Take Your Seat

Laura Brown pays tribute to the panic-inducing "Mastermind", which celebrates its 50th anniversary this week.

THERE have been a few famous seats on television: Father Jack's stained armchair in "Father Ted", the notorious "Big Brother" Diary Room chair, the Central Perk sofa that became a wordless star of "Friends".

Perhaps the most emotive of all, however, is the "Mastermind" chair.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the popular BBC quiz show, so to celebrate its glorious half-century, join us in the spotlight as we answer a quick-fire round of questions about its fascinating history.

NAME: "The People's Friend" OCCUPATION: Magazine SPECIALIST SUBJECT: Fun facts About "Mastermind", 1972-2022

In two minutes, starting now...

1 What inspired the format of this fiendish quiz?

Mastermind has a rather unexpected origin story. Show creator Bill Wright based the quiz on his time as a prisoner of war during WWII.

He wanted to create an air of interrogation and intimidation, hence the dramatically lit chair and the trio of questions asked of every contender, as they're officially known, at the start of their first round.

They echo the three pieces of information he had to share during those Gestapo grillings, with name, rank and serial number becoming name, occupation and specialised (or specialist) subject.

2 Are specialist subjects ever vetoed?

When a subject is too broad or too niche, it will be rejected by the "Mastermind" team, though they do try to find a happy medium.