University Challenge 2008–09

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Series 38 of the quiz show University Challenge began on 7 July 2008 [1] and was broadcast on BBC Two. This is a list of the matches played, their scores, and outcomes.

Contents

Main draw

First round

Team 1ScoreTeam 2Broadcast Date
University of Hull 140230 City University, London 7 July 2008
Corpus Christi College, Oxford 33095 Durham University 14 July 2008
Royal Veterinary College 95215 University of York 21 July 2008
University of Surrey 170185 University of Warwick 28 July 2008
Queens' College, Cambridge 205115 St George's, University of London 4 August 2008
University of Exeter 195150 Pembroke College, Oxford 11 August 2008
Selwyn College, Cambridge 180115 St Anne's College, Oxford 18 August 2008
London School of Economics 22085 University of Bath 25 August 2008
St John's College, Cambridge 185220 Lincoln College, Oxford 1 September 2008
Murray Edwards College, Cambridge 65260 University of Sheffield 8 September 2008
University of Southampton 135190 University of Brighton 15 September 2008
King's College, Cambridge 180190 University of Edinburgh 22 September 2008
University of Bristol 70285 University of Manchester 29 September 2008
Exeter College, Oxford 135190 University of St Andrews 6 October 2008

Highest scoring losers playoffs

Team 1ScoreTeam 2Broadcast Date
St John's College, Cambridge 325110 Pembroke College, Oxford 13 October 2008
King's College, Cambridge 225150 University of Surrey 20 October 2008

Second round

Team 1ScoreTeam 2Broadcast Date
London School of Economics 270135 Selwyn College, Cambridge 10 November 2008
University of Manchester 28080 University of York 17 November 2008
St John's College, Cambridge 345125 King's College, Cambridge 24 November 2008
Corpus Christi College, Oxford 29585 University of Edinburgh 1 December 2008
Queens' College, Cambridge 205125 University of Warwick 8 December 2008
Lincoln College, Oxford 280120 University of St Andrews 15 December 2008
City University, London 185115 University of Brighton 22 December 2008
University of Sheffield 170175 University of Exeter 5 January 2009

Quarter-finals

Team 1ScoreTeam 2Broadcast Date
University of Manchester 210165 London School of Economics 12 January 2009
Lincoln College, Oxford 33550 Queens' College, Cambridge 19 January 2009
Corpus Christi College, Oxford 35015 University of Exeter 26 January 2009
St John's College, Cambridge 265135 City University, London 2 February 2009

Semi-finals

Team 1ScoreTeam 2Broadcast Date
University of Manchester 34530 Lincoln College, Oxford 9 February 2009
Corpus Christi College, Oxford 260150 St John's College, Cambridge 16 February 2009

Final

Team 1ScoreTeam 2Broadcast Date
University of Manchester 190275 Corpus Christi College, Oxford *23 February 2009

Notable events and press coverage

The 2009 series produced the two lowest team scores since the programme was revived by the BBC in 1994. 15 points were achieved by the University of Exeter in the third quarter-final against the later disqualified Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and 30 points were scored by Lincoln College, Oxford in a semi-final against University of Manchester. In the Exeter v. Corpus Christi match, Corpus Christi captain Gail Trimble answered a record fifteen starters correctly[ citation needed ], leading to much interest on internet forums and in the popular press.

James Archer of King's College, Cambridge was questioned by police after wearing an RAF surplus jacket on the show—in combination with a dyed red mohican haircut—had prompted several complaints from viewers. Archer had obtained the jacket legally, and no further action was taken. [3]

The final

The final, between Corpus Christi College and Manchester, was broadcast on 23 February 2009. Before the final, press coverage focused on the Corpus Christi captain, Gail Trimble, who had gained an exceptionally high proportion of her team's points. In the final, which was watched by more than 5 million viewers, the show's highest audience share since at least 2001, [4] [5] Trimble scored 125 points in the last four minutes to lead her team to what appeared at the time to be a clear victory. [6] She was described in the British press as the "human Google", [7] and by a defeated contestant as a "relentless juggernaut of intellectual Blitzkrieg". [8]

A few days after the final was broadcast the BBC undertook an investigation into the eligibility of Corpus Christi team member Sam Kay, after it became evident that he had graduated in June 2008, before the filming of the quarter, semi-final and final matches, despite telling viewers he was studying chemistry. [9] Kay left Corpus Christi after failing to get funding for his PhD and at the time of the final was working as an accountant. [10] The captain of the Manchester team, Matthew Yeo, rejected calls for a rematch of the final. [11] However, in a statement on 2 March 2009, the BBC and the programme's makers, Granada, stated that: [2]

"The University Challenge rules on student eligibility are that students taking part must be registered at their university or college for the duration of the recording of the series. Whilst obviously not intending to, Corpus Christi broke this important rule where other universities and colleges taking part adhered to it. We therefore find ourselves in the regrettable position of having no choice but to disqualify Corpus Christi from the final. This means they forfeit their hard-fought title which now goes to the Manchester University team."

