Brain of Britain
Contents |
Host
Franklin Engelmann (1968-72)
Robert Robinson (1973-)
Russell Davies (stand-in, 2004)
Co-hosts
Adjudicators (usually silent): "Mycroft" (Ian Gilles), "Jorkins" (Kevin Ashman)
Broadcast
BBC Radio 4, 16 January 1968 to present
Synopsis
Radio's premier clever-clogs quiz show, originally spun-off from a segment in What Do You Know?.
Four contenders gather from a selected region of the UK, and the presenter asks a question of each, continuing until they get one wrong - that's open to the other contestants on (silent) buzzers. There's a point for a correct answer, five in a row gains a bonus mark, and ten seconds are allowed for thought. In the event of a tie, bonus questions count double; a five question play-off is available if required.
Half-way through each episode is a "Beat The Brains" section, where a listener sets two questions, hoping to stump the panel on one, and win a book token.
The contest features 48 competitors (eight each from London, the Home Counties, the Midlands and East Anglia, the North of England, four from the South-West, and four drawn from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The twelve heat winners, and four highest-scoring runners-up, compete in semi-finals, with the winner advancing to the final.
Every three years, the annual winners return for a Brain of Brains competition; every third winner of those contests competes in the Top Brain contest, possibly eight years after their original triumph. The next Top Brain is scheduled for 2007.
Champions
Regular Series
Those listed for 1954-1967 are winners of the Brain of Britain segment of What Do You Know?
| 1954 | Martin Dakin | 1972 | A. Lawrence | 1990 | Jim Eccleson |
| 1955 | Arthur Maddock | 1973 | Glyn Court | 1991 | Chris Wright |
| 1956 | Anthony Carr [1] | 1974 | Roger Pritchard | 1992 | Mike Billson |
| 1957 | Rosemary Watson | 1975 | Winifred Lawson | 1993 | Geoffrey Colton |
| 1958 | David Keys | 1976 | Thomas Dyer | 1994 | Ian Wynn-Mackenzie |
| 1959 | Dr Reginald Webster | 1977 | Martin Gostelow | 1995 | Ian Kinloch |
| 1960 | Patrick Bowing | 1978 | James Nesbitt | 1996 | Kevin Ashman |
| 1961 | Irene Thomas | 1979 | Arthur Gerard | 1997 | Daphne Fowler |
| 1962 | Henry Button | 1980 | Tim Paxton | 1998 | Guy Herbert |
| 1963 | Ian Barton | 1981 | Peter Barlow | 1999 | Leslie Duncalf |
| 1964 | Ian Gillies | 1982 | John Pusey | 2000 | Mike Smith-Rawnsley |
| 1965 | Robert Crampsey | 1983 | Sue Marshall | 2001 | Tom Corfe |
| 1966 | Richard Best | 1984 | Peter Bates | 2002 | Dr David Jones |
| 1967 | Lt. Cmdr. Loring | 1985 | Richard Fife | 2003 | David Steadman |
| 1968 | Ralph Raby | 1986 | Stephen Gore | 2004 | Alan Bennett |
| 1969 | T. D. Thomson | 1987 | Ian Sutton | 2005 | Christopher Hughes |
| 1970 | Ian Matheson | 1988 | Paul Monaghan | 2006 | Pat Gibson |
| 1971 | Fred Morgan | 1989 | Barbara Thompson |
[1] At 18-years-old, the youngest ever winner.
Brain of Brains
| 1956 | Anthony Carr(?) |
| 1959 | Unknown |
| 1962 | Irene Thomas |
| 1965 | Ian Gillies |
| 1968 | Unknown |
| 1971 | Unknown |
| 1974 | Roger Pritchard |
| 1977 | Tom Dyer |
| 1980 | James Nesbitt |
| 1983 | Peter Barlow |
| 1986 | Richard Fife |
| 1989 | Glen Binnie [1] |
| 1992 | Mike Billson |
| 1995 | Geoffrey Colton |
| 1998 | Kevin Ashman |
| 2001 | Leslie Duncalf |
| 2004 | Alan Bennett |
[1] Mr Binnie finished second to Miss Thompson in the 1989 final, and took her place when she was unavailable to record the Brain of Brains competition.
Top Brain
| 1962 | Anthony Carr(?) |
| 1971 | Ian Gillies |
| 1980 | Roger Pritchard |
| 1989 | Peter Barlow |
| 1998 | Kevin Ashman |
(The assistance of Quizplayers in this section is acknowledged.)
Catchphrase
"Aaaah." (and other slightly pained cries, as Robert Robinson fills while the adjudicator considers an answer.)
Theme music
Various versions of "Rondo", including that by the fabulously named Waldo de los Rios.
Trivia
The record score on a programme final is 35, although there have been higher scores in earlier rounds.
