Mastermind

[Deutsch Wolf]

Chatting with Tredders last night while Mastermind was on (what a wild ride we live on) and some clown picked "the Champions League winners of 1997" (Borussia Dortmund) as his specialist subject. Was obviously doing it to show what an amazing football hipster he was and flunked it, as you would expect, because hardly any of their run was on UK TV as it happened. Idiot. He did get the Paul Lambert gimme though.

So, what would be your three, locked in, nailed on picks for specialist subject - remembering that as you progress through the tournament, you have to change every round. We reckon you have to be fairly specific, so you can't just say "cycling" or whatever.

I'm going:

1) The 2005 Ashes series
2) Alan Partridge
3) Any individual Wolves season from 1994/95 to 2022/23 (pick any one, I don't care)

Without being arrogant, I'd take anyone in the world on with that Wolves category and be fairly confident. I know a lot of useless shit (As in, I reckon I'm above pretty much anyone else head to head on the same subject. In actual Mastermind, someone else could pick their own subject that they'd be very confident of going close to 100%, I can't control that).

Edit: Putting it as choice 3 as I want to save it for the final, like Glenn Hoddle saving Jérémie Aliadière for the playoffs, which worked brilliantly.

 

[Sniffer]

The Young ones series 2 or blackadder goes forth. Sadly I used to be able to recite each and every episode all the way through.
I’d need a little revision on both now but it wouldn’t take long.

 

[Alan]

Sounds like a fun show tbh. Don't think we have an equivalent here.

1. Iron Maiden
2. Coffee (maybe too vague?)
3. Server-side development I guess

I used to be able to name every member of Maiden, including the pre-1979 (IE, never on a studio album) ones. Bit rusty now.

This would be a tough game!

 

[Dublin Drummer Wolf]

1. The Smashing Pumpkins
2. Die Hard
3. The Simpsons from season 1 - 13

 

[nimrod]

i thought he got the paul lambert one wrong? didn't he say someone else.

my expertise on anything has dissipated with the rise of the internet though a couple years back someone picked greek mythology on mastermind and i scored 7 or 8 so that would be one. it was one less than the contestant.

i used to be able to reel off all the derby winners from 1970 onwards - probably too narrow a subject.

i know a lot of lyrics of fairly obscure songs.. and some better known ones.

now quick, get the picture back before elephant head comes on and starts singing

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

i thought he got the paul lambert one wrong? didn't he say someone else.

I thought my source implied he got it, but reading back he didn't really say either way I missed all but the very end of it.

He got 7 apparently which isn't good enough.

I need a really high score to carry through as my general knowledge has huge gaps in it. You can rule me out of most science-based questions for instance, I just don't know.

 

[Tony Towner]

1. The History of Woverhampton Wanderers. I'd be good at the generic stuff, rather than the more specific who scored away at Preston in 1994 kinda think

2. The career of Madness. Would need to brush up, but it's all in the back of my mind somewhere

3. Coronation Street 1980s to the modern day. Don't judge me...you are going to aren't you?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

1. The History of Woverhampton Wanderers. I'd be good at the generic stuff, rather than the more specific who scored away at Preston in 1994 kinda think

I reckon this is too broad (they'd probably accept it) because they're going to chuck in stuff from the 19th century and pre-war that you won't just know, you'll have to learn.

Also we didn't play Preston in 1994

 

[Paul]

Also we didn't play Preston in 1994

@TT This is why we hate him

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The last 10 winners' final subject:

Abraham Lincoln
Life and Poetry of Philip Larkin
Caterina Sforza
Thunderbirds
The Life and Films of Billy Wilder
The Revolt of the Netherlands 1568-1609
The Fortunes of War series by Olivia Manning
The View Askewniverse Films of Kevin Smith
Flanders and Swann
Peak District National Park

I feel better now about knowing stupid shit about Wolves over the last 30 years.

For a start, the only Sforza I know played for Switzerland at Euro 96.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Shaun Wallace off The Chase won in 2004. Went European Cup/Champions League finals since 1970, England at the UEFA European Championships, FA Cup finals since 1970.

We'd probably get on well over a pint...

(Everyone else would want us to just shut up, obvz)

 

[Templeton Peck]

In no particular order

Peep Show
Fawlty Towers
Blackadder

 

[Tony Towner]

In no particular order

Peep Show
Fawlty Towers
Blackadder

Here was me thinking it would be Fantasy Football League and The Mary Whitehouse Experience

 

[Tredman]

I totally missed him getting Paul Lambert wrong, must have been shouting ‘that wanker Lambert’ too loud. Flabbergasted he didn’t get it though, PL mentions it all the time.

For me I reckon:

1. novels of Graham Greene
2. Motorway service stations of Southern England (or maybe crappy airports served by Ryan Air).
3. AI usage within water utilities (niche but fuck it)

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Have you ever been to Frankfurt-Hahn

I have. Fortunately I wasn't going to Frankfurt afterwards.

 

[EpsomWolf]

1) Heidelberg lithographic printing presses.

2) The office - series 1

3) err.. Hello fresh recipes 2020 lockdown - present

 

[Tredman]

Thankfully not.

I did go to Barcelona Girona once. Spoiler it’s fucking not in Barcelona.

 

[sycophantia]

History of the TT races.
The Life of Brian.
The life of Reinhold Messner.

That last one isn't a little known Monty Python film btw.

 

[Johnny75]

1. Films of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the 80's
2. Jack Reacher novels
3. Post war European football Tactics

I reckon I'd get at least 5 in every category, not disgraceful.

 

[Keef]

The damned,
Rasputin,
Tatra cars and trucks.
Used to work with a lad who knew the fleet and/or number plates, what routes they covered of any West Midlands travel buses from the periods 1985-2000 that’s a fucking niche knowledge