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University Challenged at Christmas (9): Semi-Final Two (28.12.16)


As the festive season - and 2016 in fact - nearly draws to a close, so does my relentless coverage of the Christmas series of University Challenge.

Admittedly, I’ve not been so organised as to live-tweet every show - I do have a vague semblance of a social life - but I have been good enough to at least go through the motions as if I had, by catching up on the few episodes I missed and noting down what I would have said if I’d watched them when they were broadcast.

Some might ask why the hell I’ve done this. Those some can go to hell. This is just the sort of thing I do (plus it gives me a bit of a break from posting a prose blog every day which, as another year of doing this comes to an end, is much appreciated; it’s much easier to think in 140-character bursts.

See below for my commentary on the final semi-final (poor choice of wording) between St Anne’s and St Hilda’s Oxford; it’s a veritable roller-coaster ride, of course.

St Anne's Oxford Vs. St Hilda's Oxford (28.12.16)

7:30pm: Haley’s pronounced “Hahl”, Jeremy P? Surely Haley’s pronounced “Hey”? Cheeky Jeremy P.

7:31pm: An all-female University Challenge? Think of all those aligning periods (actually, don't). 

7:33pm: Caldicott's massive broach. 

7:34pm: Jeremy Paxman always acts like he has somewhere else to be. 

7:35pm: Paxman isn't fussy. Paxman's happy with "any human breast". 

7:36pm: (1) Palin. (2) Palin. Bugger, Idle. (3) Frenchman John Cleese. Disappointingly iffy on my Python, it seems. 

7:38pm: St Anne's Archer's jacket looks like a floral version of a collarless early-Fab Four suit. 

7:39pm: I'm a little in love with McDermid and her manner. 

7:41pm: The graphic on the map looks like a massive hot-air balloon. 

7:42pm: Based on how often they answer, I think the series final should be a Val McDermid / Paul Ross face-off (no Nicholas Cage) 

7:44pm: Heh heh. Jeremy Paxman said, “Perineum”. To a load of women too. 

7:46pm: I said Mrs Beeton; one point for me. 

7:48pm: St Anne's had better buck up. 

7:49pm: There's nothing quite like a Paxman " .....no". 

7:53pm: The Cherry Orchard. Yes. 

7:56pm: Twenty-six minutes in = the first time Dunn spoke.
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