BBC Mastermind fans fume 'show has dumbed down' after player's major slip-up over 'easy' questions
BBC Mastermind sparks 'dumbing down' row over easy questions and player's slip-up
BBC
The latest series of long-running quiz show Mastermind is now in full swing on the BBC but the most recent episode appears to have irked some loyal fans.
On Monday night, Clive Myrie took his seat to welcome four budding quizzers to the show in the hopes that one of them could be crowned Mastermind champion.
Contestant Robin Dunford picked orchids of the British Isles as his specialist subject, Ramona McKnight chose TV comedy Schitt's Creek, Joseph Gregg picked satirical songwriter Tom Lehrer and Maura Kenny opted for the Second World War intelligence plot Operation Mincemeat.
As is typical on the quiz show, Myrie peppered each contestant with questions about their specialist subjects before each one had to return to face general knowledge brainteasers.
Heading into the general knowledge round, Gregg propped up the leaderboard with a score of nine, McKnight was narrowly ahead of him with 10 and Dunford and Kenny topped the charts with scores of 11.
With the scores "nicely poised" according to Myrie, bottom-placed Gregg returned to the hot-seat for his next set of questions - although there was one answer he may wish he'd answered differently.
BBC Mastermind: Joseph Gregg got his film knowledge mixed up
BBC
As Myrie reeled off his questions, one centred around film as the Mastermind host asked: "The horror film villain Freddy Krueger, who attacks his victims in their dreams, first appeared in what 1984 film?"
Gregg began to shake his head as the answer alluded him before he eventually replied: "Kramer versus Kramer."
"No, A Nightmare on Elm Street," Myrie promptly revealed before swiftly moving on with the round.
Gregg ended the episode on 16 points, propping up the leaderboard behind Kenny's score of 17, McKnight's score of 20, and the episode's winner Dunford who bagged 23 points.
BBC Mastermind: Monday night's scores
BBC
While some viewers took to social media to congratulate Dunford on an impressive quizzing performance, others couldn't quite get over Gregg's error with his film question - and it prompted further complaints about the standard of questions as a whole.
On X, one fan reacted to the episode: "Kramer vs Kramer would have been a *very* different movie with Freddie Krueger in it, and I might have paid to see it ... #Mastermind," followed by a series of laughing emojis.
A second also mocked the moment: "Kramer Vs Kramer, that well known slasher movie franchise. #Mastermind," followed by a confused emoji.
"Just walked into the living room to hear some w*****r on #Mastermind proclaim that the slasher horror character Freddie Kruger first appeared in the film Kramer Versus Kramer," a third fumed.
Before a fourth moaned: "Kramer Vs Kramer for Freddy Kruger's first appearance! What an answer that was #mastermind."
More general complaints also emerged, including a fifth critic who hit out: "I honestly think this show has dumbed down considerably since the days of Magnus #Mastermind."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Contenders in the #BlackChair tonight: Robin Dunford, Ramona McKnight, Joseph Gregg & Maura Kenny, answering questions on: Orchids of the British Isles, @SchittsCreek, Tom Lehrer & Operation Mincemeat. Tune in at 7:30pm on #BBCTwo. #Mastermind pic.twitter.com/IR76vcK9P5
— Mastermind (@MastermindQuiz) August 19, 2024
And another echoed: "Anyone else think that the general knowledge questions on #mastermind tonight are quite easy?" (sic)
Mastermind has been on the air for over 50 years, with Magnus Magnusson hosting the show from 1972 to 1997.
Myrie has been the man tasked with dishing out the questions since 2021, following in the footsteps of John Humphrys, Clive Anderson and Peter Snow.
The long-running BBC quiz show airs on Monday evenings as part of the corporation's Quiz Mondays programming.
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