Category Archives: Tactics

George’s ‘Mastermind’ Adventure – Part 1 (of 2)

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Hello and welcome to the latest guest post from game show veteran George Long, where this week, he discusses his time on Mastermind. Ah yes… Mastermind! It’s been going for decades, and in that time, thousands of people have braved the spotlight to be grilled in that  Big Black Chair – I know I have! But what was George’s experience like? Let’s find out, shall we? Take it away, George! 

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When Mastermind first appeared in 1972 on BBC2, it was very much a minority show. It later moved to BBC1 and became a classic of its genre, parodied on The Two Ronnies and many other programmes. In the UK, it was seen as the ultimate test of knowledge and gave us catchphrases such as “I’ve started, so I’ll finish” and “Pass”. Its indomitable host, Magnus Magnusson, presented the show until his retirement in 1997.

Over the years, I applied a number of times to be a contestant, but was never called for an audition. In 1992, however, I was finally offered one, at The Dolphin Hotel in Southampton, a venue known for hosting several Jane Austen–era balls. I felt I had done well at the audition – and I had. I was invited to appear on the program’s 21st anniversary series, Mastermind Comes of Age.

For the series, I had to choose three specialist subjects: one for the heat, one for the semi-final and one for the final. Mine were: Clarice Cliff and English Art Deco ceramics (1928–1936), The Life of Anne Boleyn and the novels of Isabel Allende. The producers apparently liked the spread. I spent about four months researching all three topics, which I already knew a fair amount about. I wrote key points out by hand, then condensed them into two A4 pages, just as I had done for my German degree years before. I needed to be 100% ready on the first subject and largely prepared on the second, as I would have gone into the first semi-final if I won. I could also potentially get into the semi-final if I was the highest-scoring loser of the four contestants who didn’t make the grade, and I kept that possibility alive in the back of my mind.

I had already done my initial research on my third subject – Isabel Allende – but hadn’t yet started serious memorisation. I decided to leave that cramming until nearer the time, if necessary. I particularly didn’t want my head full of Isabel when it needed to be full of Clarice, and then Anne!

The show was to be recorded in Bangor, North Wales. The BBC paid me an appearance fee and covered my accommodation. As Southampton to Bangor is a long journey, I decided to drive. The final stretch through North Wales was very picturesque… if not especially fast. I arrived in Bangor just in time to grab a sandwich and head to Bangor University, where the recording would take place. I had brought a suit carrier with my outfit. Heaven knows why I’d chosen a green jacket for the recording… but I had.

The green jacket in question.

The contestants were:

  • Gavin Fuller, a part-time archivist on HMS Warrior in Portsmouth (the first of the 19th‑century ironclad warships). He had chosen Doctor Who as his specialist subject.
  • Peter Feint, a wine shop manager from Bristol,
  • David Penfold, a financial economist from Berwick St John in Dorset who chose Admiral Lord Jellicoe as his specialist subject, and
  • Me. (An International Medical Assistance Coordinator from Southampton).

We all barely made it to the recording in time, and I was a little flustered when I had to change into my outfit for the dress rehearsal. The huge Victorian hall in Bangor University was intimidating, as were the spotlights when it was my turn in the black chair. I did not do well at all in the rehearsal – I was extremely nervous, and finished fourth. It was more or less a dead heat between the other three. Not a great way to start.

We then had a break, and I managed to calm down a bit. (A great tip: if you’re wound up, you will underperform.) The audience took their seats, and we were ready to go. We sat in our places as Magnus introduced Bangor and the university, before introducing us, in order. And off we went.

George in the ‘Mastermind’ Big Black Chair, with host Magnus Magnusson.

Gavin, answering questions on his specialist subject Doctor Who, scored 16. I actually thought his questions were reasonably easy, as I got four of them right myself. Peter went next and scored 8 – ouch. Then it was my turn.

I found my questions reasonably straightforward, although I’d had to broaden my subject to “Art Deco Ceramics 1928 – 1936” rather than just Clarice Cliff. There were a couple of questions I think I should have challenged, but I didn’t. I finished on a very creditable 14, though I struggled with the last question, which was not on Clarice. David followed, was plainly nervous, and scored 5.

George on 14 points…

For the General Knowledge round, we returned to the black chair in order from lowest score to highest. David went first and scored 12, which took him to a final score of 17. Peter also scored 12, finishing on 20. I then managed 16, taking me to 29. That meant that Gavin needed to score 14 in the General Knowledge round to win the game. He scored 13, and he and I finished tied, on 29 points each.

It’s a tie!

In the case of a tie, the rules state that the winner is the contestant with the fewest passes. I came to regret the fact that I said “I don’t know” after the bell. That was counted as a pass, which meant that I has 5 passes to Gavin’s 4. It had never been explained to me that “I don’t know” counted as a pass, and I realised I should have challenged the two ambiguous questions in my specialist round.

As an aside, David Penfold – the contestant who chose Admiral Lord Jellicoe as his specialist subject – spooked me, though not intentionally. At the time, I lived in a street in Southampton called Rockstone Lane. The next street over was Cranbury Place, where Jellicoe once lived. As if that coincidence weren’t enough, my grandfather, George F. Long, had served under Jellicoe as a young seaman. Once I knew all this, I felt a bit “Jellicoed out” with all these Jellicoe connections – it all felt a bit Matrix‑like, and played on my mind at first. But by the time battle commenced in the Mastermind studio, I had managed to put it out of my head.

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So what did George learn from all of this? And how can those lessons help YOU? Find out next week, right here, at Howtowingameshows.com. 

Until then, then!

Guest post by game show champ Brendan Richards – 1 of 2

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Brendan Richards, with The Big Brass Mug he took home for winning Episode 7 in Series 10 of ‘Hard Quiz’.

Hello, and welcome to our latest HowToWinGameShows.com guest post! And this time, it’s from Brendan Richards: a veteran of Wheel Of Fortune, Celebrity Name Game, and most recently, Hard Quiz ! This week, Brendan takes us through his various game show appearances over the years, and next week, he’ll return to dig down into a little more detail, and share his top tips for game show success.

