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Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The 10 best TV quiz shows — ranked by our critic
Trivia fans can rejoice this week as Mastermind and University Challenge return to our screens, making Quiz Monday appointment to view television once again each week. But how do these titans of quizzing sit among the very best quiz shows from TV history? Well, there's only one way to find out. I've ranked the top trivia quiz shows from ten to one. The list is based on 'pure quizzing' formats that rely primarily on answering questions rather than involving other activities like spelling and counting (Countdown), playing darts (Bullseye) or comedy panel shows with quizzing (QI). That's not to say those excluded aren't great shows, they are just not eligible for this list. What do you think is the greatest trivia quiz format? Let us know in the comments below … This general knowledge show ran between 1987 and 1996 and was hosted by the great Henry Kelly, who died this year. Going for Gold, with its theme tune by Hans Zimmer, was the dessert to your lunchtime helping of Neighbours. A kind of quiz equivalent of Eurovision Song Contest, the show in all its eccentric glory brought together the great and the good of quizzing from across the Continent to battle it out in quickfire trivia quizzes for the chance to progress to the final and perhaps win a holiday. It had lots of questions and plenty of laughs. It sent a message to all other quiz-makers: 'Now you're playing catch-up.' It's fair to say that not everyone is immediately on board with Only Connect, the most complicated quiz on TV. However, once you get past the complexities and oddities of the format in the good hands of its super-host, Victoria Coren Mitchell, you'll quickly be drawn into a world of hardcore quizzing and puzzling conundrums. Relaxed and engaging but requiring more lateral thinking than most quiz formats, Only Connect is a show that's rightfully won a large and loyal fanbase. There isn't another quiz in which the presenter feels so important to the format. Not just because he's part of the title, but because Richard Osman's calm, friendly and irreverent spirit runs through this format like a name through a stick of rock. On the face of it, the games aren't 'serious', and because it involves celebrity contestants the stakes should be low. However, it's impossible not to get drawn into this friendly, funny and addictively playable game from the moment it arrives in your living room. It's like the kind of Christmas family game nights that you think people might have somewhere, but have never been to yourself. University Challenge, based on the American format College Bowl, has been a mainstay of the British TV schedules since 1962. The format and set is the stuff of screen legend, immortalised by The Young Ones and the subject of the fabulous Brit-flick Starter For 10. If there is a problem with the show it would be that the questions are too hard. However, that's the point of the programme: to challenge the best and brightest of academia, so for the general viewer just getting a few questions right makes you feel smart. Which 'B' is one of the best-loved quiz formats on British television? Hosted by Bob Holness for a wonderful decade between 1983 and 1993, Blockbusters not only had a ripping theme tune, it had the quirk of single players competing against teams of two to make it across a giant honeycomb-board full of letters. Famed for its youthful contestants with mascots and the gold run with prizes like a Walkman or camping equipment, this show will for ever belong in the hearts of the true quiz fan. • Fingers on buzzers — it's the ultimate quizmasters' quiz! One of the purest of quiz formats, this is all about quickfire trivia. Hosted with aplomb by the firm but fair William G Stewart (1988-2003), then Sandi Toksvig (2014-19), this most brilliant of quiz shows had few bells and whistles (just buzzers and illuminated life bars). It formed an essential part of a golden quiz hour on Channel 4 in the afternoon alongside Countdown. The black chair under a single spotlight, the daunting music and the catchphrase 'I've started so I'll finish' make Mastermind an icon of British television. But more than the aesthetics and atmosphere, this is a show that showcases two of the best of British: weird niche knowledge and nerdiness alongside hardcore pub quiz trivia. While the viewer can marvel at the depth of a contestant's insight into something they don't understand in the first round, in the second round everyone's in the room for some good old-fashioned general knowledge. Perfect. • Is Clive Myrie right to call the Mastermind final 'TV's toughest quiz'? A tip-top