University Challenge 2014–15 Explained

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

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

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
University of Manchester	160	190	Selwyn College, Cambridge	350	14 July 2014
Oxford Brookes University	130		Jesus College, Oxford	250	21 July 2014
University of Bristol	190		Courtauld Institute of Art	265	28 July 2014
St Anne's College, Oxford		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		University of Sheffield	285	1 September 2014
University of Bath		190	University of Glasgow	310	8 September 2014
University of Leicester	245	190	The Open University	435	15 September 2014
Trinity College, Cambridge	150		University of St Andrews	250	22 September 2014
University College London	230		University of Exeter	370	29 September 2014
Brasenose College, Oxford		250	Durham University	285	6 October 2014
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge		170	University of York	305	13 October 2014
Magdalen College, Oxford	220		Pembroke College, Cambridge	330	20 October 2014

Highest Scoring Losers play-offs

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

Second round

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

Quarter-finals

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		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		Trinity College, Cambridge	250	9 March 2015
University of Bristol		250	Magdalen College, Oxford	365	16 March 2015
University of Liverpool		175	Durham University	275	23 March 2015

Semi-finals

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

Final

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

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

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	University of Warwick	240	20 December 2014
University of Hull	205	Newcastle University	230	23 December 2014
King's College, Cambridge		Royal Holloway, University of London	310	24 December 2014
University of Edinburgh	235	University of Leeds	280	25 December 2014
Trinity Hall, Cambridge	195	Balliol College, Oxford	315	26 December 2014
University of York		University of Surrey	245	29 December 2014
Manchester Metropolitan University		Goldsmiths, University of London	220	30 December 2014

Standings for the winners

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
3=	Trinity Hall, Cambridge	Adam Mars-Jones	195
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		175	University of Hull	320	31 December 2014
University of Edinburgh		165	Trinity Hall, Cambridge	300	1 January 2015

Final

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.

External links

Notes and References

University Challenge, SERIES 21 - EPISODE 1 . . 2 February 2015.
News: Singh . Anita . University Challenge winner Ted Loveday: I learned my answers on Wikipedia . . 2015-04-15 . 2015-06-15.
Web site: University Challenge S44E37-final Magdalen : Oxford vs Gonville & Caius Cambridge 2015 . YouTube . 2015-04-15 . 2015-06-15.