So, a very warm welcome to you, Brendan… and take it away!

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Ever since my days as a toddler I’d been fascinated by game shows – the lights, the sounds, the prizes on offer, and the range of questions.

One of my biggest dreams was to make it onto Sale of the Century; I ended up on the ‘Fame Game’ board on 21 July 1995, which at the time was a big deal for me.

The ‘Sale of the Century’ Fame Game board regularly featured viewers who’d sent in their photos… Looks like Brendan may have been slightly too young to qualify as a contestant at the time!

(That night’s champion, Cameron Burge, later went on to win the lot…)

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My first in-studio game show experience, though, was on Wheel of Fortune (Transmission date: 27 May 2004). I was a few months fresh out of high school at that time, and maybe too eager to try and win (leading to a bit of brain freeze). I solved two puzzles, but I’ll rue the moment I picked car care products (i.e. car oil) over sports clothes. Never pick a prize on impulse if you don’t know what it is.

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15 years later, I’d auditioned for Celebrity Name Game with one of my sisters, Sally. My knowledge of pop culture helped me get through that audition. Sally unfortunately had some trouble with the pop culture side of things, so I re-auditioned with my other sister, Jodie (with a few days’ notice), and we were both accepted not long after. (Transmission date: 16 September 2019).

We went up against Shay and Mon (whom we got on very well with during the session), and we had Rove McManus and – to Jodie’s delight – Stacey Thompson (“Ranger Stacey”) as the celebrities. We had a slow start in the first round (words starting with certain letters), but my clues for the second round (words associated with teachers) helped our score a great deal.

When “Mr. Miyagi” (the teacher from The Karate Kid) was presented as an answer, I passed because I couldn’t remember that name. I do remember hearing a crew member saying to the audience I’d made the best choice to pass immediately without hesitating or stumbling on clues, which could have cost vital seconds.

Then to the head-to-head round; I’d cracked a couple of jokes to everyone’s delight, culminating in my enthusiastic answering of “BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!” on the last question to win that round.

Finally in the Bonus round, I gave Jodie a good head start with Rove and Stacey correctly answering 6 of the 10 answers, including this moment:

ME: You see these at construction sites.

ROVE: Arsecrack.

ME: (BRIEFLY LAUGHING) NO! Something that lifts a lot of—

ROVE & STACEY: Crane!

Ultimately, Jodie and I won $10,000! Rove leapt straight into me (slamming right into my face in the process), but the victory was worth the pain from that.

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Then to Hard Quiz, a show where I was not afraid to laugh at myself. (Or Tom Gleeson, for that matter.)

Around 2021 or 2022, I landed a video audition where I explained why I chose Monty Python as my special subject. During the call, I was reminded to not give too much away about my chosen subject, in case it was used in one of the show’s questions. Then, in June 2024, I was contacted to see if I’d still like to be a contestant, with taping set for Friday 13th (yeech!) September.

And so I found myself in wonderful sunny (?) Melbourne. In the weeks before, I took to watching / listening to / reading as much Monty Python material as my spare time could allow.

For this episode, I went up against Bec (expert subject: American presidential assassinations), Nathan (expert subject: Poker) and Mel (expert subject: Contraception – yes, really!).

During the taping, I decided not just to play hard, but to laugh hard as well, and keep Tom Gleeson at bay. (I think he was genuinely surprised with what I came up with during the show.)

I buzzed in on at least one question on everyone else’s expert subjects; one question about condom material had the audience laughing, but they got an unexpected bigger laugh when I protested: “I haven’t had any experience! Don’t ask!”

After the Expert Round, I had a very sizeable lead, so I wasn’t worried if I got some questions wrong in Tom’s Round. Thankfully, I kept my lead during both that round and The People’s Round.

In the final Head-to-Head round, I knew the competition was tough, but Nathan kept his cool and managed to get three correct. When we came to my last question, these were the scores:

NATHAN

N

Y

N

Y

Y

BRENDAN

Y

Y

N

Y

I had to get this last question correct, if I was to win the show. And the question was…

TOM: The 16th century painting An Allegory with Venus and Cupid inspired what piece of Monty Python iconography?

BRENDAN: I don’t believe this…! It’s something that’s been seen in almost all 45 episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. It has to be the foot.

The moment Tom shouted “CORRECT!”, that really was it. I had played HARD… and won!

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And congratulations to you, Brendan! By the way, the transmission date of Brendan’s Hard Quiz episode was 12 March 2025… and if you’re in Australia, you can watch it on ABC iview, right here: 

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/hard-quiz/series/10/video/LE2331V007S00

Next week, Brendan will take us through the Hard Quiz contestant experience in more detail, with exclusive excerpts from his diary on record day (including some top behind-the-scenes tips).

That’s next Tuesday, right here at HowToWinGameShows.com. Until then, then!

Guest post by quiz show champ Barry Lee! Part 7 of 7

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Hello and welcome to the final instalment in Barry Lee’s guest post series. Last week, Barry was outlining some of his study techniques. If you haven’t read that instalment yet, I’d strongly, STRONGLY recommend that you go back and read it now, because this week’s post follows directly on from it.

Okay, done that? All up to date? Good. And now, Dear Reader, read on…

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I recently saw a good example of how the learning process I have outlined here could be utilised when the same question (“in what decade were Kit-Kat bars introduced?”*) was asked on The (UK) Chase and turned up a few weeks later on Mastermind Australia – it may well have been asked on The Chase Australia when I was not watching. I have seen other similar questions, which ask what decade a popular snack or beverage was introduced in, or in what country it originated. So if I was preparing for a contemporary show, I would get busy with Google and Wikipedia etc. and produce a list of such products with the decade and country details included and whenever I heard a question which asked about a product not on my list, I would add those details. 

For some of the more traditional quiz question topics, (e.g. history, mythology, classic art, music and literature), older style reference books aimed at children / teenagers can often be the best way of covering a topic, because the better examples of those books omit the obscure and esoteric, and the dull and dry, and focus on the mainstream details, presented in an appealing manner, which are likely to turn up as questions. I mention older style children’s reference books because my observation is that books published in the last few decades tend to be too lightweight to be of much use for this purpose.

