Wednesday 11 May 2011

Question Time Qualifying

Capitalists@Work, Question Time Quiz returns for a new season tomorrow. For the many, many people who say "I don't understand this? Is the answer four?" here is an explanation.

BBC Television have run a current affairs and political panel program called Question Time, on the flagship BBC1 channel, at 10pm on a Thursday, for the last 40 years. The panel consists of politicians,journalists,artists, comedians,union leaders and various assorted vested interests spokespersons.

The BBC stoutly maintains impartiality in that the questions are chosen by the audience and that they have no input into what will be asked. And this is true. Up to a point.
The editor chooses the final questions, and gets to invite whomever they like onto the panel and choose the location, so in fact they have editorial control.


The object of the quiz is to guess the questions that the audience will ask, that will be allowed by the editor, to be given to the panel.

For the many readers who don't own a telly, or wish to watch the program, actually viewing it isn't a requirement. Simply consider what the 4 or 5 stories of the week are and enter those into the comments. That's all there is. Pick the most talked about topics of the week.
However to play at the high level of a
Ms S-J, Malcolm Tucker or a Botogol
a little more cunning is required.

Some hints for victory.
  • The panel are listed. Often the people are picked because they will hold violently opposing views. If they could they would have Ed Balls and George Osborne on the panel, with a question about budgets.
  • This is an entertainment television show dressed up as a serious discussion program. The editor will often, but not always, pick the most delicious story of the week. So this week, for example, a question on another Greek handout is unlikely, whilst a Max Mosely hooker hand-job, is a possibility.
  • The location matters. If the panel is in Glasgow, the questions will be from a Glasgow audience, and reflect Glasgow politics and news.
  • The BBC week runs from Thursday to Thursday, which often catches many regulars out. If you think back, last Thursday's very big news has yet to be discussed.
  • Final hint. Its a BBC program. They do tend to ask BBC type questions.
Points are awarded for correct answers, uniqueness, humour andLink correct number of questions asked. {ranges from 3 -7 with an average of 4.5}
And also,sometimes, for no real reason.

So, now is your chance to enter. Brand new competition!

Enter your guesses here, or on the main quiz tomorrow evening.
Good luck.

6 comments:

Timbo614 said...

Ladies and Gentlemen; start your engines! Or replace the batteries in your keyboards anyway:)

Steven_L said...

I replaced my keyboard (after spilling wine all over it during a previous edition of QT).

Mark Wadsworth said...

As you say, it's not necessary to watch the programme to play the game. I stopped watching it years ago but still manage a point or two each week.

I'm so grateful that somebody else watches it for me.

Timbo614 said...

First challenge - a prison, prisoners, wardens AND the public :~|

Budgie said...

Whatever the question, Thatcher is to blame (it is the BBC after all).

Botogol said...

When I went to QT Dimblebore suggested that the process is

- collect all the questions from the audience (emailed in and on the day)
- sort into topic
- determine which topics have the most questions.. those topics are very likely to get on the show
- pick the best worded question from the pile.

He also briefed us on the stories of the that very day.. and said 'Oh, I don't know, some of you *might* want to ask about that'.

Then we trooped off for a warm up discussion session where a warm up man floated some topics and perhaps ventured some controversial views and audience discussed. This was used to identify the best performers, so that when the forest of hands goes up Dimbleby knows who is reliable to choose, and the camera is ready. Also perhaps helps them decide whose question to ask if they have many similar ones...

If your question is chosen you are called up and it is dicussed briefly with you. Sometimes they suggest slightly different wordings/slants which questioners usually agreed to, but sometimes didn't.

Not sure if any of that is useful!