Only Connect Wall Night
Saturday, 10 December 2011
This coming Monday on BBC Four, there’s an Only Connect special experiment: a single tournament played out in one night, of connecting walls only. There are two episodes, at 8.30pm and 10pm. In the first episode, eight teams from previous series will return to play a fast-and-furious series of walls: no pleasantries, no chat, no breathing space, just WALL WALL WALL until we’ve whittled them down to four. It’s quite a challenge as a quiz-viewing experience because it is so question-relentless, though that will be excellent news for the real devotees - and there is a little VT package for each team as they arrive, featuring highlights from their previous visit, and those are very good fun.
The second and concluding episode, at 10pm, is a lot gentler: the four teams now play down to a winner, which means only six walls to play, and that leaves room for more chat - plus, there are a great couple of little films on a “connecting wall theme” featuring quizzers from our charity specials (Richard Coles, Stuart Maconie and Simon Singh), plus the final emergence into daylight of our mysterious Question Editor, Mr. Bodycombe himself!
I should make clear: these are all BRAND NEW WALLS, never before seen. Hope you enjoy playing along with them if you watch, and if you find the first episode a little exhausting… well… you can’t say I didn’t warn you…
Comments
The Tim at 5:25 pm on December 10th, 2011
I’m not sure how six goes into four, but I’m sure it will become clear in the fulness of time.
Looking forward to seeing DavidB in the flesh.
Blewit at 2:46 am on December 11th, 2011
Quite an exciting prospect. Two episodes in one evening, and Mr Bodycombe making an appearance.
I have slightly mixed feelings as it also marks the point when the main series is dropped from iPlayer. I have a few episodes to catch up on before then. Only Connect Sunday beckons, I think.
Victoria Coren at 2:03 pm on December 11th, 2011
Why does six need to go into four?! Four teams play a wall each, that reduces them to two teams. Then those two teams play a wall each to decide the winner. So, a total of six walls.
There is a twist in these maths, however, which will be revealed on the night…
mary hinge at 4:04 pm on December 11th, 2011
O brand new walls that has such creatures in it!
with apologies to mr WS.
Steve Andrew at 12:29 pm on December 12th, 2011
Wow, this is going to be like Only Connect porn! Cannot. Wait. :-)
Laura Brignell at 1:26 pm on December 12th, 2011
Bt w lv th mssng vwls rnd :-(
AlgernonKnew at 4:22 pm on December 12th, 2011
oohh, looking forward 2 this, even though I usually come away upset from too much wall play. What on Earth do I do with my time to have not learned every species of wardrobe? Still it’s good for the ego. However and as it feels a bit end of school term like, couldn’t U guys combine the connecting walls with Mr Winton’s ‘bring it on jump-through wall’ next time. Or maybe for Children in Need? (good ol’ charity plea). That way, when people fail at the connections they can still conquer it but just in a different manner. Or perhaps best of all, smash it to pieces and then go for a swim. (I know - like singing newsreaders - it becomes less funny each time but someone at the beeb must have at least thought about this combination, otherwise what the hell are we wasting our money on?)
Chris Perkins at 9:10 pm on December 12th, 2011
The highlight of the show tonight has to be your dress, absolutely stunning! Bring on round 2!
Moira at 9:47 pm on December 12th, 2011
Please can you do a wee bit of research into the pronunciation of Scottish words that come up - tonight it was ‘Alba’ , previously ‘quaich’.... just when the show is otherwise so nearly perfect! ;)
Jane F at 12:19 pm on December 13th, 2011
My husband and I love “Only Connect” and really enjoyed the Wall Night. Ms Coren is a great host and her dresses are fabulous. I had to drop you a line to let you know of an error I spotted in one of the Walls. The disease is “Huntington” not “Huntingdon”. Hard to tell what impact this would have had on the team’s result, but as it was used as one of those words that fell into two categories it could have been key. Only mistake I’ve ever spotted though!
Naomi at 12:46 pm on December 13th, 2011
Enjoyed the wall show; didn’t find it too brain-frazzling by any means. Not sure whether to feel pleased or just a little bit elderly that I got the marbles but not the games consoles.
Flaneuse at 1:49 pm on December 13th, 2011
Wall 143 - MISTAKE! - at least on the web version. Surely Huntingdon should be HUNTINGTON. Won’t elaborate else it’s a spoiler. I didn’t see the programme so perhaps the error was addressed there.
MildMike at 4:33 pm on December 13th, 2011
Why can’t we have a whole show devoted to the missing vowels round?
brian t at 7:10 pm on December 13th, 2011
What does it say about me, as a bloke, that I had no trouble recognising the Bras? 8)
dw at 7:56 pm on December 13th, 2011
Just seen wall night on i player. Great fun…. VC with the evil little grin and very very dry sense of humour in two stunning dresses. It was good to see you were just as witty and intelligent in real life last week.
E Kerr at 1:09 pm on December 14th, 2011
Those walls can get quite addictive, can’t they? Just as well you are such a lovely distraction. Well, nice try, anyway….
You always look great, but I thought that your dress in the first programme made you look particularly stunning. The red one was also quite an interesting change of style. I sense the red ones show you mean business.
KonradO at 10:13 pm on December 21st, 2011
Just watched the Only Connect Wall Night on BBC iPlayer. It was excellent; some close scores between the teams. I liked that in the final round both teams played the same wall - it was interesting to see how each team arrived at their connections. If I remember correctly, in the last series The Technologists were strong on The Wall and Missing Words rounds. How were the teams selected for the special?
Victoria Coren at 11:59 am on December 22nd, 2011
Hi Konrad. I wasn’t involved directly in the team selection, but I believe the only rule was no previous winners. The production team just went through a few old episodes and picked teams they thought it would be fun to have back.
Idi Yacht at 5:58 pm on December 22nd, 2011
Is it just me? All this talk about Walls makes me fancy an ice cream.
(loving the security word: actually99)
Ali at 9:04 pm on January 30th, 2012
loved the first show of wall night - but loved the purple dress even more! where is it from??
Victoria Coren at 12:19 am on January 31st, 2012
Hi Ali. That dress is from LK Bennett - they do (or did) it in lots of other colours too, blue / pink / red…