University Challenge results, 1980

These are the results of the seventeenth series of University Challenge which ran weekly on ITV, starting in the week of 18 February 1980 and ending on 8 December 1980. In Anglia the series was shown on Mondays at 17:15, with a running time of 30 minutes.

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'.

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.

First round
18/02/1980Hull120315Queens', Cambridge
25/02/1980Queens', Cambridge305140Keele
03/03/1980Queens', Cambridge390140Imperial, London
10/03/1980SussexSt Catherine's, Oxford
17/03/1980St Catherine's, OxfordKing's, London
24/03/1980St Catherine's, OxfordKing's, Cambridge
31/03/1980King's, CambridgeUniversity, Dublin
07/04/1980King's, CambridgeSt Hilda's, Oxford
14/04/1980LiverpoolBirmingham
21/04/1980Birmingham305Trinity, Cambridge
28/04/1980BirminghamDurham
05/05/1980Exeter, OxfordManchester
12/05/1980ManchesterNewnham, Cambridge
19/05/1980ManchesterMagdalen, Oxford
26/05/1980StrathclydeQueen's, Oxford
02/06/1980Queen's, OxfordFitzwilliam, Cambridge
09/06/1980Queen's, Oxford
16/06/1980NottinghamDowning, Cambridge
23/06/1980Downing, CambridgeMerton, Oxford
30/06/1980Merton, OxfordUniversity, Cardiff
07/07/1980Merton, OxfordSidney Sussex, Cambridge
14/07/1980YorkNew, Oxford
21/07/1980YorkSt Catharine's, Cambridge
28/07/1980YorkLeeds
04/08/1980Lincoln, OxfordUniversity, London
11/08/1980Lincoln, OxfordGlasgow
18/08/1980Glasgow160265Emmanuel, Cambridge
25/08/1980Emmanuel, Cambridge195335Queen's, Belfast
01/09/1980Queen's, BelfastCorpus Christi, Oxford
Quarter-finals
20/10/1980Merton, OxfordKing's, Cambridge
27/10/1980Queen's, OxfordQueens', Cambridge
03/11/1980YorkManchester
Semi-finals
10/11/1980Merton, OxfordBirmingham
17/11/1980Queens', CambridgeManchester
Final
24/11/1980Merton, Oxford190285Queens', Cambridge
01/12/1980Merton, OxfordQueens', Cambridge
08/12/1980Merton, OxfordQueens', Cambridge

The series champions from Merton College, Oxford were Robert Gay (Classics & Philosophy), Steven Gunn (History), Peter Truesdale (History), and Jeremy Palmer (Chemistry). The team that they beat in the final included Stephen Fry. Queens' won the first game, and Merton just edged the second game on a tie-break before winning the third.

Winning teams advancing to the next round are in bold.