Bradley Walsh on presenting duties, a brash professional quizzer with a silly nickname and four amateur pub quizzers trying to beat the teacher — what could go wrong? Nothing, that's what. The show combines a lot of fast-paced quizzing (especially in the breathless final chase) with plenty of banter and silliness in a format that has enough changes of pace to earn a full hour of your television attention. It's no wonder it remains one of the biggest bankers for ITV. I must declare an interest here. I went on The Weakest Link when I was in my twenties. And whereas meeting your heroes can often leave you feeling less enthusiastic, I must admit that my experience of seeing inside the factory (Pinewood Studios back then) only made me love it more. A true quiz phenomenon overseen first by a stern but knowing Anne Robinson, and latterly by the comedian Romesh Ranganathan, the show manages to combine quizzing with a devious format that doesn't always mean the person with all the answers wins. (I didn't.) • Anne Robinson proves we're right wing — and judges are the weakest link Co-created by Peaky Blinders's Steven Knight (alongside David Briggs and Mike Whitehill), Millionaire changed British quizzing when it was launched in 1998. The show offered an unimaginably large prize for answering just 15 multiple choice questions — and you even got lifelines. The beauty of the game is how simple it seems and just how tricky it is to not only know the answers but to have the confidence to risk losing vast sums as you move up the ladder. Chris Tarrant set the template for the encouraging host willing the contestant on along with the viewer, a role that Jeremy Clarkson has continued in the reboot. It's the ultimate quiz show on every level. Long live Millionaire. Love TV? Discover the best shows on Netflix, the best Prime Video TV shows, the best Disney+ shows , the best Apple TV+ shows, the best shows on BBC iPlayer , the best shows on Sky and Now, the best shows on ITVX, the best shows on Channel 4 streaming, the best shows on Paramount+ and our favourite hidden gem TV shows. Don't forget to check our comprehensive TV guide for the latest listings
Wales Online
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
James at Cardiff Castle Laid bare what sets them apart from their '90s counterparts
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Smack dab in the middle of a rash of 1990s acts taking over the city's venues is Manchester rock act James. While a constant during the decade, the band stood apart from the crowd with their vibrant and vital mix of indie/electronica/alternative and pulsating tracks like Laid, Come Home and She's a Star. And as Cardiff Castle's latest musical guests they proved why their music has endured with a breathless set of hits the audience absolutely lapped up - or at least sang along to at the tops of their voices. Maybe it was something about the hot evening, but their near-two hour set seemed to fly by with an energy and heat that was enviable. It's no secret that James' live shows have a frantic and exciting energy that's whipped up even further by the band's evident enjoyment. Tim Booth regularly gets up close and personal with audience members and the enigmatic frontman, now 65, doesn't stop getting in amongst it and dancing. The double drums/percussion, plus the violin and trumpet players lifted the performance to a frentic, but composed, level. This gig was basically a lot of fun to watch and if you couple that with a list of songs that have been part of my singalong consciousness for the past 30 years, then I'm basically in my element. Do not disturb me when I'm singing Laid, especially the 'skeweeers' part or expect me not to 'wooowooowooo' at the pertinent bit of Born of Frustration. Special mention, too, to support act Shed Seven, whose warmth and connection with fans makes seeing Going For Gold and Chasing Rainbows live a pleasure. Rick Whitter is funny and engaging and kind with fans. Any band in your emotional back catalogue will have the power to elicit emotion and James' Say Something was beautiful to hear live, while their 2014 track, Moving On was dedicated to members of the crowd who had lost someone in recent times, due to Booth's inspiration being the loss of his mother. I think James' skill in their song-writing combined with their live performances and connection with their fans, is their sincerity - you can tell the majority of their creations come from their experiences and emotions. That makes them a band that will never disappear from my favourites playlist. To see our review of 1990s icon, Alanis Morissette, click here. And for our verdict on the return of Oasis, supported by Richard Ashcroft and Cast, click here. Long live the '90s.
Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Axing of beloved French quiz show results in national outcry
Medical instruments, ornithology and medieval music were among the topics fired at contestants in one of France's most popular television quizzes this week. Much of the country was, however, pondering another question: why has France Télévisions, the state broadcaster, decided to remove the show from its daily slot, supposedly depriving the nation of a valuable cultural institution? A national outcry has followed word that the broadcaster is to relegate Questions Pour Un Champion, a general knowledge quiz game imported from the BBC in 1988, to two weekend slots. After a chorus of public scorn and a petition with nearly 50,000 signatures, a cross-party group of more than 20 MPs has sounded the alarm, telling the boss of France Télévisions that they were appalled at a decision that is likely to kill the contest known originally in Britain as Going for Gold. The broadcaster says it wants to save money. Though the game show still dominates viewership at its 6.10pm slot, it costs more than rival daytime quizzes, it said. For critics, though, the Parisian elite is once again axing a middle-brow show that is popular mainly with older viewers in the provinces. The row is the latest over the disappearance of venerable game shows, a genre that still commands strong loyalty in France. With its focus on culture générale, more prosaically general knowledge in English, Questions Pour Un Champion, is valued for its emphasis on learning. The MPs, from left, centre and right-wing parties, urged Delphine Ernotte, the France Télévisions chief, to reinstate the quiz. 'More than a television programme, Questions Pour Un Champion is a popular cultural and intergenerational institution which plays a large role in the French broadcasting heritage,' they said. Denis Masséglia, an MP for President Macron's Renaissance party, said: 'Millions of French people are being deprived of a familiar reference, a pleasure of play and togetherness.' The critics assume France 3, the show's channel, will soon cancel it, as the parent broadcaster did with the 50-year-old Des Chiffres et des Lettres (Figures and Letters), the last cherished quiz show that it axed amid an outcry in 2024 when it was limited to weekends. Fans called the removal of that show 'cultural suicide'. Samuel Etienne, the Questions host since 2016 and only the second since its start, has attacked the bosses' decision, calling it unfounded, since its viewership remains strong, with over 12 per cent of the 6pm national audience. 'The most demanding game show involving general culture is abandoning its public,' he said. Millions of French people organise their daily routine around it and it had never had so many young contestants, Etienne said. The TV bosses told the host that the quiz's non-French origin was a reason for cutting funds for the show, which is produced by an outside company, like most France Télévisions content, he said. Etienne said the show had survived in France after disappearing in Britain and elsewhere 'because we have a different relationship with culture'. In Le Figaro, Thomas Morales, a writer, said: 'With ideology and cynicism, France Télévisions is directly attacking the heart of its public — the invisible people of the provinces who are an easy target. 'All these honest people — pensioners, students, working people — will not cry out in anger from their distant territories. Once again, they will absorb the contempt in which the broadcasting chiefs hold them.' Éric Naulleau, a critic and broadcaster, said the end of the quiz was incomprehensible. 'This broadcast gives pride of place to general knowledge and liveliness of the mind,' he wrote.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Francis Ford Coppola, ‘Superman' Costar Valerie Perrine And More Pay Tribute To Gene Hackman
The news that actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead at their home in Santa Fe has shocked the industry and led to widespread tributes for one of the true greats of cinema. Clint Eastwood, who directed and starred with Hackman in 1992's Unforgiven, said in a statement to Deadline: 'There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.' More from Deadline 'Suspicious Enough': Gene Hackman & Wife's Deaths Probed By Cops; Scattered Pills Found, No Gas Leak Gene Hackman & Wife Betsy Arakawa Found Dead In Santa Fe Home Henry Kelly Dies: Broadcaster & 'Going For Gold' Presenter Was 78 Valerie Perrine, who appeared with Hackman in 1978's Superman starring Christopher Reeve, wrote on Facebook, 'The great Gene Hackman has passed away. He was a genius & 1 of the greatest to grace the silver screen. I had the honor of working with Him on Superman. His performances are legendary. His talent will be missed. Goodbye my sweet Lex. Till we meet again.' The 95-year-old Hackman won Oscars for The French Connection (1971) and Unforgiven (1992), and was also Oscar-nominated for roles in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988). Tom Hanks paid tribute to Hackman's unique style: Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Hackman in 1974 classic The Conversation, posted on Instagram: 'The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.' Actor George Takei called Hackman 'one of the true giants': 'We have lost one of the true giants of the screen. Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That's how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.' Baby Driver director Edgar Wright simply described Hackman as 'the greatest…' in a post to X. European film and TV studio Studiocanal wrote on social media: 'What a colossal loss for cinema today. Hugely saddened by the passing of one of the true greats – Gene Hackman. We send our deepest condolences.' Presenter Piers Morgan said on social media: 'Gene Hackman was one of the all-time great actors and brilliant in everything he ever did from French Connection and Unforgiven to Mississippi Burning, The Conversation and Superman. We've lost a giant of the big screen.' In a post on X, BAFTA said it was 'saddened' to hear of the death of the three-time BAFTA winner and noted his 'illustrious' career. Irish comedian and TV presenter Dara Ó Briain posted to X: 'Ah, Gene Hackman. The finest screen actor ever, I think. Not a single duff performance, in a long, long career. And the best delivery ever of a single word: when he says 'Cigars!' In Young Frankenstein.' Oscar nominee and Dune: Part 2 star Josh Brolin posted a photo of Hackman and Arakawa and captioned it: 'I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog). Crushed. He was always one of my favorites. Not many who beat to their own drums like he did. Rest in Peace.' In a post on Instagram, Oscar winner Viola Davis wrote about how much she 'loved' Hackman in his films: 'Loved you in everything! The Conversation, The French Connection, The Poseidon Adventure, Unforgiven—tough yet vulnerable. You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir. ❤️❤️❤️' Oscar nominee and Paddington In Peru star Antonio Banderas sent his condolences to 'friends, family and cinema lovers' on Instagram and X: 'A very sad day for the cinema's family. Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have passed away. My deepest condolences to friends, family and cinema lovers. RIP.' Best of Deadline How To Watch The 2025 Oscars Online And On TV How Jon Gries' Return To 'The White Lotus' Could Shape Season 3 Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor Gene Hackman & Wife Betsy Arakawa Found Dead In Santa Fe Home
Actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead at their home in Santa Fe, according to police in New Mexico. 'We do not believe foul play was a factor in their deaths however, exact cause of death has not been determined at this time,' said Santa Fe Sheriff's Office. More from Deadline Henry Kelly Dies: Broadcaster & 'Going For Gold' Presenter Was 78 Al Trautwig Dies: NY Sportscaster, TV Voice Of Olympics Gymnastics & NHL Studio Host Was 68 Souleymane Cissé Dies: Trailblazing Malian Director Was 84 Local reports said Hackman's dog had also been found dead alongside the couple at their Santa Fe Home. Hackman and classical pianist Arakawa, 63, had been married since 1991. The 95-year-old Hollywood legend won Oscars for The French Connection (1971) and Unforgiven (1992), and was Oscar-nominated for roles in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988). Hackman was also celebrated for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in Superman (1978) and its sequel Superman II, with other credits including The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Scarecrow (1972), The Conversation (1974), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Under Fire (1983), Power (1986), Loose Cannons (1990), The Firm (1993), The Quick and the Dead (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), Behind Enemy Lines (2001), and Runaway Jury (2003). He had not been in the public eye for some two decades having retired from acting after starring in Welcome to Mooseport (2004). Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California in 1930 and held dreams of becoming an actor from an early age. At the age of 16 he lied about his age and enlisted in the United States Marine Corp and went on to serve as a field-radio operating, spending time in China. He was discharged in 1951 and studied journalism and television production at the University of Illinois, before returning to California. He cut his acting teeth the Pasadena Playhouse in California where he became friends with Dustin stage work, he secured bit roles in the movie Mad Dog Coll as well as TV series such as Tallahassee 7000, Route 66 and Naked City. Cntinuing to take small film and TV roles, Hackman also spent time on Broadway throughout the 1960s, securing his first credited role in Lilith, starring Jean Seberg and Warren Beatty, and also appeared in the long-running show Poor Richard (1964–65). Hackman started to rise in prominence in the early 1970s after he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role in I Never Sang For My Father and then achieved stardom for his Oscar-winning performance as New York City Detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle in The French Connection in 1971. Best of Deadline How To Watch The 2025 Oscars Online And On TV How Jon Gries' Return To 'The White Lotus' Could Shape Season 3 Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us'
