University Challenge/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Crowning Moment of Awesome: Arguably, Daniel Spencer got one at around 4:40 in this video. Also, winning the competition probably counts, as does exceeding 300 points in a match.
  • Crowning Moment of Funny: Some of these are listed under What an Idiot! below.
  • They Changed It, Now It Sucks: The revival with Paxman initially got this from some quarters, but he soon made the role his own.
  • What an Idiot!: Despite the high level of knowledge required to even get on the show, contestants are not immune to this Trope.
    • Someone who said that Swaziland was in Europe.
    • Someone who apparently thought that Jamaica is in Africa.
    • The time when one of the Warwick contestants buzzed-in during his team's bonus round. That was probably just stress, though.
    • This incident:

Jeremy Paxman: Thuma, Towcher, Long-man, Lech-man, and Little-man are Old and Middle English names for which parts of the human body?
Contestant from Kings School of Medicine and Dentistry: Penis.
(the correct answer was "fingers")
Paxman: You're a medical student! How many penises did they teach you we have nowadays?

Jeremy Paxman: The names "Cheesemongers", "Cherry Pickers", "Bob's Own", "The Emperor's Chambermaids", and "The Immortals" are or have been used for which groups of men?

UMIST Contestant: Homosexuals.

Paxman: No! They're regiments in the British Army — and they're going to be very upset with you, UMIST!