Get The 3rd Degree: more academics needed for BBC quiz on campus

10 Feb 2015

BBC Radio 4 show 'The 3rd Degree' is looking for more academics (particularly from Humanities and MBS) to take part on Wednesday, 25 February

'The 3rd Degree' is a quiz show pits three Undergraduates against three members of staff in a general knowledge & specialist subject quiz. It is hosted by Steve Punt and is recorded on location at a different University each week with the audience composed of students and staff from the University.

The 3rd Degree has the underlying rigour of a formal quiz, but combined with a light-hearted quest to discover how the students will fare against their elders and betters....but being a BBC Radio 4 quiz, both the questions and the scoring are actually approached in a rigorous fashion and taken seriously.

The aim is to present an intellectually fulfilling and informative quiz, but with wit and a genuine delight in the subjects at hand. The contestants are there to answer the questions – they are not expecting them to be “funny”, although they would expect them to enjoy the experience. Similarly, Steve Punt is not there to be sarcastic or satirical at peoples’ expense, but to enjoy the communal fruits of everyone's mental labour. And to run a quiz.

The rounds vary between Specialist Knowledge and General Knowledge, with quick-fire bell-and-buzzer rounds and individual questions also. The two teams sit at desks on opposite sides of the stage with the Chair in-between.

They need three members of staff to form one team, in a nice mix of subjects (for example, Psychology, Geography, Biology, English etc).

Interested in taking part?

Please indicate your interest by Friday, 13 February to:

• Kath Paddison, Division of Communications and Marketing, at kath.paddison@manchester.ac.uk