Bill Wright
Director
Mastermind (1972)
2014/15
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness. Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round. Wright drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. The atmosphere is helped by Mastermind's famously ominous theme music, "Approaching Menace" by the British composer Neil Richardson. The quiz programme originated and was recorded in Manchester at studios such as New Broadcasting House and Granada Studios, before permanently moving to MediaCityUK in 2011.
Released Sept. 11, 1972
Episode 30 min
None+
Genres: Game Show, Talk, Talk Show
Keywords: tmdb.quiz, imdb.quiz-show, mdblist.has-trailer, imdb.general-knowledge, imdb.contestant, imdb.famous-opening-theme, imdb.long-running-tv + 12 more, imdb.one-word-title, imdb.spotlight, imdb.chair, imdb.question, imdb.non-fiction, tmdb.knowledge, imdb.game-show-host, imdb.1970s, imdb.1980s, imdb.1990s, imdb.british, imdb.quiz
Production Companies: Hat Trick Productions, Hindsight Productions
Network: BBC Two
Country: United Kingdom
Languages:
English
S41E1 - Episode 1
John Humphrys and the famous black chair return for another series of TV's toughest quiz. 96 contenders start the journey towards the final but only one will be crowned Mastermind Champion.
Subjects in the first heat are Yes Minister, the Battle of Lepanto, JM Barrie and St Paul's Cathedral.
Aug. 8, 2014, midnight
S41E2 - Episode 2
Host John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. Subjects in this heat are The Thick of It, Eric Clapton, British poetry and TE Lawrence.
Aug. 22, 2014, midnight
S41E3 - Episode 3
John Humphrys questions four more contenders. The subjects are Bobby Moore, the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the TV series Our Friends in the North and Richard the Lionheart.
Aug. 29, 2014, midnight
S41E4 - Episode 4
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. The subjects are champagne, the Manhattan Project, the photographer Tina Modotti and the TV series The Prisoner.
Sept. 5, 2014, midnight
S41E5 - Episode 5
John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are the TV series House of Cards, John Milton, the Siege of Constantinople of 1453 and FA Cup finals at the old Wembley.
Sept. 12, 2014, midnight
S41E6 - Episode 6
John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are the summer Olympic Games, Duke Ellington, Hammer films and General James Wolfe.
Sept. 19, 2014, midnight
S41E7 - Episode 7
John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are Les Dawson, West Indies cricket, the life and films of Howard Hawks, and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Sept. 26, 2014, midnight
S41E8 - Episode 8
John Humphrys hosts Britain's toughest quiz as four more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The specialist subjects in this programme are the Rolling Stones, the Bayeux Tapestry, TV series Mad Men and King Ludwig the Second of Bavaria.
Oct. 3, 2014, midnight
S41E9 - Episode 9
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. The subjects are the films of Sergio Leone, Robert Peel, Leonard Cohen, and Anton Bruckner.
Oct. 10, 2014, midnight
S41E10 - Episode 10
The subjects are the Thames path, Monica Dickens, the life and music of Steve Reich and the life and poetry of Thomas Chatterton.
Oct. 17, 2014, midnight
S41E11 - Episode 11
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions. The subjects are the films of John Hughes, King David I of Scotland, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Iggy Pop.
Oct. 31, 2014, midnight
S41E12 - Episode 12
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are the crown jewels, Tamla Motown, the Battle of Gettysburg and Dusty Springfield.
Nov. 7, 2014, midnight
S41E13 - Episode 13
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are the sitcom Peep Show, the Battle of the Atlantic, the band Suede and the life and works of Charlotte Bronte.
Nov. 14, 2014, midnight
S41E14 - Episode 14
The subjects are Pink Floyd, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, the novels of James Herbert and the life and career of Theodore Roosevelt.
Nov. 21, 2014, midnight
S41E15 - Episode 15
John Humphrys asks the questions as four contenders take the walk to the black chair. The subjects are Marc Bolan, the Empress of Ireland, the Sasanian Empire and 'Allo 'Allo.