Another member of the Corpus Christi team, James Marsden, criticised the BBC decision. He stated that the rules were ambiguous and did not state that students had to be registered at their college for the duration of filming. [12] Gail Trimble was subsequently reported as saying that Corpus Christi, rather than Manchester, still had the trophy, "gathering dust somewhere". [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Manchester</span> Public university in Manchester, England

The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road. The university owns and operates major cultural assets such as the Manchester Museum, The Whitworth art gallery, the John Rylands Library, the Tabley House Collection and the Jodrell Bank Observatory – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Manchester is considered a red brick university, a product of the civic university movement of the late 19th century. The current University of Manchester was formed in 2004 following the merger of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and the Victoria University of Manchester. This followed a century of the two institutions working closely with one another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corpus Christi College, Oxford</span> College of the University of Oxford

Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 12th oldest college in Oxford.

<i>University Challenge</i> British quiz television series

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corpus Christi College, Cambridge</span> College of the University of Cambridge, founded 1352

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi</span> Public university in Corpus Christi, Texas, US

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Series 37 of University Challenge began on 9 July 2007 and was broadcast on BBC Two. This is a list of the matches played, their scores, and outcomes.

Series 36 of University Challenge began on 7 August 2006 and was broadcast on BBC Two. This is a list of the matches played, their scores, and outcomes.

Series 35 of University Challenge began on 19 September 2005 and was broadcast on BBC Two. This is a list of the matches played, their scores, and outcomes.

Series 34 of University Challenge began on 13 September 2004 and was broadcast on BBC Two. This is a list of the matches played, their scores, and outcomes.

Gail Christina Trimble is a fellow and tutor in Classics at Trinity College, Oxford.

Alexander Guttenplan is a former student primarily known as the captain of the team from Emmanuel College, Cambridge that won the University Challenge TV quiz show in 2010, scoring 315 points to 100 against St John's College, Oxford, in the final. His performance in this has been compared with that of Gail Trimble. He also "got the better" of presenter Jeremy Paxman, in an exchange which became an Internet sensation. He also took part in a special edition of Only Connect, leading a team from University Challenge against the champions of the first series of Only Connect, the Crossworders. In September 2017, Guttenplan appeared as part of "Team Emma" on Eggheads.

Series 24 of University Challenge ran between 21 September 1994 and 29 March 1995. This was the first series of the show for eight years and aired on BBC Two for the first time, having previously been broadcast on ITV. Jeremy Paxman took over as presenter from Bamber Gascoigne, who had presented the show from its inception in 1962 through until 1987.

Series 41 of University Challenge began on 4 July 2011, and aired on BBC Two. Below is a list of the matches played with their scores and outcomes.

Series 46 of University Challenge began on 11 July 2016 on BBC Two, and finished on 10 April 2017. This series of the long running quiz show drew larger audiences than usual thanks to a collection of interesting characters, most notably Eric Monkman from Wolfson College, Cambridge, who has been described on Twitter by many viewers as "the most intense contestant ever".

Birkbeck Students' Union is the representative body for students at Birkbeck, University of London, a public research university located in Bloomsbury, London, England.

The 50th series of University Challenge began on 13 July 2020 on BBC Two and ended on 5 April 2021. It was won by the University of Warwick.

The 51st series of University Challenge began on 12 July 2021 on BBC Two. The final aired on 4 April 2022 when Imperial College London and the University of Reading were declared the series winners and runners-up respectively.

References

  1. ↑ "BBC Programme Information". BBC. Retrieved 7 July 2008.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "University Challenge: a joint statement from the BBC and Granada". BBC Press Office (Press release). BBC. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  3. ↑ Wardrop, Murray (25 November 2008). "Police quiz University Challenge contestant over RAF jacket". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  4. ↑ Rogers, Jon (24 February 2009). "University Challenge final scores 5.3m". Broadcastnow. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  5. ↑ Holmwood, Leigh (24 February 2009). "TV ratings: British Law & Order debut arrests 6m viewers". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  6. ↑ Gallagher, Paul (1 March 2009). "Gail Trimble's University Challenge winning teammate is not a student". The Observer . London. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  7. ↑ Mansey, Kate (1 March 2009). "University Challenge champions investigated over ineligible player". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  8. ↑ Funnell, Jacob (28 January 2009). "On University Challenge (Illustrated)". Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
  9. ↑ Gallagher, Paul (1 March 2009). "Gail Trimble's University Challenge winning teammate is not a student | Media | The Observer". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  10. ↑ "Entertainment | BBC in University Challenge probe". BBC News. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  11. ↑ "Manchester team accept defeat". BBC News. 1 March 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  12. ↑ Holmwood, Leigh (4 March 2009). "Disqualified University Challenge contestant criticises 'ambiguous' rules". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  13. ↑ Simon Hoggart, "Control freaks, phone throwing, and Northern Rock", The Guardian, 27 June 2009
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