A question of longevity

IT is a quiz show with no big money prize, no elaborate set and a stern questionmaster. Yet Mastermind has been going for 40 years. In the early days, BBC bosses appeared to have had little faith in the series but, strangely, Mastermind’s longevity may be down to Leslie Phillips.

When his risque sitcom Casanova ’73 was moved from its prime-time slot because of viewer complaints, the quiz took its place and immediately became a hit with the masses.

Before long, host Magnus Magnusson’s phrase “I’ve started so I’ll finish” entered everyday conversation, and inspired one of TV’s best-loved comedy sketches, The Two Ronnies’ “answering the question before last”.

There aren’t many jokes in this new series as 96 contenders compete for the Mastermind 2013 title, with John Humphreys asking the questions.

Specialist subjects in the first heat are the Muppet films, Alexander the Great, the biblical writings of Saint John and the life and work of Benjamin Britten.

FOR many cultured souls, a seat at the Proms is the season’s hottest ticket, although quite a few have been unprepared for this summer’s heatwave, which has left people sweltering in London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Spare a thought, too, for the performers, who have to give their best while spruced up in ties and tails.

Tonight, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is belting out scorching performances of James MacMillan’s Violin Concerto and Strauss’s Blue Danube waltz, followed by Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture as well as the German composer’s Fifth Symphony.

Donald Runnicles is the man wielding the baton for this prom, which features Belgian Russian violinist Vadim Repin.

Suzy Klein introduces the concert.

NICK HEWER recently assisted Alan Sugar in determining the latest winner of The Apprentice, but should the Countdown host have been keeping a closer eye on his own day job?

After all, Jimmy Carr has been in the question master’s chair so often lately, some people may be wondering if he is considering quitting 8 Out of 10 Cats and just making a permanent move to the game show.

If he does, he will probably have to tone down some of the gags, which would not really be permissible at 3.10pm.

He is back in another edition of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown as Sarah Millican and Humphrey Ker join team captains Sean Lock and Jon Richardson.

Meanwhile, Countdown veterans Susie Dent and Rachel Riley try to keep some semblance of order, with a little help from glamorous assistants Rich Hall and Joe Wilkinson.

THE series that goes behind the scenes at galleries, museums and collections all around the world continues to reveal Museum Secrets.

All manner of intriguing insights are promised as the show stops in Jerusalem, where there is a chance to find out a little about the running of the Israel Museum, which is packed with fascinating finds.

Situated on a hill in the Givat Ram neighbourhood, the complex is visited by more than a million people every year, and houses the world’s largest collection of biblical and Holy Land archaeology, It includes the only physical evidence in the world of a crucifixion.

It is a small heel bone, which has been pierced by a nail, and found in the tomb of a man called Yohanan who lived and died in the First Century AD. The programme examines who Yohanan was, and asks what his remains can reveal about what crucifixion was like.