University Challenge 2014–15

Series 44 of University Challenge began on 14 July 2014 on BBC Two. This was the 21st series to be broadcast on the BBC.[1] It was won by the team from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

Results

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  • Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
  • Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated.
  • Teams with orange scores had to win one more match to return in the next round (current highest scoring losers, teams that won their first quarter-final match, teams that won their second quarter-final match having lost their first, or teams that won their first quarter-final match and lost their second).
  • Teams with yellow scores indicate that two further matches had to be played and won (teams that lost their first quarter-final match).
  • A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.

First round

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Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
University of Manchester 160 190 Selwyn College, Cambridge 350 14 July 2014
Oxford Brookes University 130 120 Jesus College, Oxford 250 21 July 2014
University of Bristol 190 75 Courtauld Institute of Art 265 28 July 2014
St Anne's College, Oxford 105 305 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 410 11 August 2014
St Peter's College, Oxford 205 150 University of Sussex 355 18 August 2014
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine 150 140 London School of Economics 290 25 August 2014
University of Liverpool 155 130 University of Sheffield 285 1 September 2014
University of Bath 120 190 University of Glasgow 310 8 September 2014
University of Leicester 245 190 The Open University 435 15 September 2014
Trinity College, Cambridge 150 100 University of St Andrews 250 22 September 2014
University College London 230 140 University of Exeter 370 29 September 2014
Brasenose College, Oxford 35 250 Durham University 285 6 October 2014
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 135 170 University of York 305 13 October 2014
Magdalen College, Oxford 220 110 Pembroke College, Cambridge 330 20 October 2014

Highest Scoring Losers play-offs

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Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast Date
The Open University 180 140 London School of Economics 320 27 October 2014
University of Manchester 210 95 University of Sussex 305 3 November 2014

Second round

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Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
University of Leicester 140 220 Trinity College, Cambridge 360 10 November 2014
Durham University 210 160 University of York 370 17 November 2014
Magdalen College, Oxford 225 130 The Open University 355 24 November 2014
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 200 135 University of Manchester 335 1 December 2014
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine 135 160 University of Bristol 295 8 December 2014
University of Glasgow 105 170 University of Liverpool 275 15 December 2014
Selwyn College, Cambridge 100 235 St Peter's College, Oxford 335 5 January 2015
Oxford Brookes University 180 90 University College London 270 12 January 2015

Quarter-finals

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Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
University of Bristol 115 175 University of Liverpool 290 19 January 2015
St Peter's College, Oxford 240 80 Oxford Brookes University 320 26 January 2015
Durham University 95 275 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 370 2 February 2015
Magdalen College, Oxford 315 55 Trinity College, Cambridge 370 9 February 2015
University of Liverpool 100 245 St Peter's College, Oxford 345 16 February 2015
Oxford Brookes University 85 150 University of Bristol 235 23 February 2015
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 215 155 Magdalen College, Oxford 370 2 March 2015
Durham University 145 105 Trinity College, Cambridge 250 9 March 2015
University of Bristol 115 250 Magdalen College, Oxford 365 16 March 2015
University of Liverpool 100 175 Durham University 275 23 March 2015

Semi-finals

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Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
St Peter's College, Oxford 120 235 Magdalen College, Oxford 355 30 March 2015
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 170 75 Durham University 245 6 April 2015

Final

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Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
Magdalen College, Oxford 105 255 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 360 13 April 2015
  • The trophy and title were awarded to the Gonville & Caius Cambridge team of Ted Loveday, Michael Taylor, Anthony Martinelli, and Jeremy Warner. Loveday later claimed that he had "learned his answers on Wikipedia".[2]
  • The trophy was presented by Will Self, who claimed to have known "about 35%" of the answers.[3]

Spin-off: Christmas Special 2014

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Each year, a Christmas special sequence is aired featuring distinguished alumni. Out of 7 first-round winners, the top 4 highest-scoring teams progress to the semi-finals. The teams consist of celebrities who represent their alma maters.

Results

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  • Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
  • Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated.
  • Teams with grey scores won their match but did not achieve a high enough score to proceed to the next round.
  • A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.

First Round

Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford 195 45 University of Warwick 240 20 December 2014
University of Hull 205 25 Newcastle University 230 23 December 2014
King's College, Cambridge 160 150 Royal Holloway, University of London 310 24 December 2014
University of Edinburgh 235 45 University of Leeds 280 25 December 2014
Trinity Hall, Cambridge 195 120 Balliol College, Oxford 315 26 December 2014
University of York 135 110 University of Surrey 245 29 December 2014
Manchester Metropolitan University 145 75 Goldsmiths, University of London 220 30 December 2014

Standings for the winners

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Rank Team Team captain Score
1 University of Edinburgh Philippa Gregory 235
2 University of Hull Jenni Murray 205
3= Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Cathy Newman 195
Trinity Hall, Cambridge Adam Mars-Jones
5 King's College, Cambridge Noreena Hertz 160
6 Manchester Metropolitan University Bernard Hill 145
7 University of York Michael Dixon 135

Semi-finals

Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford 145 175 University of Hull 320 31 December 2014
University of Edinburgh 135 165 Trinity Hall, Cambridge 300 1 January 2015

Final

Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date
University of Hull 65 215 Trinity Hall, Cambridge 280 2 January 2015

The winning Trinity Hall, Cambridge team of Tom James, Emma Pooley, Adam Mars-Jones and Dan Starkey beat the University of Hull and their team of Rosie Millard, Malcolm Sinclair, Jenni Murray and Stan Cullimore.

References

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  1. ^ "University Challenge, SERIES 21 - EPISODE 1". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  2. ^ Singh, Anita (15 April 2015). "University Challenge winner Ted Loveday: I learned my answers on Wikipedia". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  3. ^ "University Challenge S44E37-final Magdalen : Oxford vs Gonville & Caius Cambridge 2015". YouTube. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
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