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.

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.

Other teams appearing on this series include Corpus Christi, Oxford; Exeter, Oxford; Fitzwilliam, Cambridge; Leicester; LSE; Magdalen, Oxford; Queen Elizabeth, London; St Peter's, Oxford; Selwyn, Cambridge; Ulster.

Exeter appeared at the start of the series having won two games at the end of the previous series. UWIST beat Queen Elizabeth, London (190-180); Leicester (265-175); Corpus Christi, Oxford (215-150) in the first round to reach the quarter-finals. Magdalen then lost to Open in the semi-finals, Open having had a bye through to the semi-finals. Magdalen beat Selwyn, Cambridge, the first game for both of them. Birkbeck, London beat Exeter, Oxford 430-120 in their second game, going on to beat Ulster in their third. In the latter stages of the first round St Peter's, Oxford lost to Fitzwilliam, Cambridge in their first game. St Andrews also knocked out Trinity College, Dublin and then 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.