Another easily overlooked, but often very handy, way of filling in gaps in knowledge is through crossword dictionaries – the better examples of which are packed with loads of diverse and pithy information grouped in useful ways. To take an example, a reasonably common form of quiz question is to give the name of an item of clothing and ask what part of the body it is worn on – a good crossword dictionary will provide lists of the names of styles and types of hats, footwear etc. which can be quickly browsed, and will likely do this as concisely and comprehensively as any other reference book or website. The same approach can be taken for other common forms of questions such as the ones which ask about varieties of fruits and vegetables, foods and beverages etc.

Quiz Books, if you can get your hands on them (many of the best examples are out of print, and not yet old enough to have their contents freely available online), can also be handy for broadening the horizons for beginners and for revising and filling in the gaps for more advanced contestants. The only caution I would give, which I think has been mentioned elsewhere on this site, is that some of the British quiz books, particularly the older ones, tend to have questions which are well beyond the level typically encountered now on Australian shows – so you need to keep a clear focus on what you’re using them for.

One particular challenge I found in my days as a young quiz show hopeful was learning about things which were not often covered in traditional reference books, but which were fairly well known to people who had been around long enough to have lived through or otherwise encountered the relevant details. Examples of this would be famous crimes, scandals, fads and fashions etc. which would be overlooked by the mainstream encyclopaedias and history references. Aside from specific books or websites on those themes, a useful option for dealing with this problem is popular history books (there may be equivalent websites?) which are presented in a tabloid newspaper style. Some of these books simply reproduce front pages from major newspapers from a particular era. Others, such as The Chronicle series produced by Penguin about 30 years ago, go through an era month by month, year by year, and present a series of brief articles about interesting events which happened on nominated dates. Titles in that series included – Chronicle of Australia, Chronicle of the 20th Century, Chronicle of The World, Chronicle of America, Chronicle of Britain, Chronicle of the Royal Family, Chronicle of the Second World War, and Chronicle of the Cinema. They are big, thick, hardback books – and very browsable.

In my tales of Ford Superquiz and Sale of the Century, I mentioned a handy little notepad I had put together for quick study/revision. It’s basically lists of useful info drawn from a wide range of reference books – distilled wisdom, so to speak, for quiz show purposes. Here are some examples of the details listed in the notepad:

  • National capitals, grouped by continent and region,
  • Rivers on which prominent national capitals are located,
  • Airports of major capital cities,
  • Units of currency and predominant languages and religions of countries,
  • Highest mountains, longest rivers and largest lakes in continents and major countries,
  • Notable volcanoes,
  • British monarchs and their consorts,
  • Notable battles,
  • US Presidents and Vice Presidents,
  • Australian PMs and notable state Premiers
  • State flora and fauna emblems
  • Alloys and their components,
  • Vitamins,
  • Bones of the human body,
  • Medical names of common diseases and illnesses.
  • Military ranks,
  • Olympic Games locations – summer and winter – and notable gold medallists,
  • Number of team members for major team sports,
  • Boxing weight categories,
  • America’s Cup winners,
  • Planets and their moons,

etc. etc. etc.

These days, it could all be done on an electronic device, but it’s worth bearing in mind that notepads of the paper variety don’t crash, and can’t be accidentally deleted!

The late, great Cary Young on ‘Sale of the Century’.

Finally, a few words on the difference between being very good and truly exceptional in the world of TV quizzes. I reflected on this after reading the January 2023 tribute to Cary Young, which drew on Cary’s interview with Brydon Coverdale. What particularly struck me about that was hearing, for the first time, of the huge, systematic effort which Cary had put into being the absolute master of the “Who Am I?” Fame Game questions on Sale of the Century. It was an illustration of not just sustained hard work, but also of strategy – dominating the Fame Game questions on Sale gave Cary a practical advantage (by increasing the odds of getting extra points) but also would have given him a psychological advantage by adding to the frustration of his opponents. Cary’s approach to the Fame Game questions also put into perspective my memory of being rather pleased with myself over one such question I encountered on Sale. The question began with the clue that the person was born in Bundaberg in 1892. At that point I knew the answer would either be Bert Hinkler or Gladys Moncrieff – I had remembered, from my amateur question writing days, the interesting coincidence that two then-notable Australians had been born in that year in that town. I can’t now recall what the next clue was but I got it straight away on that. By comparison, had I been facing Cary Young on that show, there’s a good chance he would have been able to buzz in correctly on the first clue because, as he revealed to Brydon, he had not only meticulously learned the life dates of many noted people, he had also kept track of which of them had previously been the subject of a question on Sale – and worked on the assumption that repeat questions were less likely. That really is ‘next level’ stuff, and serves as an example – inspiring and maybe a little sobering – to those who aspire to the very highest levels of achievement in this wonderfully addictive TV genre.

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Indeed it does, and what an inspiring note to end this guest post series on! I’d just like to thank Barry once again for sharing all his memories, his insights and his fantastic tips and hints with us. I’ve really enjoyed reading his quiz-related adventures, and bringing them to you. 

And just a reminder… if you’d like to follow Barry’s footsteps and share your particular game show experiences with a wider audience, why not get in touch with me? I’m at Stephen@HowToWinGameShows.com. 

Thank you, as always, for your support for the site – I’ll see you again soon!

 

 

* And for those playing along at home, Kit-Kats were introduced in the 1930s.

Guest post by quiz show champ Barry Lee! Part 6 of 7

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Hello, and welcome back! This week, Barry outlines some of his preparatory study techniques, that saw him taking home the top prizes on both Ford Superquiz AND Sale of the Century. Here’s hoping they can work for you too!

Take it away, Barry!

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= Getting the knowledge =

There’s lots of useful advice on this site – all of which rings true with my experience – about the learning part of preparing for quiz shows. What follows are suggestions (some of which, I appreciate, might seem quaintly ‘olde worlde’) which might help beginners to build on and flesh out the advice which others have offered. I will start with a very interesting insight once shared with me by quiz master and question writer extraordinaire George Black, who I mentioned earlier. George told me of his estimate that there were about 25,000 questions circulating on the then contemporary (mid-’70s) Australian quiz shows. His view was that anyone who managed to acquire the body of knowledge represented by those questions could expect to do very well on any general knowledge quiz show – not a guarantee of unfailing success, but a very good foundation for that.

