Only Connect CIN

Watched the disappointing "celebrity" Children in Need special - questions were.....well questionable and Kevin Eldon was beginning to look a little pissed off with that old fart Professor Steve Jones who clearly had lost the plot as to how the game works by saying "Next" before anyone on his team had a chance to digest the first, second or third clues.

Also noted that Richard Osman was listed as a contributor under the "Additional Questions" in the titles at the end - trust his were not some of the crap ones. >_<

Teams:-

The Noggins - Robert Peston, Patrick Marber and Sophie Grigson - and the Curiosities - Kevin Eldon, Professor Steve Jones and Kate Mosse

I watched it too and yes, it was dumbed down, even for the more cerebal celebrity. Agree about Steve Jones being rather inpatient with the clues. Saying that though, it's not half as stupid as 'Celebrity Mastermind' where Myleene Klass answered questions on S3 of Sex and The City. Phuff.

My friend's son featured on OC a few weeks back and very good he was too.

Quote: TheBlueNun @ 12th November 2014, 5:58 PM GMT

My friend's son featured on OC a few weeks back and very good he was too.

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Ah! That's nice.

I'm still waiting for my questions to come up! 3 Connections and 4 Sequences, but this is a long series and I see that the CIN one just on was No. 11 of 27, so some way to go yet.

Been paid for them, but I want to see my name go up at the end with the likes of Richard Osman.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 12th November 2014, 6:53 PM GMT

Ah! That's nice.

It was great to see him sitting there - I believe that some of the Twitterati deemed him 'The Hampshire Kurt Cobain' which is a trifle odd as he's London bred and Cambridge educated.

I'm still waiting for my questions to come up! 3 Connections and 4 Sequences, but this is a long series and I see that the CIN one just on was No. 11 of 27, so some way to go yet.

Been paid for them, but I want to see my name go up at the end with the likes of Richard Osman.

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Ooh - you've submitted questions to OC, now I am impressed. I thought that it was spearheaded by David Bodycombe and a small team of about five or so question setters, in the same way as Mastermind is?

Quote: TheBlueNun @ 12th November 2014, 9:08 PM GMT

Ooh - you've submitted questions to OC, now I am impressed. I thought that it was spearheaded by David Bodycombe and a small team of about five or so question setters, in the same way as Mastermind is?

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Thank you.

David retired, or left the show (?) about a year ago and the editor is now Alan Connor, who amongst other things is a crossword expert, and yes there is a team of about 5 but they also will look at unsolicited questions - you will see them at the end of the titles listed under "Additional Questions".

I sent some to David to start with and just went from there. Didn't expect to get paid, just wanted to see my name in lights.

Not easy though as there is a heck of lot of research and cross checking the facts, supplying of trivia for Victoria to read out and then the competition to get them accepted over the "staff setters".

Sent in over 130 and had seven accepted so far.

That's fantastic - I can only manage to understand a few in each episode, so I have no idea how difficult it would be to actually figure them out backwards? They did feature a team of crossword fanatics a few years ago and I'd imagine that the same kind of lateral Morsesque powers of deduction would be a necessary tool for success.

Watching as many quiz shows as I do (usually with my 7-year-old son who's obsessed with such things) I've noticed how many of the same faces pop up in the quiz hierarchy and wonder if you'd managed to catch any episodes of the Ann Widdecombe hosted quiz 'Cleverdicks' which was initially broadcast on Sky Atlantic and later repeated on Challenge. It was quite a good concept but Widdecombe was an appalling lynchpin - I seem to recall Harry Hill stating at the time during one of his TV Burp episodes that she was awkwardly stilted.

Yes, I have been doing crosswords for over 40 years so it does help, and yes some of them are too tenuous in my opinion and some are just plain rubbish, but when you are up against the editor (Alan) who also sets questions as well...........

Then do you make them very hard or easy...............life is not easy for us question setters.

Where the time comes in is you have to provide two solid references (NO Wikipedia) and with the photos preferably Getty Images who they have a discounted contract with, and there's the problem because it is naturally slanted to American photos. They say they will contact the copyright holder if you have to use a photo from elsewhere, but from my experience I don't think they bother.

