University Challenge results, 1984

These are the results of the twenty-first series of University Challenge which ran weekly on ITV, starting in the week of 20 January 1984 and ending on 21 December 1984, running for 33 shows. In Anglia the series was shown on Fridays at 17:15, though the finals were shown on consecutive days just before Christmas. The show had a scheduled 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'. This series seven teams qualified for the quarter-finals, and Open University were given a bye to the semi-finals.

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. From this series onwards University Challenge was not shown in the London area after John Birt, controller of LWT, refused to find a spot for it in the weekend schedules.

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

First round
20/01/1984Southampton295200Exeter
27/01/1984SouthamptonKing's, Cambridge
03/02/1984SouthamptonOpen
10/02/1984Open325165Keele
17/02/1984Open315195Christ's, Cambridge
24/02/1984Wadham, Oxford205185Bradford
02/03/1984Wadham, OxfordBirkbeck, London
09/03/1984Birkbeck, London430120Exeter, Oxford
16/03/1984Birkbeck, LondonUlster
30/03/1984Peterhouse, Cambridge155235Lancaster
06/04/1984Lancaster305St Andrews
13/04/1984St AndrewsLincoln, Oxford
20/04/1984St AndrewsClare, Cambridge
27/04/1984Queen Elizabeth, London180190UWIST
04/05/1984UWIST265175Leicester
11/05/1984UWIST215150Corpus Christi, Oxford
18/05/1984Selwyn, CambridgeMagdalen, Oxford
25/05/1984Magdalen, Oxford290140UEA
01/06/1984Magdalen, OxfordQueen's, Oxford
08/06/1984Fitzwilliam, CambridgeSt Peter's, Oxford
15/06/1984Fitzwilliam, CambridgeBangor
22/06/1984BangorQueen Mary, London
29/06/1984BangorAberdeen
06/07/1984New, Oxford245255Queens', Cambridge
13/07/1984Queens', CambridgeLSE
20/07/1984LSEYork
27/07/1984York190290Trinity, Dublin
03/08/1984Trinity, DublinNottingham
10/08/1984Trinity, DublinGlasgow
Quarter-finals
/12/1984Magdalen, Oxford405105UWIST
/12/1984Birkbeck, LondonBangor
/12/1984St AndrewsTrinity, Dublin
Semi-finals
/12/1984OpenMagdalen, Oxford
/12/1984Birkbeck, LondonSt Andrews
Final
19/12/1984Open365205St Andrews
20/12/1984Open180390St Andrews
21/12/1984Open425180St Andrews
Specials
27/12/1984Open students370160Open dons

The series champions from Open University were David Wintle (Literature), Marjorie Sachs (Science), Barbara Thompson (Mathematics), Tony Elbra (Mathematics & Technology). In their Christmas match against a team of dons, they beat Russell Stannard, Judith Greene, Rob Connelly, and Paul Kendall.

Exeter appeared at the start of the series having won two games at the end of the previous series. St Andrews beat Birkbeck in a closely-fought semi-final. Open scored over 300 in each of their games, except for the second game of the final. Their score of 425 in the deciding game of the final is still a record for a final.

Winning teams advancing to the next round are in bold.