The balance and components of the current corpus of Australian quiz show “general knowledge” would be very different from what it was 50 years ago – much less about history, geographical facts, literature and classical/older music and much more about pop culture, celebrities, consumer products and sport – but from what I have observed, the concept of a quiz show corpus of knowledge is still very relevant as a way of framing and guiding the process of learning. The essence of this process is to get a good feel for the range of questions asked on whatever show you are aiming for, and then to work out the most time-efficient means of acquiring sufficient knowledge to give yourself a good chance of success. Watching the show as much as possible and, one way or another, recording the questions is very useful – in fact, it’s invaluable.

 Whether you’re starting with a good range of knowledge relevant to the questions on the show, or obviously have a lot to learn, the basics are the same – it’s about being analytical and systematic in filling in the gaps. Areas of subject matter weakness are best addressed by looking closely at the questions asked in that subject matter area on the show that you’re aiming at. Take note of the questions asked in that area (or areas) over at least a few months and look for patterns – there will always be randoms and outliers, but in most cases, some patterns will emerge over time. Once you have a sense of those patterns you have a good starting point for focusing your learning efforts. 

It’s then about finding the most concise source of information which, if you master it, would allow you to answer a healthy proportion of future questions in that subject area on that show. The logic of this is that, for most shows, you don’t need to know the answer to every question – it’s about tilting the odds in your favour, and having enough knowledge to have a better-than-average chance compared to your competitors. The sort of focused learning I am describing here was easier in the pre-internet days. Back then, it was a matter of hunting out, through libraries or bookshops (more often of the second-hand variety), one or two reference books which covered the particular topic in enough detail (but not too much). For most subject areas, I always had in mind a few obscure/challenging questions I had remembered from recent quiz shows, which I would use to test newly encountered reference books. If a book was concise and compact, but still managed to contain the relevant details, and plenty of similar material, it would be on my beg, borrow or buy list – but I would always be looking for books which did the job even better. But even with the pithiest books, it still takes focus and discipline to absorb only the knowledge which you judge likely to be relevant to the show you’re aiming at and not stray off course – which is why it is so important to get the best possible feel for the sorts of questions asked on that show. These days, instead of printed books, it might be a Wikipedia article or similar but the basic process is the same – look for the most concise webpage or site for the relevant subject area. Wikipedia is particularly useful because many articles have that handy list of related articles at the end, which could serve as a useful way of working your way through a topic – but the key is always to avoid going too deeply into a topic and wasting time and memory space on details which are unlikely to be the basis of questions.

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Great advice there from Barry, but as we all know, when researching some of those tangents and rabbit holes of new and interesting facts can be just so tempting… He’s right – real self-discipline is required during this process. While you’re using the above methods to assemble your game show databanks, it truly IS a case of “keeping your eyes on the prize”!

Next week, we’ll round this series out with even more of Barry’s handy hints and quiz show study tips! See you then!

Guest post by quiz show champ Barry Lee! Part 5 of 7

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Barry Lee (L) on ‘Sale of the Century’ in 1986, with the show’s host Tony Barber (R).

Hello, and welcome to the antepenultimate instalment of Barry’s seven-part series on his quiz show adventures. You join us this week in the early 80s, after Barry’s triumph on Ford Superquiz, but before his winning run on Sale of the Century…

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= Great Temptation Lives Again =

After what seemed like a very long five years, Great Temptation returned in practically identical form as Sale of the Century in June 1980. The “mad minute” had yet to be invented, so the relatively limited number of questions meant that scores of more than about $80 were very respectable – as had been the case with Great Temptation. One sad change was that George Black had passed away in 1978 and was replaced, for the first few years, by Reg Barry as question writer and Professor Sam Ball as the in-studio adjudicator – roles eventually taken on by the redoubtable Fran Powell. Watching that very first episode, which is currently out there on YouTube, is a reminder of just how much questions have changed in the intervening years – a fair number on British history and even one about the Hanseatic League (the ‘what’ league?) Those older style questions were part of the quiz world I had grown up in, so I didn’t waste time in getting myself to an audition – just in case the reborn show, like its predecessor, fell foul in the ratings to a popular soap opera.

The audition was the usual thing – a fairly large group of hopefuls gathered early evening in a community hall, each with a sheet of paper with space for answers to 40 questions. Only two or three scored over 30, and my mid-30s score was the highest on the night. The months rolled on and I heard nothing, but in the meantime I had been through the same process for Ford Superquiz and that had come good for me with the call in the latter part of 1981. After the success with the Ford show, I felt my chances of getting on Sale were limited. Even though they were on the same network and from the same production house (Grundy’s), there had been a rivalry of sorts between the two shows, and my strong association with the Ford show, along with what I guessed would be a spirit of wanting to give other competitors a sporting chance, probably meant that I was moved to the back of the queue. Whatever the score on all of that, the call finally came in early 1986. It was all very last minute and rushed. I was on holidays interstate, staying with friends when Grundy’s called my workplace after a contestant who had been lined up for the following Sunday’s recording pulled out at very short notice. Happily, the call was taken by a colleague who knew where I was and how to get in touch. It was straight into it on that Sunday!

I was on the first of the five shows recorded that day and managed my best score – $161, after spending $9 on a fob watch. I’ve read the comments from David Poltorak and others here about the dangers of the second night. The close shave for me came later – on my second last night. By the end of those first five shows I had scored enough for all of the prizes other than the cash jackpot. As with Ford Superquiz, Sale became an exercise in delayed gratification, although not as drawn out. My appearances bookended the 1986 Ashes series between Australia and England which ran for three weeks, so it was a four week gap between my first and last recording days.

