mostly david ephgrave

It’s like what John Lennon sang when The Beatles split up: “The dream is over”; Monkman's gone from our screens. Personally, I’m inconsolable, as he's lightened my mood on many a Monday for weeks. He’s that wonderful blend of being likeable yet also capable of making you laugh unintentionally nigh-on every time he speaks. He's got better comic timing than Morecambe (E), Wise (E), Dawson (L) and Cooper (T) rolled into one big funny monster…with a Canadian accent and an asymmetrical fringe to boot. See below for tonight’s UC tweets: if you have a drink nearby then raise a glass; we shan’t see his like again (until the next series). Wolfson - Cambridge Vs. Balliol - Ocford (10.04.17) 7:58pm: We, my friends, are on the brink of TV history: we're mere seconds away from MONKMAN'S LAST HURRAH. My God, it's tense. 8:00pm: Tonight's # UniversityChallenge is the quiz equivalent to the Boat Race. 8:01pm: Monkman's looking mor...

They say the show ain’t over until the fat lady sings, but in the case of this series of University Challenge, it ain’t over until another team winds up facing the wrath of Wolfson Cambridge, AKA Team Monkman. It’s well known how much humour the man can inject into such a potentially dry and joyless show; every small utterance is delivered with comedic gusto, except you know that no writing was involved. He’s an natural in his unnaturalness and a human antidepressant; I laughed nearly every time he spoke. See below for my mostly Monk-themed tweets; there’ll only be more to follow when he returns next week. Emmanuel Cambridge Vs. Wolfson Cambridge (27.03.17) 8:03pm: Monkman: a God Amongst Monkmen. ` 8:04pm: Monkman's made special effort tonight with his hastily scissored fringe. 8:05pm: Monkman has the look of a man who's delighted to be sitting on his spike. 8:07pm: Thomas Moore Moore Moore...how do you ...

What else can be said about tonight’s University Challenge other than “MONKMAN WAS BACK”? This manic perplexed-eyed man is the gift that keeps giving; even he appears to not quite believe he’s a person himself. I found myself laughing nearly every time he spoke which I’m aware isn’t pleasant, but his timing is extraordinary; if I were a TV producer, I’d sign him up for a twenty-six part series without even considering the content; just hearing him read from the dictionary would be enough. See below for my Twtter coverage of tonight; every time I say Monkman, feel free to pour yourself with a drink.   Edinburgh Vs. Wolfson - Cambridge (27.02.17 8:02pm: Boyle should be in team Wolfson, as he looks like the son of a Wolf. 8:03pm: I liked Boyle's dramatic turn to the camera before he said his name. 8:03pm: MONKMAN! 8:04pm: Monkman gets a rat to knaw at his fringe in lieu of a haircut. 8:06pm: Monkman sho...

Clear the decks and ring the bell: Monkman’s back in da house. Apologies for briefly slipping into yoof speak (of the mid-Nineties), but my point still stands. When Wolfson’s finest is safely tucked away behind his University Challenge lightbox, you know the show's going to be a cracker. He is a man with exceptional comic value, even if it’s completely unintended; I’ve never seen anyone look so consistently manic and perplexed. See below for my Twitter commentary on tonight’s Monkman-filled episode;even if you didn’t watch it, you should be able to pick up the gist. Wolfson - Cambridge Vs. Balliol - Oxford (16.01.179 8:01pm: Paxman. So weary. 8:02pm: .....iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttt's MONKMAN. 8:02pm: Chaudhri's from near Cockermouth. Heh heh. 8:03pm: Cancel everything: Monkman's in town. 8:03pm: Well...Pope's got a centre-parting. 8:04pm: I'm absolutely completely in ...

One of the downsides to regularly tweeting about University Challenge is whenever there’s a returning team, I can never remember if I I've done the same jokes twice. I suppose you could at least argue that I’m consistent; my opinions are my opinions and those opinions seldom change. Particularly when they’re related to that legend of this year’s showdowns: Eric Monkman. The man’s a beauty of a contestant, who ticks all the right boxes (which are all marked “Is he / she weird?”). See below for this evening’s commentary; if it resembles previous material, I’m sorry - but what can I do when it comes from the same inspiration? Wolfson Cambridge Vs. Jesus Cambridge. 8:02pm: Do you remember when Paxman's hair looked like Wendy Craig's at the beginning of the series? MEMORIES. 8:03pm: Monkman's back. YES. 8:03pm: Morris Clarke: the missing Osmond. 8:06pm: Every second Monkman's not on #UniversityCha...

Just when we thought we’d seen every University Challenge possibility, Wolfson Cambridge’s Monkman came to save us. Wolfson - Cambridge Vs. SOAS (19.09.16) He had all the requisite tics and quirks of an eccentric UC contestant, with a few extra thrown in for good measure; so much so, I refuse to believe he’s a real person. He was like a incantation brought about by a bunch of nerdy Ouija users; a Weird Science for the weird science student. I was so taken in, I barely paid attention to the rest of the show that was happening around him. See below for tonight’s Twitter outbursts; here’s hoping at least one of next week’s contestants can give Monkman a run for his money. I wait with bated breath. 8:02pm: Monkman rehearsed that smile. Nothing is spontaneous. 8:03pm: Monkman is clearly the # UniversityChallenge unhinged hit of the evening. 8:04pm: For a split second, Henry Edwards forgot what he studies. 8:04pm: "THE BONGOS": my future...