Manchester’s University Challenge hopefuls in new documentary
04 Jul 2014
University of Manchester students will feature in a new two-part documentary about the selection process for the forthcoming series of University Challenge.
The BBC2 documentary – University Challenge: Class of 2014 – follows the hopefuls as they compete to represent their institution in the iconic show, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this season.
Manchester has had particular success in the show in recent years, winning the competition in 2006, 2009 (following the disqualification of Corpus Christ, Oxford), 2012 and 2013 and reaching the final in 2007. Last year’s team reached the semi-finals of the competition. Manchester also won the Champion of Champions University Challenge earlier this year.
Manchester’s winning teams have been brilliantly mentored by long-serving coach Stephen Pearson, who has enjoyed considerable success with University Challenge having captained the team himself in 1996.
The two programmes, also featuring students from Cambridge, Oxford and Edinburgh, air next week on Monday at 7.30pm and Tuesday at 8pm.
UPDATE:
You can watch Monday's programme on BBC iPlayer here until 15 July. (Manchester features at 26 mins in)
You can watch Tuesday's final episode, where the Manchester hopefuls prepare for the studio rounds on BBC iPlayer here until 16 July.