Author Topic: A Mastermind mess? (Read 1627 times)

weaklink75 · « **on:** December 30, 2008, 06:38:08 PM »

Apparently, someone who was asked to be on one of the celebrity editions of the show (it was short notice, so she ended up turning it down) has claimed that the producers offered her a crib sheet on her special subject...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/30/bbc-television

TroubadourNando · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2008, 07:37:43 PM »

Which raises the question, what kind of S&P standards do other countries have? Here, this would be a pretty big deal...I'd think so anyway.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2008, 07:47:02 PM »

[quote name=\'TroubadourNando\' post=\'205094\' date=\'Dec 30 2008, 07:37 PM\']
Here, this would be a pretty big deal...I'd think so anyway.[/quote]
If this is something they just do for the celebrities (which seems likely), I don't see it as a big deal. Celebrity editions play by different, looser rules than regular mortal versions. Look at our Celebrity Millionaire, where everything up to $32,000 became a big joke. Yes, that's more transparent than this appears to be, but the idea is the same, and the UK celebs probably aren't playing for much in the way of stakes anyway.

TLEberle · « **Reply #3 on:** December 31, 2008, 12:09:45 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'205096\' date=\'Dec 30 2008, 04:47 PM\']and the UK celebs probably aren't playing for much in the way of stakes anyway.[/quote]Last I saw, the Celebrity winners get a small glass trophy or plate, and the honor of being Celebrity Mastermind for that episode. Sort of like how the one survivor of each year's tournament wins a huge horkin' bowl thing, and the honor of being Britain's Mastermind.

My guess, crafted from the finest of whole cloth brought home from the souks of Marrakesh is that the celebrity players are given a list of materials to study on their particular topic, and the heavy lifting is up to them. I remember seeing a Junior Mastermind final, and the halftime show was watching as the youngsters have free reign over a library as they look up stuff for their specialist subject, and that horrible pained look comes over all of them: "Oh damn, general knowledge!"

weaklink75 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 31, 2008, 11:58:59 AM »

I have to agree- after thinking about it, it's not much of a big deal, since they were only offering help. It's sorta like Hollywood Squares- they were briefed on what kind of material they might get, but they never got any questions.