Things were going well in the first show of my last recording day – my sixth episode – but not so well that I thought I could have scored the $139 needed to get the 700 Sale dollars required for the cash jackpot and other prizes. With that thought, I was tempted by an offer of a piano and $2500 in cash in return for 16 Sale dollars. That took me back from $80 to $64… at which point another contestant, who’d been ambling along 40 or more behind, sprung into life and by the time we started the “mad minute”, was very close on my heels. After the first seven questions in the “mad minute” I was behind $74 to $80, with the challenger on a roll, and I could see my game show life flashing before my eyes with about 30 seconds to go. The exhilarating prospect of an upset win seemed to get the better of the challenger, who then gave three wrong answers. There was time for three correct answers from me, which was enough for an $89 to $65 win – phew! The final show went more comfortably ($100 to $70) and a journey on- and off-camera with the Great Temptation / Sale of the Century format, which had started 15 years earlier, came to a very happy end.

Barry on ‘Sale of the Century’ in 1986, with the show’s host Tony Barber.

My final episode aired on ANZAC Day, which made it doubly memorable. The cash jackpot had gone off a few weeks before I started, but was still a very welcome boost to the finances and there was some other nice stuff including, as Kath & Kim would say, a Specific Cruise with a classy Scandinavian line.

Aside from the very happy outcome, one aspect of the Sale experience which I found particularly interesting is what it showed me about the way that memory works. In the four years between Superquiz and Sale, I had watched Sale as often as I could and was still interested in general knowledge quizzing, but with other things to get on with, and with the odds of hearing from Sale seemingly dwindling as time marched on, when the call finally came I was conscious of being out of practice and having forgotten a lot of what I formerly had at my fingertips. In the few days I had to prepare before the first recording session, I dug out my old note pad from Superquiz days and a few pithy single-volume reference works. There was nowhere near enough time to get through all of them, but as I quickly got back into it, I found that whole slabs of memory started coming back, triggered by reading the most salient bits. I wouldn’t pretend that everything came back to me, but enough to get me through Sale reasonably safely. The key to it seemed to have been a relatively systematic approach, with the information I had earlier memorised grouped fairly logically and coherently – working through series of random questions might be good for practise and filling in gaps, but not the best use of time when time is at a premium. The only other advice I would offer from the Superquiz and Sale experiences is about meals: For the late morning/afternoon recording sessions I started the day with a solid breakfast and then had a very light lunch – just grapes and apple juice, so that as little blood as possible was diverted from the brain to the digestive bits.  At the end of the day, a hamburger with the lot and a milkshake at the airport was something to look forward to.

Once it was all over, I fairly quickly decided that Sale of the Century would be my last quiz show. I wanted to get on with other things, so I passed on the chance to return for Sale championships and have not pursued any other shows in the many years since – which is why I have absolutely no qualms in sharing here anything and everything I know (still remember) that might be useful to quiz show hopefuls.

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And I’m so glad you ARE sharing it all, Barry – again, thank you! Join us here again next Tuesday when Barry goes deeper into his studying and revision techniques. Insider training tips from a two-time quiz show champion? You won’t want to miss that!

Oh, and if you’re in Melbourne, my Comedy Festival show For The Term of His Natural Lies now has only SIX PERFORMANCES LEFT! From tonight until April 20, at 8:45 PM. Tickets for these last few remaining performances are available RIGHT HERE:

https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/stephen-hall-presents-for-the-term-of-his-natural-lies/

Don’t miss out!   

 

A post from special Guest Blogger Rowena Stewart!

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Rowena Stewart

Hello, and welcome to the first HTWGS.com post for 2025.

And I have a treat for you today – it’s a guest post from first-time contributor, Rowena Stewart!

“Who is Rowena Stewart?”, I pretend to hear you ask. Well… Rowena is an avid quiz show watcher who grew up on a diet of classroom posters, newspaper puzzles and reading the origin story of Vegemite on the jar’s label. Much later in life, she discovered the widespread community of others with a similar thirst for knowledge and she’s now doing her bit to raise awareness of – and invite others into – the wondrous world of quizzing. 

I’m grateful to Rowena for reaching out to me, and for wanting to spread the word about the many quizzing opportunities out there for you, dear HowToWinGameShows.com visitor.

And now… Take it away, Rowena!

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Have you ever watched a quiz show and thought “Who could possibly know the answer to that?”

I’ve often asked that myself, and the answer is an ever-growing community of very welcoming, supportive, and knowledgeable people I’ve gotten to know over the past few years. 

We’re a group of curious people called competitive or league quizzers and we love learning interesting facts, and trivia. But we don’t just stop at getting the immediate answer to questions. We go down rabbit holes and click all the Wikipedia links, branching out from points of interest to create a dense canopy to the forest of knowledge. Then we pay a modest fee to be tested on our recall, purely for pleasure with no lure of a monetary reward.

One such testing method you might have heard about is the World Quizzing Championships (WQC), held annually on the first Saturday of June. This is sometimes considered “The Olympics of Quizzing” as it’s a worldwide event with all continents (bar Antarctica) represented. Many are deterred by its difficulty, but it’s not often we mere mortals get to measure ourselves against the giants of the quiz world. Being an international quiz, there can be no bias towards one part of the world. So when it comes to movies, you might get a question about an American blockbuster alongside questions on Bollywood, Egyptian Cinema and Best Foreign Language Film Directors. The quiz itself is so challenging the top score is around 70%. Yet, in 2024 almost 2000 individuals took part. 

Despite its prominence, the WQC isn’t necessarily the best place for a newcomer to begin. 

That’s why Quizzing Australia launched the Australian Quiz Championships (AQC) in February of 2024 as an offering that’s more accessible to an Australian audience without compromising on difficulty. Its format is inspired by the World Quizzing Championships but with an innovative approach to topic distribution, giving specialists more to play for.

The questions aren’t the short-form ‘know-it-or-don’t’ type you’d get at pub trivia. They’re more like what you’d hear on Mastermind or Hard Quiz, but printed on a piece of paper beside a box for you to write your answer. Each question will usually include multiple pieces of information to help you reach the answer. For example, rather than “For two points, name the horse and jockey who won the Melbourne Cup in 2015″, the question may be phrased as follows: “In 2015, Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. What alliterative name did her horse have? It’s no Model of a Modern Major General, but it is named after a City in Cornwall.”*

With enough exposure and practice, these hints become less puzzling and more of a confirmation you’ve got the correct answer, like cryptic crossword clues.  

