Mastermind (Season 42)

Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness. Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the contestant's choice, the other a general knowledge round. Wright drew inspiration from his experiences of being interrogated by the Gestapo during World War II. The atmosphere is helped by Mastermind's famously ominous theme music, "Approaching Menace" by the British composer Neil Richardson. The quiz programme originated and was recorded in Manchester at studios such as New Broadcasting House and Granada Studios, before permanently moving to MediaCityUK in 2011.

  • Poster for Episode 1

    Episode 1 (Episode 1)

    Air date: 2015-08-07

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys and the famous black chair return for another series of television's toughest quiz. 96 contenders start the path towards the final but only one can be crowned Mastermind Champion. Subjects in this first heat are Marvel Comics, Shakespeare's comedies, John Martyn and Pu Yi, the Last Emperor of China.

  • Poster for Episode 2

    Episode 2 (Episode 2)

    Air date: 2015-08-14

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys puts questions to four more contenders. The specialist subjects in this heat are Harry Potter, modern jazz, the English Reformation and the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

  • Poster for Episode 3

    Episode 3 (Episode 3)

    Air date: 2015-08-21

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys puts questions to four more contenders. The specialist subjects in this heat are Christopher Marlowe, I Claudius, the racehorse Arkle and Joseph Stalin.

  • Poster for Episode 4

    Episode 4 (Episode 4)

    Air date: 2015-08-28

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys puts questions to four more contenders. The specialist subjects in this heat are the Academy Awards, King Crimson, Weimar Germany and Gerard Manley Hopkins.

  • Poster for Episode 5

    Episode 5 (Episode 5)

    Air date: 2015-09-04

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, the Wars of the Roses, Edward Heath and Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure.

  • Poster for Episode 6

    Episode 6 (Episode 6)

    Air date: 2015-09-11

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Sherlock Holmes, the Radio 4 sitcom Old Harry's Game, the Roman Army and Harold Wilson.

  • Poster for Episode 7

    Episode 7 (Episode 7)

    Air date: 2015-09-18

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are The Wire, Scott Joplin, the writer Alan Moore and Beatrix Potter.

  • Poster for Episode 8

    Episode 8 (Episode 8)

    Air date: 2015-09-25

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Catherine of Aragon, the post-war Labour Government, the band Rush and the poet Robert Fergusson.

  • Poster for Episode 9

    Episode 9 (Episode 9)

    Air date: 2015-10-02

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are silent cinema, the band Hawkwind, the Ballets Russes and King Henry V.

  • Poster for Episode 10

    Episode 10 (Episode 10)

    Air date: 2015-10-09

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: Subjects include the films of Kevin Smith, the novels of Neil Gaiman, Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris and Chess Records.

  • Poster for Episode 11

    Episode 11 (Episode 11)

    Air date: 2015-10-16

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are Kathleen Ferrier, Everton FC, the Rivers of London novels of Ben Aaronovitch and the Albigensian Crusade.

  • Poster for Episode 12

    Episode 12 (Episode 12)

    Air date: 2015-10-23

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are the history of Las Vegas, the Anne books by LM Montgomery, Paul Simon and the Western films of John Ford.

  • Poster for Episode 13

    Episode 13 (Episode 13)

    Air date: 2015-11-06

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects tonight are the Song of Ice and Fire novels by George RR Martin, Gloria Swanson, the music of Carly Simon and the FA Cup in the 1970s.

  • Poster for Episode 14

    Episode 14 (Episode 14)

    Air date: 2015-11-13

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are the films of Martin Scorsese, Donald Campbell, the Pop Larkin Chronicles and Ian Paisley.

  • Poster for Episode 15

    Episode 15 (Episode 15)

    Air date: 2015-11-20

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are Vincent van Gogh, Burnley FC, the Thirty Years' War and the Tom Kirk novels by James Twining.

  • Poster for Episode 16

    Episode 16 (Episode 16)

    Air date: 2015-11-27

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The specialist subjects in this heat are The IT Crowd, North American Plains Indians from 1850-1910, Homer's Iliad and the history of Hong Kong from 1841-1997.

  • Poster for Episode 17

    Episode 17 (Episode 17)

    Air date: 2015-12-04

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are World War II in Europe, Josephine Butler, Freemasonry and Pete Seeger.

  • Poster for Episode 18

    Episode 18 (Episode 18)

    Air date: 2015-12-11

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Barbara Castle, Archbishop Makarios, the McAuslan trilogy of George MacDonald Fraser and Joe Meek.

  • Poster for Episode 19

    Episode 19 (Episode 19)

    Air date: 2015-12-18

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are The West Wing, Jesse Owens, Manfred von Richthofen and Billy Bragg.

  • Poster for Episode 20

    Episode 20 (Episode 20)

    Air date: 2016-01-08

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Pearl Jam, Watergate, Middlesbrough FC and the life and poetry of AE Housman.

  • Poster for Episode 21

    Episode 21 (Episode 21)

    Air date: 2016-01-15

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Scottish pop music from 1980-1999, Aston Villa FC, the history of the GDR, and Clarice Cliff.