There was a prog. recently on'telly where they dealt with this subject of the same face appearing - come to think of it, it was probably the short series that Bradley Walsh fronted on the history of TV quiz shows. Not that I would bother, but it does seem unfair when there are so many people wanting to be on them.

How much do they pay a question, Grype? Is it the same every time or does a difficult one get more? And is it a one figure, two figure, three figure sum? If I may.

If you think that writing quiz questions costs £100 a question, then I'm quizzing your intellect, for a start...

Probably no more than £30 tops...

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 13th November 2014, 7:47 AM GMT

How much do they pay a question, Grype? Is it the same every time or does a difficult one get more? And is it a one figure, two figure, three figure sum? If I may.

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£30 for a Connection (first set of questions), £40 for a Sequence (slightly harder to put together) and then presumably, because of the extra work involved, it would be more for a Wall, but I haven't had one accepted - I would think it would be more money though as you have 16 to reference twice and put in as many red herrings you can.

But as I say, I did it for a laugh and so the money was a nice bonus.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 12th November 2014, 4:54 PM

Watched the disappointing "celebrity" Children in Need special - questions were.....well questionable and Kevin Eldon was beginning to look a little pissed off with that old fart Professor Steve Jones who clearly had lost the plot as to how the game works by saying "Next" before anyone on his team had a chance to digest the first, second or third clues.

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Yes, just watched that and wasn't impressed by his tactics or gruffness. Surely they could have found a more TV-friendly cerebral "celeb".
Have they done a "charity" special yet this year? Or does it usually come after a series proper?
Note for the question setters: Perhaps include some pronunciation tips (when required), as it sounds terrible when foreign words are mispronounced. "Garudder" for Garuda (Guh-roo-dah) was really grating.

Quote: Kenneth @ 26th March 2017, 8:35 AM

Yes, just watched that and wasn't impressed by his tactics or gruffness. Surely they could have found a more TV-friendly cerebral "celeb".
Have they done a "charity" special yet this year? Or does it usually come after a series proper?
Note for the question setters: Perhaps include some pronunciation tips (when required), as it sounds terrible when foreign words are mispronounced. "Garudder" for Garuda (Guh-roo-dah) was really grating.

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You've only just watched that episode? That was over two years ago. I realise you are in the colonies , but that seems to be stretching it a bit.

No charity event yet, which is surprising really as there have been plenty of others not directly associated with last Friday night's Red Nose. In fact, just watched a bit of a repeat of Countryfile and they slipped in an item fronted by Jennifer Saunders about young male suicides, especially those involving leaving very young children. Quite sad really and simply don't know how the man mainly featured could have left not only his wife (on Father's Day last year) but two lovely little girls - so sad.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 26th March 2017, 9:49 AM

You've only just watched that episode? That was over two years ago. I realise you are in the colonies , but that seems to be stretching it a bit.

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I don't think Only Connect has been broadcast in Australia. All those bloody "Are they all villages in Clywd/Are they all keepers for Preston North End?" connections would be too bewildering for Joe Aussie. I'm just watching old episodes on YouTube. Haven't stepped foot in Australia for a few years, alas.

Only Connect is a lot easier to watch than Pointless, which seems to be about 25% questions and answers and 75% inane prattle. As for Never Minds the Buzzcocks, what a load of arrant drivel. I am yet to attempt The Chase. Is it ghastly? I recall Richard "Hiya" Osman slagging it off once. The mind boggles at a quiz show being more asinine than Pointless.[/quote]

Quote: Kenneth @ 26th March 2017, 1:13 PM

load of arrant drivel. I am yet to attempt The Chase. Is it ghastly? I recall Richard "Hiya" Osman slagging it off once. The mind boggles at a quiz show being more asinine than Pointless.

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The Chase? Yes. What puzzles though (not a lot I must point out) is why they (Chase and Pointless) are recorded in side by side studios.
Some technical reason I couldn't give a flying eff about?

Quote: Kenneth @ 26th March 2017, 8:35 AM

"Garudder" for Garuda (Guh-roo-dah) was really grating.

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That must've been awful.

(What the f**k is he talking about?)