These kinds of hints and keywords also get used in game shows and it’s how players like Australian Chasers Issa Schultz, Brydon Coverdale, David Poltorak and Mara Lejins can answer correctly after having heard only half the question. For example, if you hear the word “arachnid”, 99% of the time the answer is going to be “a spider” (and maybe only 1%, “a scorpion”). 

So if you’re serious about winning on a game show, why not come and prepare in a low-pressure environment and train that recall muscle? Then, when you get to the TV studio with butterflies in your stomach, those keywords will be like Pavlov ringing a bell for his dogs.

While the AQC occurs once per year,  Quizzing Australia also runs a number of other events throughout the year:

  • Squizzed / Hot 100 – these are written quizzes of 100 questions each, completed individually. These are arranged at physical venues monthly in most capital cities. Check Facebook for details.

  • Quiz Nations – online format played in teams with an individual answer component and a team answer component. It’s just like your weekly community sport competitions… but instead of tossing or kicking a ball around, you’re verbally answering quiz questions!

  • National Quiz Day – This is a full-day annual event where the national pairs and teams championships are contested, interspersed with novelty subject quizzes. Location will vary by year – check Quizzing Australia’s events page for updates.

  • State championships – written pen-and-paper quizzes with an individual round and pairs / teams round. ACT, QLD, VIC are in March. NSW, SA and WA are in November. 

And if you want something a bit more casual that can be done in your own time, here’s a selection of some other resources available:

  • Learned League – This is an invite-only competition run through a website. Past questions for each season are publicly available here. It was mentioned in Brydon “The Shark” Coverdale’s Quizmasters (which you have a copy of, right?) Good. Now open it up to Chapter 9 ‘Trivial Pursuits’ for an excellent summary on gameplay. 

I hope to see you at one of these events sometime soon! And for readers outside of Australia, check out your local quiz leagues for any events they may be running in your area. Questions sets for the Australian Quiz Championships will be made available after the event. Sets from other Quizzing Australia events can be found on their website here. For any enquiries, the best way to contact them is via emailing info@quizzingaustralia.org. 

* For those playing along at home, the answer is ‘Prince of Penzance’.

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Once again, I’d like to thank Rowena so much for this week’s post, and to remind you that if YOU’d like to do what Rowena’s done, and contribute a guest post for HowToWinGameShows.com, just email me at Stephen@HowToWinGameShows.com, and let’s start a discussion! My (virtual) door is always open.

Until next time, take care!

Stephen 

My EXCLUSIVE interview with game show winner (and TikTok sensation) Miles Glaspole – Part IV

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Welcome to the final instalment of my interview with Mastermind Australia‘s 2023 Grand Champion – AND the winner of Mastermind Australia‘s Champions Week in 2024 – Miles Glaspole. Now let’s bring this thing home by getting stuck right into the nitty-gritty of elite quiz show preparation…

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SH: When it comes to studying your special subjects, is there a particular method of studying or revision you like to use? Could you take us through it?

MG: I tried to put myself in the question writer mindset – what are the questions about this topic that would be interesting to non-fans? What facts feel like something that would be fun to ask another me? The flipside is knowing what *not* to study from that point of view – for example, AFL Grand Final crowd figures would be impressive to see someone get right, but if they’re off by one and say that 99,982 people went to the 2016 grand final, it’s a) just a number, so it’s not that interesting anyway, and b) they would be 0.00001% incorrect. Not great TV in either sense. So it’s about walking through the available orchard of facts and taking note of what is potentially the ripest fruit.

SH: When you became Mastermind Australia‘s fifth Grand Champion last year, you won the Grand Prize; a magnificent engraved bowl. What did you do with it?

MG: It has pride of place on my Ikea Kallax shelving unit. I also kept a couple of strips of the confetti they set off on the day.

There it is… Don’t drop it, Miles!

SH: And the trophy they awarded you when you won Champions Week at the start of this year?

Miles in the ‘Mastermind Australia’ studio, being interviewed after his win!

MG: Right next to it. Less useful as a container. Potentially better as a weapon.

SH: So as someone who’s been there and done that (twice!), what tips, hints or advice would you have for anyone wanting to be a contestant on Mastermind Australia?

MG: I think the energy that comes through from both watching and being on Mastermind is just how much of a labour of love it is – it’s a show by nerds, for nerds. The Chase and Tipping Point do look for that sharpness on camera, while Hard Quiz does have one eye out for people who could provide decent backchat to Gleeson. Mastermind is the purest celebration of unfettered individuality. So don’t feel like you haven’t got the right charisma or vibe for it. If you like your subject and are passionate about it, you have the right vibe. Let that shine! Let your freak flag fly!

SH: You’ve been on Hard Quiz too, in 2016. What was your special subject there, and how did that experience compare to Mastermind Australia?

MG: I did! The very first episode! I was Tom’s first victim. I got ahead of likely thousands of other ABC viewers to be the Doctor Who expert. That one was less harrowing; a studio audience gives you something to play to, and they really get around you if they can sense Tom is really getting stuck into you. I think that’s the brilliant balance that show strikes.

SH: Do you have any plans to go on any other game shows? The Chase Australia, for example?

MG: I went on The Chase way back in the very first season. God help me, I was only 19 – at the time, I believe, the youngest they’d had. And we were THRASHED by the Supernerd. Since then I’ve written for the show and befriended a few Chasers – Mara (the Smiling Assassin) is a good mate, I’ve Zoom quizzed with Issa (Supernerd) and Cheryl (Tiger Mum) plus quizzed in person with Brydon (the Shark). They’re so impressive at what they do.

SH: What’s next for you?

MG: I’ve put the TikTok10 on hold for now – but I’m working on a couple of ideas for longer-form quiz formats. Maybe they’ll emerge some day! Otherwise, I’m going to stick to my very non-online existence of baking and community theatre. And the quizzing circuit, of course!

