Quizzy Mondays Podcast

This week as universities receive their audition packages for the next series of University Challenge we are joined by Richard Queree aka @sheepfm . Richard former civic engagement and radio officer for University of East London and was one of the key people behind the scenes in getting a team together and successfully applying for the 2016/17 series of University Challenge. We discuss his process from receiving the letter to auditioning the team and sending off the application. We also discuss the difficulties in getting "post 92" universities represented on University Challenge and what can be done to get more representation and more success. We then discuss Richard's thoughts on the current series of University Challenge & Only Connect before finishing off with the usual quick-fire questions. If you want to be a guest please contact @quizzymondays.

This week we are joined by @theUCreview, author of the University Challenge Review who has reviewed the past series and a half of University Challenge with his own interesting and tangential take on the series, often focusing more on the memes and contestants rather than the result. We discuss what got him into University Challenge and to produce a review page. We then move onto what inspires him on the subjects of his reviews and his workflow, what review has generated the most feedback and what subject is closest to his heart. Social media & meme culture then get a shout out as we discuss the next personality to follow the likes of Seagull, Monkman, Goldman, Powell into social media lore. Joe's experience with fellow Edinburgh alumni is also discussed as we talk quizbowl and whether it is an advantage to a competing team and whether it explains some of the current first round results. The discussion ends with the now usual quick-fire questions. If you want to be a guest please contact @quizzymondays. Read Joe's blog at theuniversitychallengereview.tumblr.com

This week we are joined by Jack Waley Cohen otherwise known as @quizquizquiz, current Quiz Editor of Only Connect with an impressive CV including, Countdown. The Weakest Link, The People Versus and Only Connect, being part of the first series reaching the Final as part of the Lapsed Psychologists. We discuss his impressive quizzing CV, his entry into quizzing and his contemporaries he met while at Oxford University including a brave admission that led to him missing an opportunity to appear on University Challenge. We then cover his conversion from competitor to question setter and the steps that led to being involved in Only Connect eventually becoming Question Editor. Jack discusses the process involved of getting questions onto Only Connect from idea to screen and takes an opportunity to discuss the release of the Only Connect Quiz Book, now available at all good book stores. Jack also promotes his business QuizQuizQuiz which provides quiz and question master services which leads to a discussion regarding what makes a good quiz before finishing off with some quickfire questions. If you want to be a guest please contact @quizzymondays.

After an extended absence which is totally Chris's fault (listen to the apology at the beginning) we return with Innis Carson, Captain of the current Edinburgh University team. We discuss the impressive quizzing CV of Innis inclusing his personal bucket list of Countdown, becoming an Octochamp, as part of the Scientists team in Only Connect in 2015 and his current role in University Challenge. Similar to the Only Connect team that auditioned five times before getting on we find out that Innis was successful at the seventh time of asking for University Challenge. We discuss the close first round match between Edinburgh & Ulster before moving on to a brief review of the other matches so far. We also briefly review the Only Connect matches so far and share lamentations that it is still on Friday. Innis gives an insight to the development of the Edinburgh University Quiz Society & Quiz team as well as the local quiz scene in Edinburgh before finishing off with some quickfire questions. Hopefully the next episode will be quicker, if you have got this far reading, well done let me know if you want to be a guest @quizzymondays

This week we are joined by Jack McB otherwise known as @jack_jmmcb creator of Quiz blog Jacks Online writings http://jacksonlinewritings.blogspot.co.uk/ . We discuss Jack's blog, his inspiration and his workflow for reviewing quizzes. We then move on to review the Trinity - Cambridge vs Bristol episode of University Challenge and discuss the toilet sign picture round, incorrect interruptions and the speed of the quiz. we finish by having a discussion about the upcoming series of Only Connect and discuss the numerous knockout formats employed and determine if there is a fairer second round