Bill Wright
Director
Mastermind (1972)
2015/16
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
S42E1 - Episode 1
John Humphrys and the famous black chair return for another series of television's toughest quiz. 96 contenders start the path towards the final but only one can be crowned Mastermind Champion. Subjects in this first heat are Marvel Comics, Shakespeare's comedies, John Martyn and Pu Yi, the Last Emperor of China.
Aug. 7, 2015, midnight
S42E2 - Episode 2
John Humphrys puts questions to four more contenders. The specialist subjects in this heat are Harry Potter, modern jazz, the English Reformation and the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Aug. 14, 2015, midnight
S42E3 - Episode 3
John Humphrys puts questions to four more contenders. The specialist subjects in this heat are Christopher Marlowe, I Claudius, the racehorse Arkle and Joseph Stalin.
Aug. 21, 2015, midnight
S42E4 - Episode 4
John Humphrys puts questions to four more contenders. The specialist subjects in this heat are the Academy Awards, King Crimson, Weimar Germany and Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Aug. 28, 2015, midnight
S42E5 - Episode 5
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, the Wars of the Roses, Edward Heath and Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure.
Sept. 4, 2015, midnight
S42E6 - Episode 6
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Sherlock Holmes, the Radio 4 sitcom Old Harry's Game, the Roman Army and Harold Wilson.
Sept. 11, 2015, midnight
S42E7 - Episode 7
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are The Wire, Scott Joplin, the writer Alan Moore and Beatrix Potter.
Sept. 18, 2015, midnight
S42E8 - Episode 8
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Catherine of Aragon, the post-war Labour Government, the band Rush and the poet Robert Fergusson.
Sept. 25, 2015, midnight
S42E9 - Episode 9
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are silent cinema, the band Hawkwind, the Ballets Russes and King Henry V.
Oct. 2, 2015, midnight
S42E10 - Episode 10
Subjects include the films of Kevin Smith, the novels of Neil Gaiman, Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris and Chess Records.
Oct. 9, 2015, midnight
S42E11 - Episode 11
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are Kathleen Ferrier, Everton FC, the Rivers of London novels of Ben Aaronovitch and the Albigensian Crusade.
Oct. 16, 2015, midnight
S42E12 - Episode 12
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are the history of Las Vegas, the Anne books by LM Montgomery, Paul Simon and the Western films of John Ford.
Oct. 23, 2015, midnight
S42E13 - Episode 13
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are the Song of Ice and Fire novels by George RR Martin, Gloria Swanson, the music of Carly Simon and the FA Cup in the 1970s.
Nov. 6, 2015, midnight
S42E14 - Episode 14
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are the films of Martin Scorsese, Donald Campbell, the Pop Larkin Chronicles and Ian Paisley.
Nov. 13, 2015, midnight
S42E15 - Episode 15
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Vincent van Gogh, Burnley FC, the Thirty Years' War and the Tom Kirk novels by James Twining.
Nov. 20, 2015, midnight
S42E16 - Episode 16
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are The IT Crowd, North American Plains Indians from 1850-1910, Homer's Iliad and the history of Hong Kong from 1841-1997.
Nov. 27, 2015, midnight
S42E17 - Episode 17
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are World War II in Europe, Josephine Butler, Freemasonry and Pete Seeger.
Dec. 4, 2015, midnight
S42E18 - Episode 18
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Barbara Castle, Archbishop Makarios, the McAuslan trilogy of George MacDonald Fraser and Joe Meek.
Dec. 11, 2015, midnight
S42E19 - Episode 19
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are The West Wing, Jesse Owens, Manfred von Richthofen and Billy Bragg.
Dec. 18, 2015, midnight
S42E20 - Episode 20
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Pearl Jam, Watergate, Middlesbrough FC and the life and poetry of AE Housman.
Jan. 8, 2016, midnight
S42E21 - Episode 21
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Scottish pop music from 1980-1999, Aston Villa FC, the history of the GDR, and Clarice Cliff.
Jan. 15, 2016, midnight
S42E22 - Episode 22
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Gavin and Stacey, Sir John Gielgud, Jackie Robinson and William Morris.
Jan. 22, 2016, midnight
S42E23 - Episode 23
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are the Apollo missions, the Great Train Robbery, Queen's Park Rangers FC and the Alex Delaware novels of Jonathan Kellerman.
Jan. 29, 2016, midnight
S42E24 - Episode 24
John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jock Stein, Stax Records and the Suez Crisis.
Feb. 5, 2016, midnight
S42E25 - Episode 25
Host John Humphrys invites five contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the first semi-final. Subjects are the life and career of Brian Clough, the films of Paul Verhoeven, Electric Light Orchestra, the Easter Rising and David Sedaris.
Feb. 12, 2016, midnight
S42E26 - Episode 26
John Humphrys puts the questions to five more semi-finalists. The subjects are the X-Men comics, Wainwright's coast to coast walk, the Green Bay Packers, Jethro Tull and Eamon de Valera.
Feb. 19, 2016, midnight
S42E27 - Episode 27
John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects in this semi-final are Men Behaving Badly, Caroline Graham's Inspector Barnaby novels, the history of the Bundesliga, Gerald Durrell and Neville Chamberlain.
Feb. 26, 2016, midnight
S42E28 - 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 Ever Decreasing Circles, the life and works of Sylvia Plath, Roddy Doyle's Barrytown trilogy, women in the Olympics and Ray Davies.
March 11, 2016, midnight
S42E29 - Episode 29
Host John Humphrys invites five more contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the penultimate semi-final. The subjects are British summer Olympic champions, William Marshal, Windsor Castle, Ian Fleming and Vasari's Lives of the Artists.
March 18, 2016, midnight
S42E30 - Episode 30
John Humphrys hosts as five contestants compete in the last semi-final. Subjects are Reading FC, Benjamin Britten, Venice, the history of Ulster and Prohibition
March 25, 2016, midnight
S42E31 - Grand Final
The search for the nation's Mastermind reaches its conclusion as John Humphrys invites the six finalists to make once last visit to the famous black chair as they attempt to win the glass bowl and the title of Mastermind.
The specialist subjects for the grand final are Thunderbirds, English test cricket since 1970, Elizabeth Gaskell, the Seven Years War, the Ryder Cup and the Battle for Berlin.
April 1, 2016, 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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