SH: That’s excellent to hear. Miles, congratulations on both of your richly deserved Mastermind Australia wins, all the very best for all your future quizzing endeavours, and thank you very much for speaking to me today for www.HowToWinGameShows.com!

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I’d like to thank Miles again for giving so freely of his time, and for his very thoughtful and entertaining answers! I’ll see you back here before too long…

My EXCLUSIVE interview with game show winner (and TikTok sensation) Miles Glaspole – Part III

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‘Mastermind Australia’ Grand Champion Miles Glaspole!

Hello and welcome to the latest instalment of my interview with Mastermind Australia Grand Champion Miles Glaspole. Before we moved on to discussing his extremely successful run on the show, I wanted to address a little controversy that occurred while he was still compiling the TikTok10…

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SH: A couple of years ago, there was some drama when you discovered that The Herald Sun had been stealing some of your questions and using them in their quiz! You were even interviewed about it on The Project. How did that all end up, and have there been any similar incidents since then?

MG: I received a lovely apology note from the Herald Sun‘s puzzle editor. Those questions were written by an employee phoning it in, in their last week on the job. Turns out their verifiers were all of a certain age – they wouldn’t know to check TikTok!

SH: Ah, I see. Miles, what do you like about writing quiz questions?

MG: As above – I love creating questions that make people smile and feel like their interests are valid. And because I’m annoying, the troll ones are fun too.

SH: Ha! What do you not like about writing quiz questions?

MG: Easy questions are a finite resource – only so many elements on the periodic table people know the symbols for, only so many capitals people are usually familiar with. And given media audiences are becoming more and more fragmented, the amount of pop culture that’s considered universal is dwindling by the month. Once you’ve written enough of them for a show, you can reach “peak easy”, just like “peak oil”. Scratching around for what’s left can be a slog.

SH: What common mistakes do you see contestants making when answering quiz questions on TV?

MG: Every single person who you’ve interviewed has said it, Stephen: READ. THE. QUESTION. (Or listen to it properly if it’s being yelled at you by Todd Woodbridge) There’s more reward in comprehension than speed. Take a beat to digest all the words in the question in the order that they’re written. Little words could be the Jenga brick upon which the question rests. One I did on TikTok: “What is the lowest odd prime number?” A lot of people said “two.” I very clearly said odd…

SH: (I think I already know the answer to this, but) did writing all those quiz questions every day for the TikTok10 help you on Mastermind Australia?

MG: In my experience the people who do better at quizzes are better at guessing, and that’s something that does take practice, or repeated exposure in my case. That makes it sound like radiation (and it’s had a similar effect on my life). There are a few twists of phrase that usually only mean one answer – the “Spanish surrealists” category. “Spanish surrealist” usually always means Salvador Dali, Kylie is our pop princess, Drake is the only Canadian rapper. The other handy thing to know is your etymology – Latin and Greek root words for things come up more often than you would think. I don’t know about mushrooms, but being asked about a mushroom “whose name means “beautiful woman” in Italian” was gettable. All the “tri-”, “bi-” and “quad-” openings. That sort of thing. (Belladonna, for those of you playing at home)

SH: In your various episodes of Mastermind Australia, you chose a wide range of special subjects: the bands Sparks and Tears For Fears, the TV series Dark… and AFL Grand Finals! What made you want to learn as much as possible about those particular subjects?

MG: If you only have a passing interest in your subject and feel like you’ll need to augment your knowledge with study – maybe avoid that subject unless you can absolutely dedicate your time to that study. Existing knowledge brings answers to mind readily and quickly and in a time-based show like Mastermind, that makes the difference.
I’m a born and raised Melburnian so AFL’s kind of inescapable. Luckily, I’m quite interested in it and have been to six of the last seven grand finals. Tears for Fears was a large chunk of my pop music diet in third year uni, and Sparks was the same in 2022 after the Edgar Wright doco came out. TV shows are more studyable (is that a word?) than anything else – there’s a finite number of episodes and actors. Dark was Netflix’s first original German commission and a supremely twisty time travel drama, so I’d already dedicated a lot of time in trying to understand it, just so I knew what was happening on the screen!

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And that’s where we’ll leave it for today. Next week, as our chat concludes, I ask Miles for his Top Tips for Mastermind success, we discover what he’s done with the show’s trophy, and what he’ll be up to next… So I’ll see you back here for all of that, almost exactly half a fortnight from now! 

My EXCLUSIVE interview with game show contestant and author Pamela Hill – Part 2

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Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with actor and serial game show contestant Pamela Hill, whose book The Next Contestant Is… is now available on Amazon. Knowing that Pamela’s an actor and a game show enthusiast (just like me!) there was one question I had to ask…

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SH: Given your performing background, nerves don’t seem to be much of a problem for you, but many contestants do struggle with them. Do you have any tips for aspiring contestants to stop nerves getting the better of them, come show time?

PH: Yes, it does help that I’m a performer… although, like everyone else, I do get very excited! What works for me is staying very present in my game play by listening (while keeping my energetic nature). If it’s a show that’s already airing, watch some episodes before your audition, or when you are picked to be a contestant. Refresh yourself by watching previous episodes on TV or YouTube. If it’s a game, you can practice at home (alone, or with a friend or family member). Practice, Practice, Practice! My hubby William and I have been fortunate enough to appear on many game shows together. I spoke about it in my book. We did well, because of the time we spent practicing with each other. You will feel more relaxed and play the game better.

SH: Of all your appearances, which was your favourite show, and why?

PH: Wow, another great question! So many, for so many reasons… But if I have to choose just one, I would say the game show No Relation. In this show, it was the celebrity panel’s job to guess the fake family member. I got to play an imposter, and by having acting and improv experience, I was able to combine both of my worlds (acting and game shows)!

SH: Your least favourite?

PH: As I relate in my book, when I got a question wrong on Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck, faux grass fell from the ceiling, covering me. Although it was slightly embarrassing, I remained a good sport. Even with a flustered me, I still had a smile on my face!

SH: Having appeared on so many game shows, what changes have you noticed in the TV game show landscape over the years?