Nov. 28, 2014, midnight
S41E16 - Episode 16
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Doctor Who, lost rivers of London, Brian Epstein and the Anglo-Zulu Wars of 1879.
Dec. 5, 2014, midnight
S41E17 - Episode 17
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Cary Grant, the CSS Alabama, the Masters of Rome novels of Colleen McCullough and Marc Almond.
Dec. 12, 2014, midnight
S41E18 - Episode 18
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are one hit wonders, UK general elections 1979 - 2010, West Bromwich Albion and Empress Livia.
Dec. 19, 2014, midnight
S41E19 - Episode 19
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects U2, first ladies of the USA, the films of Stanley Kubrick and Athens in the age of Pericles.
Jan. 2, 2015, midnight
S41E20 - Episode 20
John Humphrys asks the questions as four contenders take the walk to the black chair. The subjects are the novels of Dick Francis, British railway disasters, Gram Parsons and Welsh international rugby from 1960 to 1980.
Jan. 9, 2015, midnight
S41E21 - Episode 21
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Breaking Bad, the Spanish Civil War, the Clash and the Peter Wimsey novels of Dorothy L Sayers.
Jan. 16, 2015, midnight
S41E22 - Episode 22
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are UK chart music of the 1960s, the poetry of John Betjeman, US Masters golf 1970-present and the life and films of Luis Bunuel.
Jan. 23, 2015, midnight
S41E23 - Episode 23
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Game of Thrones, Neil Young, Bournville Village and the life and career of Sir Edward Marshall Hall.
Jan. 30, 2015, midnight
S41E24 - Episode 24
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. The subjects are Joy Division, the Battle of the Somme, the Novels of EM Forster and the Big Bang Theory.
Feb. 6, 2015, midnight
S41E25 - Episode 25
John Humphrys invites five contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the first semi-final of the series. The subjects are Kraftwerk, the Turkish archaeological dig at Catalhoyuk, Sir Martin Frobisher, the novels of Douglas Coupland and the Pentateuch.
Feb. 13, 2015, midnight
S41E26 - Episode 26
John Humphrys puts the questions to five more semi-finalists. The subjects are Inspector Morse, the life of CB Fry, the life of Reinhard Heydrich, the life and career of Jack Johnson and the Gospel according to Mark.
Feb. 20, 2015, midnight
S41E27 - Episode 27
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt for the nation's Mastermind reaches the semi-final stage. The subjects are the Miss Marple novels of Agatha Christie, the Scottish national football team, John Clare, King Henry VII, and the life and work of Aubrey Beardsley.
Feb. 27, 2015, midnight
S41E28 - Episode 28
John Humphrys hosts another semi-final of Britain's toughest quiz. Five more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The subjects are Alex Higgins, Erasmus Darwin, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Margot Fonteyn and the Dirk Pitt novels of Clive Cussler.
March 6, 2015, midnight
S41E29 - Episode 29
John Humphrys asks the questions as five contenders take the walk to the black chair in another semi-final. The subjects are the League of Gentlemen, the Harry Devlin novels of Martin Edwards, the Romanov dynasty, Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and the life of Ernest Hemingway.
March 13, 2015, midnight
S41E30 - Episode 30
Host John Humphrys invites five more contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the last semi-final of the series. The subjects are the Bodyline Ashes tour, the life and work of Elizabeth David, Will Hay, British admirals of the Napoleonic Wars and the life and works of Mary Shelley.
March 20, 2015, midnight
S41E31 - Grand Final
The search for the nation's Mastermind reaches its climax as John Humphrys tests the six grand finalists on their specialist subjects and their general knowledge. Subjects covered are the Falklands conflict, Caterina Sforza, Paul Scott's Raj Quartet, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, the Ashes 1964-1981 and the life of Rudolph Nureyev. The winner will claim the famous glass bowl and the title of Mastermind.
March 27, 2015, midnight
Network: BBC Two
Episode Runtime: 30 min.
Season Runtime: 33810 min.
Released: Sept. 11, 1972
Last Air Date: Nov. 24, 2025, midnight
Status: Returning Series
Certification: NR
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