University Challenged: Volume Eighteen (02.01.17)


I was delighted to see the proper series of University Challenge return to our screens tonight, as it’s much more fun to bully its contestants (indirectly on Twitter of course) than those in the Christmas specials.

Siantonas is a case in point, as he's University Challenge Gold; if I were to expect a man with his choice in facial hair to crop up anywhere on the planet, it would be behind a desk with his name on a lightbox, being grilled by Paxman. His is an extraordinary look, the like of which has been seldom seen since the glory days of Prog Rock in the mid-to-late 1970s; chances are he owns a special limited edition version of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells.

He wasn’t the only source of amusement tonight. See below for my related Twitter posts:

 
Bristol Vs. Oriel Oxford (02.01.17)

8:03pm: Siantonas is a pastiche of himself.

8:05pm: Siantonas was played by John Thomson in The Fast Show.

8:06pm: I got the John Lennon 'Beautiful Boy' reference; it played right into my court.

8:07pm: Tobias Thornes wants to be middle-aged. He wants to be middle-aged SO BAD.

8:08pm: Did Bristol's Jackson just say "Chimney sperm"?

8:08pm: Thomsett comes as part of a set.

8:09pm: Thomsett's beard is made of dyed iron fillings. Thomsett is sucking a magnet.

8:10pm: Clarke is sullen, very sullen.

8:11pm: Thornes came in fancy dress as his dad.

8:13pm: Siantonas is what would happen if the Blues Brothers' Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn mated.


8:13pm: Thornes, son of Blair.

8:14pm: Thornes canvassed for a political party between takes.

8:15pm: Siantonas likes folkin' folkin' folk.

8:16pm: I see this series' contestants Siantonas and Monkman as a warning.

8:18pm: After the recording, Paxman sidled up to Clarke in the bar and promised to fund the rest of her education for a date.

8:19pm: Siantonas; I mean, SERIOUSLY.

8:20pm: Thornes and Rolleston: future prime minister and leader of the opposition.

8:21pm: Kim Cattrall, comin' atcha.

8:22pm: Thornes face on a punchbag.

8:24pm: Bristol's Clarke is seriously narked off.

8:25pm: Siantonas owns a variety of pipes.

8:26pm: Clarke could give Paxman's general disinterest a run for its money.

8:28pm: Paxman, in his living room, protesting about a tardy dinner: "Come...ON".

Popular posts from this blog

Shakerpuppetmaker.

Image
Have Parker from Thunderbirds and Noel Gallagher ever been seen in the same room? The resemblance is uncanny. So much so, I think something’s afoot. If my suspicions are correct, I've stumbled across a secret that will blow the music and puppet industry wide apart. In the mid-60s / mid-90s at least. It doesn’t take long to see the signposts. There’s the similarity between the name of Oasis’ first single, Supersonic, and Supermarianation, Gerry Anderson’s puppetry technique. The Gallagher brothers would often wear Parkas . Live Forever was clearly a reference to Captain Scarlet and Standing on the Shoulder of Giants to the size difference between Noel and his bandmates. The more you think about it, the more brazen it gets. It’s fishier than Area 51, Paul is Dead and JFK's assassination put together. The only glitch to the theory is scale . According to Wikipedia, Anderson’s marionettes were 1’10” and Gallagher is 5’8”. How does he maintain an illusion of avera...
Read more

Stevenage: A (Tiny) River Runs Through it.

If ever a river was mis-sold, it’s the Roaring Meg in Stevenage. I just walked past it on my way to the retail park that has taken its name. They’re similarly uninspiring. The river is less of a roar and more of a dribble; cystitis sufferers produce greater flow. The retail park is soulless. What was once a thriving enterprise is nearly devoid of atmosphere, save an underlying essence of emptiness and despair. With a Toys R Us. When it was first built I was excited. Back then, the thought of a bowling alley, an ice rink, a Harvester and a Blockbuster Video within a small surface area was enticing. I celebrated many birthdays on site. There was an indoor cricket pitch there for a while where I once had a joint party with a friend. Why someone with an almost pathological fear of sport would agree to such a venture is beyond me, but I did it. Now, there’s very little at the Roaring Meg of note. The river would be a metaphor for the shopping ce...
Read more

Hoo-ray and up She Rises.

So much has happened since my last post in March that this blog risks sounding like an itinerary. The main news is that Hitchin Mostly Comedy will return in the summer at a new venue, the Queen Mother Theatre . The road to this decision was convoluted, though enough fell into place en route to leave me optimistic about this new start. The catalyst was a survey I ran via our mailing list a few months back, in which I asked, "If the club returned in the current climate, with tickets still around £15 (and with similar line-ups), would you still attend?"; the response to which, in simple terms, was a resounding yes. Nearly 250 mailing list subscribers responded in a single week, with around a hundred also taking the option to leave some feedback. And only two people were abusive, which counts as a win when you consider they posted their comments online anonymously. Imagine how many more insults we would have received if the comedy club was a woman. Particularly if she was Diane ...
Read more