University Challenge

No we still really enjoy it . We just accept his bad humour.

We like it too, he is grumpy but I think the participants expect it.

It was good fun tonight.

It was indeed - when Durham said koi carp and the other team said ‘tuna’. Paxman’s face was a picture!!

I am obviously a bit of a sensitive flower!

yes, I always watch it! Paxman though.

Is it me or are the questions becoming weirder?

Not just on UC but on so many quiz programmes.
I managed to answer some on Only Connect but only a couple on UC but it's usually the other way round.

Or is it me? Even the scientist didn't get Bunsen because the question was phrased so oddly!

Although how come a BBC Media Editor didn't get Dylan Thomas?
I was shouting at him!

Haven't watched UC in years, but caught one episode over Christmas. I was quite shocked by Paxman's slowness of questioning, the whole momentum of the show seemed altered.

Paxman is not churlish ! He’s funny. Poor man, a few weeks ago GN posters were up in arms because they didn’t like his hair.....

Paxman acts differently with the Christmas Challenge where the participants are graduates of a certain age and with jobs
He goes slower and with more scerbic comments than he does with the usual young people on the normal challenge

Chardy

Haven't watched UC in years, but caught one episode over Christmas. I was quite shocked by Paxman's slowness of questioning, the whole momentum of the show seemed altered.

We still love it. It wouldn’t be the same without grumpy old Paxman. I always liked him on Newsnight too - refusing to let politicians get away with slithering around questions like oiled snakes.

I think he is rude to the young students too - making them look stupid with his incredulity at their ignorance.

Politicians are fair game; but not these young people thrust into a nerve-wracking situation in front of millions of viewers.

He needs to take a leaf out of Victoria Coren-Mitchell's book - she is kind and supportive to contestants without being patronising.

I can hardly believe they did not know it was goldfish!

Luckygirl

I think he is rude to the young students too - making them look stupid with his incredulity at their ignorance.

Politicians are fair game; but not these young people thrust into a nerve-wracking situation in front of millions of viewers.

He needs to take a leaf out of Victoria Coren-Mitchell's book - she is kind and supportive to contestants without being patronising.

Come on! Bit over sensitive here methinks. VCM is in charge of a totally different kind of quiz

I don't now about over-sensitive. It just seems unnecessary to me.

I've been enjoying the Christmas series of University Challenge. I don't think the alumni's questions are as hard as those asked of younger students. As an alumna myself, I am quite cheered that my level of ignorance is no worse than theirs and I often find myself saying, 'But everyone knows that!' Paxman's sense of humour isn't everyone's but I don't think they take him seriously when he sounds patronising.

Only Connect is only a different sort of quiz because VCM makes it so - I dread to think what it would be like if Paxman was in charge!

No Paxman is still my big crush and I love the programme. Not so keen on the 'celebss' one though. Those interminable introductions shorten the programme- rather have more questions than find out who sailed single handed up the Orinoco in a dug out whilst inventing space travel.

Paxman is still my big crush - you can't be serious!! I find him deeply unattractive in every way!

I am! I know I'm strange. I have only ever been attracted to clever men you can have a good conversation with. DH is no oil painting but a clever sod, annoying but clever. Paxo was a lot ore attractive when he was younger but weren't we all?

I too find clever people the most attractive and I am amused when they patronise me because I know really clever people do so to help me to learn.

I think he is rude to the young students too - making them look stupid with his incredulity at their ignorance.

It's so easy for him - he has the answers in front of him!

Enjoy the programme, find it interesting to hear the careers of the teams and I’m sure they can cope with Paxo.
On Twitter Sathnam Sanghera (Christ’s College Cambridge) said ‘Yup, we were crap on University Challenge. But the truth is that... the edit flattered us. We were even worse in the studio.’