  • Poster for Episode 22

    Episode 22 (Episode 22)

    Air date: 2016-01-22

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are Gavin and Stacey, Sir John Gielgud, Jackie Robinson and William Morris.

  • Poster for Episode 23

    Episode 23 (Episode 23)

    Air date: 2016-01-29

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are the Apollo missions, the Great Train Robbery, Queen's Park Rangers FC and the Alex Delaware novels of Jonathan Kellerman.

  • Poster for Episode 24

    Episode 24 (Episode 24)

    Air date: 2016-02-05

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys invites four more contenders to answer questions in the black chair. The subjects are A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jock Stein, Stax Records and the Suez Crisis.

  • Poster for Episode 25

    Episode 25 (Episode 25)

    Air date: 2016-02-12

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: Host John Humphrys invites five contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the first semi-final. Subjects are the life and career of Brian Clough, the films of Paul Verhoeven, Electric Light Orchestra, the Easter Rising and David Sedaris.

  • Poster for Episode 26

    Episode 26 (Episode 26)

    Air date: 2016-02-19

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys puts the questions to five more semi-finalists. The subjects are the X-Men comics, Wainwright's coast to coast walk, the Green Bay Packers, Jethro Tull and Eamon de Valera.

  • Poster for Episode 27

    Episode 27 (Episode 27)

    Air date: 2016-02-26

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys asks the questions as the hunt continues for the nation's Mastermind. Subjects in this semi-final are Men Behaving Badly, Caroline Graham's Inspector Barnaby novels, the history of the Bundesliga, Gerald Durrell and Neville Chamberlain.

  • Poster for Episode 28

    Episode 28 (Episode 28)

    Air date: 2016-03-11

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys hosts another semi-final of Britain's toughest quiz. Five more contenders are questioned on their specialist subject and general knowledge. The subjects are Ever Decreasing Circles, the life and works of Sylvia Plath, Roddy Doyle's Barrytown trilogy, women in the Olympics and Ray Davies.

  • Poster for Episode 29

    Episode 29 (Episode 29)

    Air date: 2016-03-18

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: Host John Humphrys invites five more contenders to answer questions in the black chair in the penultimate semi-final. The subjects are British summer Olympic champions, William Marshal, Windsor Castle, Ian Fleming and Vasari's Lives of the Artists.

  • Poster for Episode 30

    Episode 30 (Episode 30)

    Air date: 2016-03-25

    Runtime: 30 min

    Overview: John Humphrys hosts as five contestants compete in the last semi-final. Subjects are Reading FC, Benjamin Britten, Venice, the history of Ulster and Prohibition

  • Poster for Grand Final

    Grand Final (Episode 31)

    Air date: 2016-04-01

    Runtime: 60 min

    Overview: The search for the nation's Mastermind reaches its conclusion as John Humphrys invites the six finalists to make once last visit to the famous black chair as they attempt to win the glass bowl and the title of Mastermind. The specialist subjects for the grand final are Thunderbirds, English test cricket since 1970, Elizabeth Gaskell, the Seven Years War, the Ryder Cup and the Battle for Berlin.

Mastermind

Seasons

1972
1972
Episodes 15
1973
1973
Episodes 17
1974
1974
Episodes 17
1975
1975
Episodes 17
1976
1976
Episodes 17
1977
1977
Episodes 17
1978
1978
Episodes 17
1979
1979
Episodes 17
1980
1980
Episodes 17
1981
1981
Episodes 17
1983
1983
Episodes 17
1984
1984
Episodes 17
1985
1985
Episodes 17
1986
1986
Episodes 23
1987
1987
Episodes 23
1988
1988
Episodes 23
1989
1989
Episodes 23
1990
1990
Episodes 22
1991
1991
Episodes 17
1992
1992
Episodes 17
1993
1993
Episodes 17
1994
1994
Episodes 17
1995
1995
Episodes 17
1996
1996
Episodes 17
1997
1997
Episodes 14
2003
2003
Episodes 17
2004
2004
Episodes 31
2005
2005
Episodes 31
2006
2006
Episodes 31
2007/08
2007/08
Episodes 31
2008/09
2008/09
Episodes 31
2009/10
2009/10
Episodes 31
2010/11
2010/11
Episodes 31
2011/12
2011/12
Episodes 31
2012/13
2012/13
Episodes 31
2013/14
2013/14
Episodes 31
2014/15
2014/15
Episodes 31
2015/16
2015/16
Episodes 31
2016/17
2016/17
Episodes 31
2017/18
2017/18
Episodes 31
2018/19
2018/19
Episodes 31
2019/20
2019/20
Episodes 31
2020/21
2020/21
Episodes 31
2021/22
2021/22
Episodes 31
2022/23
2022/23
Episodes 31
2023/24
2023/24
Episodes 31
2024/25
2024/25
Episodes 31
2025/26
2025/26
Episodes 21
Specials
Specials
Episodes 24