Despite Covid-safe measures, there was no shortage of teamwork and enthusiasm as Warwick and Magdalene College, Cambridge faced off in the final of the venerable quiz show
“Many things might be regarded as the hallmarks of this competition, but an eagerness to embrace change isn’t one of them.” So said Jeremy Paxman after University Challenge ended a six-month, Covid-induced hiatus that halted filming until last September. In a year when government guidelines have often been as indecipherable as the most cryptic of starter questions, the show has remained a consistent source of entertainment and interest. However, even for a competition with such a notoriously rigid format, it was clear that some changes had to be made.
From the first round play-offs onwards, participating teams were separated by clear screens and communicated with their teammates via earpieces. Because of the delay, the rules barring students from participating if they had finished their degree were relaxed. These measures, and the introduction of social distancing and quarantines behind the scenes, could easily have had a negative effect on the camaraderie between teammates and the friendly rivalry between teams, which I found to be a highlight of filming.
