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The specialist-subject round has always been the problem with Mastermind – it's essentially spectator information-regurgitation as entertainment
It's the grand final of another series of Mastermind. "In which room are 11 of the gallery's works by Van Dyck, including his equestrian portrait of Charles I?" John Humphrys asks Ian Bayley, a university senior lecturer whose specialist subject is the paintings in the National Gallery.
The specialist-subject round has always been the problem with Mastermind. There's very little chance of knowing the answer yourself, so it's essentially spectator information-regurgitation as entertainment. Here in the final, with six grand finalists and six specialist subjects, there's an awful lot of it.
And this question strikes me as particularly uninteresting, as it's not even Bayley's knowlege of art that's being tested. What you have here is specialist information about museum layout, for entertainment. And John Humphrys moans about the dumbing down of television.
Mastermind may be, as another contender, assistant accountant Diane Hallagan, says, "the one that all the serious quizzers want to win because it's the pinnacle of TV quizzes". But from a non-serious quizzer's point of view, it's pretty tired. University Challenge is not just more entertaining, but also more intelligent, as some thought and wit is required rather than simple data recovery.
Oh, and the answer? Room 31, but you knew that. Ian Bayley certainly does; he knows everything. A worthy winner I think, but hardly thrilling TV.
I'm feeling inspired by lovely Monty Don's lovely trip round lovely Italian gardens. My own garden is looking a bit sorry for itself, and I'm going to borrow some ideas from the show. I'm thinking ancient Greek via Italian Renaissance via Monty to Dollis Hill, which is where my garden is. So there'll be pillars for sure, perfect proportions, cascading water, stone dolphins perhaps. It will be an astonishing ethereal fantasy, built with craft and ambition, and it will boost my standing in the community. Or at least make the neighbours go "bloody hell" when they look over the fence. Right, to Homebase then, for their finest marble.
