BBC Press reporting that the BBC’s Media Editor Amol Rajan will be taking over from Jeremy Paxman on University Challenge next year.
I don’t think anyone had him in the sweepstake!
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BBC Press reporting that the BBC’s Media Editor Amol Rajan will be taking over from Jeremy Paxman on University Challenge next year.
I don’t think anyone had him in the sweepstake!
For all the attention UC gets on social media, I wouldn’t be tremendously surprised if the average age of its audience is considerably closer to Paxo’s age than it is to the ages of most of the contestants.
So I wonder if the Beeb and Lifted Entertainment are looking to lower that average age by appointing Amol, who’s more than young enough to be Paxo’s son (39)?
One wonders, too, if there’ll be other changes when Amol officially takes over – a whole new set, a new title sequence, and maybe even a new version of the theme tune (the Balanescu Quartet’s version has been used for a stonking 22 years now)? Obviously, the format will be the same as ever (and there’s no sign of the extended quarter-final stage going away either), and I assume Roger Tilling will still be saying “Magdalen, Smith”, “Balliol, Jones” et cetera (though there obviously won’t be *quite* as big a fuss if he goes too).
I know UC isn’t the most talked-about show on here… but I have to admit, I’m a little surprised no-one else has commented on this development.
There were a few comments when Clive Myrie took over Mastermind – though I see that the corresponding thread also had a fair few comments about other things (including This is My House and the Filipino version of 1000 Heartbeats):
https://www.bothersbar.co.uk/?p=13483
These are purely my observations, of course. I’m not saying that people *have* to talk UC and Amol, or that when Clive took over the ‘Mind they weren’t supposed to talk about anything else on that thread. 😉
The truth is since the Discord opened traffic is down about 75%. Increasingly the website is more of a loss-leader to the socials. It’s not what I wanted to happen, but broadcast would probably prefer streaming not to exist either.
Also I don’t really watch Quizzy Mondays these days – it is certainly A Story, but I’m not super bothered if I’m honest.
Thirty minute Unbeatable premiering on 5 September according to TVguide.co.uk. Says it’s over three rounds and a final, so likely to be sped-up rather than bypassing any rounds.