University Challenge results, 1974-75

These are the results of the twelfth series of University Challenge which ran weekly on ITV, starting in the week of October 1974 and ending on 31 October 1975, running for around 40 shows. In Anglia the series was shown on Mondays at 17:20, though the three finals switched to Fridays at the same time.

Once again the first round had a 'winner-stays-on' format, with a team qualifying for the quarter-finals if they won three in a row, and the quarter-finals and semi-finals were single-game knockouts, with the final 'best-of-three'.

The annual special game between the reigning champions and a team of university staff saw the 1974 champions from Trinity College, Cambridge take on a team of Fellows consisting of Prof Jack Gallagher, Sir James Lighthill, Sir John Bradfield, and Tony Weir.

For the whole of the Bamber era TV schedules differed between the different ITV regions, and the show was often broadcast at different times and on different days in different parts of the country, and sometimes the regions were even a week or two out of sync with each other. Where the date differed, I try to use the date the show was broadcast in the Anglia region in the tables.

There are many gaps that I've been unable to find, so please do contact me if you can assist.

The series champions from Keble College, Oxford were Kevin Barnard (Philosophy & Theology), Jerzy Drahun (Chemistry), Robert Charlesworth (Law), and Timothy Lemmer (Modern History) and received a pair of silver candlesticks that were placed in the Junior Common Room. Keble returned to play a team of Dons from their college during the following series.

Other teams appearing on this series include Imperial, London; Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford; Leicester; Sheffield; St John's, Oxford; Ulster.

In the first round Hull beat Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (Hull's "first ever victory" on the show), Ulster, and Imperial, London, and then had a bye through the quarter-finals as only six teams had qualified. Lady Margaret Hall had already won two games before facing Hull, and in fact were the same team invited back from the previous series after losing on an incorrect question. Hull won very narrowly, again after a correct answer by LMH was disallowed, but they could hardly be invited back a third time. Susan Reynolds of LMH later competed for the England team in the College Bowl match of Christmas 1978. Leicester won their first round games, including St John's, Oxford, eventually losing narrowly to Keble, Oxford in the quarter-finals or semi-finals.

Winning teams advancing to the next round are in bold.