Masterteam (1)

(Synopsis)
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Tea-time team version of ''[[Mastermind]]''. Rounds were:
Tea-time team version of ''[[Mastermind]]''. Rounds were:
-
'''Team Challenge''' - basically, questions on the buzzer.
+
'''Team Challenge''' - basically, questions on the buzzer, which commenced on Angela's instruction, "Let's play!" Contestants had to beware of incorrect interruptions, as that meant a bonus point went to the opposing team, together with the full question for a further point. This system was also used in the almost identical quiz [[The Great British Quiz]].
'''In A Spin''' - Teams had to make the longest word from three given letters, supposedly selected at random, starting with the first and including the others in order within the word declared. Essentially ''[[Catchword]]'' before its time.
'''In A Spin''' - Teams had to make the longest word from three given letters, supposedly selected at random, starting with the first and including the others in order within the word declared. Essentially ''[[Catchword]]'' before its time.
-
'''Spotlight''' - Teams choose a member of the opposition to answer questions on their own from a list of specialist subjects, including the Pot Pourri category ("a tough general knowledge", Angela would always remind us).  
+
'''Spotlight''' - Teams choose a member of the opposition to answer questions on their own from a list of specialist subjects, including the Pot Pourri category ("a tough general knowledge", Angela would always remind us). It is worth noting here that, as Angela sometimes pointed out, the teams were not allowed to watch each other playing, so new teams did not get to find out which members of the surviving teams were particularly good in that round. Only the initial "Team Challenge" round could give an indication - and of course not necessarily a true one at that!
'''It's All Yours''' - This only happened from quarter-final onwards. Each team in turn was allowed to confer for answers.
'''It's All Yours''' - This only happened from quarter-final onwards. Each team in turn was allowed to confer for answers.

Revision as of 11:24, 13 May 2007

Contents

Host

Angela Rippon

Broadcast

BBC 1, 21 October 1985 to 20 December 1987 (3 series)

Synopsis

Tea-time team version of Mastermind. Rounds were:

Team Challenge - basically, questions on the buzzer, which commenced on Angela's instruction, "Let's play!" Contestants had to beware of incorrect interruptions, as that meant a bonus point went to the opposing team, together with the full question for a further point. This system was also used in the almost identical quiz The Great British Quiz.

In A Spin - Teams had to make the longest word from three given letters, supposedly selected at random, starting with the first and including the others in order within the word declared. Essentially Catchword before its time.

Spotlight - Teams choose a member of the opposition to answer questions on their own from a list of specialist subjects, including the Pot Pourri category ("a tough general knowledge", Angela would always remind us). It is worth noting here that, as Angela sometimes pointed out, the teams were not allowed to watch each other playing, so new teams did not get to find out which members of the surviving teams were particularly good in that round. Only the initial "Team Challenge" round could give an indication - and of course not necessarily a true one at that!

It's All Yours - This only happened from quarter-final onwards. Each team in turn was allowed to confer for answers.

The set of Masterteam

The winners of each series were Warrington Sports Club, Antrim Coasters and Carrick Plus One. When the programme schedulers decided what we should watch before the Six O'Clock News, Masterteam was dropped in favour of a new Australian soap - Neighbours.

Key moments

The gripping Masterteam leader board, with gold, silver and bronze positions for two, three or four consecutive wins.

The finals of 1986 and 1987 included In a Spin rounds with curious selections of letters. In 1986, one selection was the letters JIM. The Antrim Coasters could only declare JIM; their opponents (Good Guessers) came up with JURIMETRICS. In 1987, there was the more obscure selection of EKU. Neither team could come up with anything, and Angela proudly declared that their spell checker could only come up with three!

One member of the Warrington Sports Club team was a rather elderly lady called Olive. She became something of a star in the first series. The show's most memorable moment of all came in an open round, when Angela asked the question "Who is the lead singer of Motorhead?", to which Olive confidently replied "Lemmy"! She had done a lot of research into pop music, which was not otherwise a specialist subject.

In the last-ever edition of the show, a team called 'The Garbologists' was in the final, and one of them was a dustman. The answer to his final 'Spotlight' round question was, 'My Old Man's A Dustman'.

One member of the Antrim Coasters was asked in his 'Spotlight' round, 'In which children's television series does the character Hazel The McWitch appear?' He answered, "Masterteam".

Theme music

Opening titles of Masterteam

Theme specially recorded by Graham Preskett.

Web links

TV Cream

See also

Masterteam is also the title of a Radio 4 general knowledge quiz, presented by Peter Snow.

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