Over the last few weeks I have been getting hooked on University Challenge on BBC2. First of all it does give me a thrill to yell out the correct answers, especially as I messed up my A levels and didn’t get to go to University, but I also like Paxman’s approach when a particularly stupid answer is given.

Today’s show was a classic, with reality following fiction, as it seemed like a replay of that famous episode of The Young Ones where Scumbag College took on the toffs. One team was from St Hilda’s college in Oxford, and they were four studious young ladies all ‘reading’ literature, philosophy and the like. The other team was from Portsmouth University (formerly Portsmouth Poly). Paxo took the trouble to point out that the Pompey team did not get their places through a rigorous selection process involving pre-tests and play-offs but because they were the only 4 people in the place who volunteered. They were mostly studying various vocational subjects like policing. Portsmouth started by immediately getting a starter wrong and going to minus five points (cue loud boisterous cheers from the lively Portsmouth supporters)and it was shaping up to be a whitewash, but it turned out that the Oxford ladies were actually not that bright and when they did get a starter they rarely got any of the follow-up questions right, and the end result was closer than you might expect.

The highlight had to be when Portsmouth got a starter and when asked a follow-up question they consulted a bit and the captain just said to Paxo “Don’t know mate, we ain’t got a clue.”

I for one was sorry to see them get knocked out. They could have been like the non-league side who get to the second round of the FA cup or something and certainly showed more character than the St Hildas crowd.