Mastermind
A BBC One Original
Mastermind strips a quiz show down to two clear tests, one where each contestant answers on a specialist subject they choose, the other a general knowledge round. The setting is spare and deliberately intimidating, timed questions and a stern chair putting each contestant under pressure. Bill... Read more
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Streaming availability last verified: January 14, 2026
About Mastermind
Mastermind strips a quiz show down to two clear tests, one where each contestant answers on a specialist subject they choose, the other a general knowledge round. The setting is spare and deliberately intimidating, timed questions and a stern chair putting each contestant under pressure. Bill Wright designed the format in 1972, inspired by his own wartime interrogations, and it has kept that serious tone ever since. Episodes move quickly, with four or sometimes five players per heat, and the programme rewards deep preparation and cool concentration rather than flashy buzzer tactics.
Created by Bill Wright and first aired in 1972, Mastermind uses the ominous theme "Approaching Menace" by Neil Richardson. It was recorded in Manchester studios, including Granada and New Broadcasting House, and later relocated to MediaCityUK in 2011. Current presenter Clive Myrie leads the show in its modern runs, keeping the original format intact.
Mastermind hasn't collected a pile of major television awards, but it has endured through decades of British broadcasting. Its reputation rests more on longevity and consistency than on trophies, and it remains a staple in the public square of quiz programming.
The show has seeped into British culture as shorthand for intense testing and stern seriousness. The austere studio design, the ticking clock and the nervous silence before a question have been parodied on sketch shows and referenced in fiction. The theme music is instantly recognizable, and the format has been copied or adapted internationally, marking its wider influence beyond a single series.
Critical reaction is mixed in aggregate, with a vote average of 5.4 out of 10 from a small sample, reflecting how the show appeals strongly to dedicated quiz fans while feeling unforgiving to casual viewers. Main themes are concentration, specialist knowledge and the psychological strain of answering under time pressure. Its pleasures are niche but clear, rewarding depth of study and calm under interrogation.
Details
- Release Date
- September 11, 1972
- Episode Length
- 30m
- Rating
- NR
- User Ratings
- 11 votes
- Type
- TV Series
- Seasons
- 48
- Episodes
- 1127
- Network
- BBC One, BBC Two
- Status
- Returning Series
- Genres
- Talk
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Studio
- Hat Trick Productions +1 more
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Official Trailer
Cast
Clive Myrie
Self - Host
Created by: Bill Wright
Seasons (48 seasons, 1127 episodes)
1972
15 episodes - 1972
1973
17 episodes - 1973
1974
17 episodes - 1974
1975
17 episodes - 1975
1976
17 episodes - 1976
1977
17 episodes - 1977
1978
17 episodes - 1978
1979
17 episodes - 1979
1980
17 episodes - 1980
1981
17 episodes - 1981
1983
17 episodes - 1983
1984
17 episodes - 1984
1985
17 episodes - 1985
1986
23 episodes - 1986
1987
23 episodes - 1987
1988
23 episodes - 1988
1989
23 episodes - 1989
1990
22 episodes - 1990
1991
17 episodes - 1991
1992
17 episodes - 1992
1993
17 episodes - 1993
1994
17 episodes - 1994
1995
17 episodes - 1995
1996
17 episodes - 1996
1997
14 episodes - 1997
2003
17 episodes - 2003
2004
31 episodes - 2004
2005
31 episodes - 2005
2006
31 episodes - 2006
2007/08
31 episodes - 2007
2008/09
31 episodes - 2008
2009/10
31 episodes - 2009
2010/11
31 episodes - 2010
2011/12
31 episodes - 2011
2012/13
31 episodes - 2012
2013/14
31 episodes - 2013
2014/15
31 episodes - 2014
2015/16
31 episodes - 2015
2016/17
31 episodes - 2016
2017/18
31 episodes - 2017
2018/19
31 episodes - 2018
2019/20
31 episodes - 2019
2020/21
31 episodes - 2020
2021/22
31 episodes - 2021
2022/23
31 episodes - 2022
2023/24
31 episodes - 2023
2024/25
31 episodes - 2024
2025/26
22 episodes - 2025