PH: The one big change is there are more contestant auditions on Zoom than in person. Though over the computer, you still need to bring that energetic personality and winning smile! Whether it’s in person or on screen... First Impressions Count!

SH: What do you think is the future of game shows?

PH: I think game shows will always be around. People grow up with them, watching them with their family. They are entertaining, nostalgic, and engaging! A great escape. Playing games is fun, and viewers enjoy participating by watching and playing them at home. My hubby William and I do that with Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Game shows are timeless.

SH: Are there any game shows you haven’t been on yet, that you’d like to? If so, why?

PH: There are so many great classic and new game shows to choose from, I don’t know if I can pick just one! But I wanted to mention that my hubby and I had wanted to be contestants on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for a long time. We tried qualifying when we first started dating. Many years later… we had our opportunity to be on the show! I talk about this exciting adventure in my book!

SH: I liked that in the book’s chapter titled Now It’s Your Turn, you arranged your advice into an A-Z contestant’s checklist… But are there any other tips or hints you’ve thought of, since you wrote the book, that you might like to share with our visitors?

PH: Thank you, Stephen – I had fun writing that list! Although I do talk about this in The Next Contestant Is… if I added some new ideas to my list, they would be: Do your research (be well-read, watch YouTube videos of the show, etc.), and if I could add an extra letter P to my list, that would be Practice, Practice, Practice!

SH: Thanks so much for chatting to me today Pamela! Before we go, are there any other upcoming appearances or ventures you’d like to mention?

PH: Thank you, Stephen! It was wonderful to connect with you! Congrats again on your projects! I enjoyed my interview with you. I play the lead role of Dr Kate Rand in the martial arts sci-fi comedy film Cyber Fighter. My husband William plays the main character Brian Baldwin. He also wrote and is directing the movie! Our comedic web series That Darn Girlfriend is now in its third season! I play ‘Valerie’ and William is ‘Vic’. It’s a kitschy classic comedy, with a vintage ’60s/early ’70s feel. Your readers can find our episodes, along with our other projects on our Four Scorpio Productions YouTube channel, and for my new projects and pics, you can visit me at www.PamelaHill.net.

SH: Great! Pamela, thanks so much again for talking to me today for HowToWinGameShows.com!

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I’d like to thank Pamela for her time today, and to remind you that her book The Next Contestant Is… is now available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and audiobook formats. I’ll see you back here next time…

My EXCLUSIVE interview with game show contestant and author Pamela Hill – Part 1

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Hello! I’m very pleased to welcome Pamela Hill to the blog today. Pamela’s a Los Angeles-based actor and serial game show contestant, who got in touch with me after Yogesh Raut very kindly mentioned HowToWinGameShows.com during his appearance on Jeopardy!‘s recent Tournament of Champions. Pamela emailed me at Stephen@HowToWinGameShows.com, and if you’d like to get in touch with me, you can too! That email address again: Stephen@HowToWinGameShows.com.

But right now, on with the interview…

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SH: Pamela, welcome to HowToWinGameShows.com, and thank you for talking to me today! First, I feel I have to ask; Why game shows? What is it that fascinates you about them, and makes you want to keep going on them?

PH: Hi Stephen! Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I grew up watching game shows – Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Let’s Make a Deal – and I was fascinated and entertained by them! Growing up in Cincinnati, I went with my parents to festivals and felt the excitement of winning prizes! Being on game shows allows me to experience that thrill!

SH: You’ve chronicled your unique game show journey in your book The Next Contestant Is…. which is available HERE. It’s a very thorough account of your experiences on a lot of different game shows – In fact, I counted sixteen! What inspired you to write the book, and how long did it take you?

PH: My Dad always said to me “know enough to get on a game show.” My book is dedicated to him. After being a contestant on a lot of game shows (thinking I had a unique experience, because I had been on so many), I thought maybe this could be a book. I came up with the title The Next Contestant is… over 15 years ago. Then in 2012, I literally put pen to paper and started writing my book! I enjoyed the pen and paper process first, and then many years later I sat down at my computer. I finished in 2023! On Thursday, January 19th 2023…my book went LIVE on Amazon!

SH: What was the most challenging thing about writing the book?

PH: One of the most challenging things for me was just getting started and to keep going. Writing a book is a journey, and everyone’s experience is unique to them. I’m sure you understand, being an author too. Once I decided to allow myself the freedom of writing one sentence – or many – without pressure, that made the challenge of writing my book easier. The exciting part was that by allowing myself that freedom, my story came more easily to me. I heard the words in my mind, and it started to flow out of me. I tried not to edit these thoughts as I wrote. The idea that I was writing (or should I say “creating”?) my book was thrilling!

SH: Were there any moments in the writing process that surprised you?

PH: Yes! That’s a great question, Stephen. I started by writing about my many game show memories and what happens behind-the scenes. But the more I wrote, the more I realized that my book is also my personal Pamela story. My hubby William, who’s also an author, said to me early on “just write and let your memories unfold, and you will discover your story”. My book’s a combination of my contestant experiences, invaluable lessons I’ve learned, and the everyday knowledge I’ve garnered to bring me to that game show stage.

SH: Given that you’ve been on at least sixteen game shows, you’ve clearly had a lot of success in getting through the selection and audition process! What would you say are the three most important things for aspiring game show contestants to know, in order to get through the selection process?

PH: Authenticity is first on my list. Casting coordinators want to see The Real You; what they would want the television viewers to see. Pay Attention! Listen to all the rules, and don’t be distracted by your phone (Put your phone on silent!) Be A Good Sport! Whenever you’re auditioning in person or on Zoom with other players, clap for them after their interview or gameplay. If you are playing with them, be a kind team player. If it’s a game show based on academic knowledge or pop culture trivia, and you answer a question wrong… Keep that smile on your face! The casting people watch everything! You know the ol’ adage… It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.

==============================================================And that’s where we’ll leave it for today. Next week, I’ll ask Pamela about her favourite – and least favourite! – of the sixteen shows she’s appeared on, and whether she has any tips for pre-show nerves. In the meantime, just a reminder that her book The Next Contestant Is… is now available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and audiobook formats. See you next Tuesday!