubert Phillips, Michael Schmidt, Peter Stead, Fred Housego, and, for 30 years, Irene Thomas.

Web links

Radio 4 website

Feedback

To correct something on this page or post an addition, please complete this form and press "Send":
If you are asking us a question, please read our contact us page and FAQ first.

Name: E-mail:   
A Labyrinth Games site.
Design by Thomas.
Printable version
Editors: Log in