Amol New World

When I wrote the first ever edition of this blog in 2016, I described Jeremy Paxman as 'stony eyed, hair thick and flowing like a bear post-hibernation.' Having completed his twenty ninth series earlier this year he has now departed for a longer rest, well earned after nearly three decades of sardonic quips and withering put-downs. From all of the press pics, his replacement Amol Rajan is not boasting a bouffant on Paxo's 2016 level, and I can't choose which animal to compare him with, but I'm sure we'll get there.

I, like all viewers of University Challenge, am intrigued to see how Rajan hosts the show. For a large number of people Paxman is the only person we've known as quizmaster, and his style has become synonymous with the show itself. In his later years, he mellowed out a little bit, taking the edge off his caustic nature for the most part, but his furrowed brow, knitted tightly in befuddlement at the silliness of a contestant's throwaway guess remains iconic. Amol Rajan certainly has a big seat to fill.

The decor of the set has also changed, with a return to a more retro look. I imagine that some people will love it, revelling in the nostalgia it bubbles up, and some people will hate it, decrying it as a backwards step, naff and old-fashioned, because thats what always happens when anything changes on the Internet. There's also a very weird, seemingly never ending vertical portal between the teams, but I don't really know what else to say about that.

I think its pretty cool, for what its worth, and I reckon they had to mix things up a bit or it might have felt a bit strange with someone else in the hotseat.

One thing which hasn't changed is our sonorous announcer, Roger Tilling. In 2016 I described him as a having a 'voice like a chain-smoking mountain', which, while very evocative doesn't quite feel right. His is an amazing voice, instantly recognisable, but I have to admit I got a bit carried away with myself there. Anyway, he's back once again to boom out names like Manchester's De Los Reyes-White and Senehedheera, and Trinity's Banerjee and Jaksina.

There is an excitement around this series, a nervousness about the newness of it (amplified somewhat by the faked death of the University Challenge YouTube uploader, which you can read about here if you haven't heard of it. Let's just say here that hopefully someone else steps up to upload this new series).

Manchester have won the show four times, and Trinity three, making them two of the most historically significant UC teams, but only one of them can win tonight... Without further ado, your first starter of the Amol Rajan era.

The show opens with a bizarre aspect ratio which I feared they were going to stick with the whole time, but the camera zooms in and we are treated to Rajan's dulcet tones for the first time. He introduces the teams and then we're off to the races.

Immaterialism is a concept associated with which philosopher...

Buzz by Banerjee - Berkley. Bonuses on Murakami. Rajan tries out a Paxman impression when Trinity guess Gone with the Wind rather than West of the Sun, but it doesn't suit him. He doesn't try this again, so it feels like this may have been reflexive and the result of slight nerves on his part because its so obviously an impersonation, but he doesn't put his back into it so you don't really believe his scorn.

Manchester hit back thanks to captain Senehedheera, but he rushes on the first bonus, losing out on the five points. No one knows its Honolulu on the next starter, but a second from Senehedheera gives Manchester the lead. Jaksina gets the first picture starter on Dr Zhivago by Pasternak, before a full bonus set on samizdat novels ties the game, and another from Banerjee takes back the advantage.

De los Reyes-White takes a starter on Wandavision and Senehedheera is disgusted by his own failure to recall the names of philosophers on the bonuses.

Henderson gets the music starter in about two seconds, prompting a big 'wow!' from Rajan. Maybe this can be his thing - pure shock at the speed of knowledge on display. Good bonuswork puts Trinity on double the score of Manchester at the halfway stage.

Kullmann cuts the gap with a cricket starter, but Manchester don't manage any bonuses, with Senehedheera again annoyed at his lack of recall - especially so this time given that Becquerel was referenced in his thesis. He makes up for it with the next starter, and his side close to within thirty points.

Banerjee wins a bonus set on herbs for Trinity. Bucking the stereotype of the cooking-ignorant student, they manage two of the three. Jaksina then takes his second picture starter with Vermeer, and Trinity are in command with five minutes to go.

Needing a starter, Grady buzzes in and starts giving Wide Sargasso Sea, but Rajan accepts his answer before he even finishes saying wide. Fair enough, but certainly something Paxman would never have done. They reduce the gap, but Kang shuts down the comeback. Whenever Manchester look like they're going to get back in it, one of the Trinity quartet block them. Fifty points separate the sides, so all Manchester can play for is the high-scoring loser play-off.

Or is it?

A starter from Kullmann is followed by a quickfire hat-trick on the bonuses. Another starter. Dawdling on the bonuses. Too much conferring. They only manage one, but its a crucial one. They're ten points back. A supremely clutch starter from De los Reyes-White (yak) ties the game with seconds left. Some of which Rajan wastes by telling us there are seconds left.

What kind of electricity...?

'Static?' guesses Senehedheera, and then the gong. Is he right? No he is not.

Tiebreak. 👔

In the first episode of the new era.

You couldn't, as they say, write it (although of course if you were going to you'd do exactly this).

Which activist art group...

BuZz!

Senehedheera - Guerilla Girls?

Correct.

Trinity 175 - 185 Manchester

Phew! What a game to start the series. I know there is a bit of choice for the schedulers over which match gets broadcast first, but they must have been rubbing their hands with glee when this one fell into their laps.

Astonishing comeback from Manchester, and huge commiserations to Trinity, though they will surely return for the play-offs unless Rajan's increased speed of delivery results in loads of high-scoring games.

As for Rajan himself, new things always take a bit of getting used to, and as I said in the introduction, Paxman had become so synonymous with UC that its odd to see someone else there (it sort of feels like we're watching a alternate universe version of the show), but I think he did a good job and I'm sure we'll get over it soon enough.

Although it might take longer than that for people to get over the lack of question cards...

Join us next week for Episode 2 of the Rajan Era, as Aberdeen take on Birmingham, and subscribe here so that you never miss a review!