University Challenge 1962
★ 6.2/10 · 12 votes Talk 56 seasons · 2047 eps Returning Series
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What is University Challenge?
University Challenge is a British television quiz programme that first aired in 1962. The show features teams of students from universities across the United Kingdom who compete by answering questions on a wide variety of academic subjects.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1962
- Status
- Returning Series
- Episodes
- 2,047
- First aired
- Sep 21, 1962
- Last aired
- Jul 13, 2026
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- GB
- Networks
- ITV1, BBC Two
- Genres
- Talk
- Updated
Availability by region
Where to watch
Free
BBC iPlayerStreaming availability data provided by JustWatch via TMDB. Availability changes by country and date; verify on the provider before subscribing or purchasing.
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 2,047 episodes and an average 45-minute runtime.
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
University Challenge is a British television quiz programme that first aired in 1962. The show features teams of students from universities across the United Kingdom who compete by answering questions on a wide variety of academic subjects. The series originally aired on ITV, where it ran for 913 episodes between 21 September 1962 and 31 December 1987. During this initial run, the programme was presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. One early installment, representing the fifth show of the first series, featured a competition between the London School of Economics and Cardiff University; this episode was recorded in Manchester on 17 October 1962 and broadcast in most ITV regions two days later. In later iterations of the programme, Jeremy Paxman has served as the questioner, presiding over matches such as the contest between the University of Bristol and Durham University. The show continues to function as a competitive academic forum, testing the knowledge of student participants as they advance through the rounds of the series.
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Should you watch it?
“Academic quiz show featuring UK university students competing in knowledge-based challenges.”
Reasons to watch
- Showcases impressive academic talent
- Covers a wide range of subjects
Keep in mind
- May feel slow to some viewers
You enjoy intellectual competitions and trivia.
Suitable for all ages with a focus on academic excellence.
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Cast
Episode guide
Season 1 · 61 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide →- E1 Leeds v Reading Sep 21, 1962
- E2 Leeds v Exeter Sep 28, 1962
- E3 Leeds v Manchester Oct 5, 1962
- E4 Birmingham v London School of Economics Oct 12, 1962
- E5 London School of Economics v Cardiff Oct 19, 1962
- E6 London School of Economics v Edinburgh Oct 26, 1962
- E7 Edinburgh v St John's, Cambridge Nov 2, 1962
- E8 Episode 8 Nov 6, 1962
- E9 Episode 9 Nov 13, 1962
- E10 Keele v Liverpool Nov 20, 1962
- E11 King's College, Cambridge v Leicester Nov 27, 1963
- E12 Leicester v Bedford, London Dec 4, 1962
- E13 Episode 13 Dec 11, 1962
- E14 Episode 14 Dec 18, 1962
- E15 Episode 15 Jan 1, 1963
- E16 Episode 16 Jan 7, 1963
- E17 Balliol College, Oxford v Newcastle Jan 14, 1963
- E18 Episode 18 Jan 21, 1963
- E19 Episode 19 Jan 28, 1963
- E20 Episode 20 Feb 4, 1963
- E21 Episode 21 Feb 11, 1963
- E22 Episode 22 Feb 18, 1963
- E23 Episode 23 Feb 25, 1963
- E24 Episode 24 Mar 4, 1963
- E25 Episode 25 Mar 11, 1963
- E26 Episode 26 Mar 18, 1963
- E27 Episode 27 Mar 25, 1963
- E28 Episode 28 Apr 8, 1963
- E29 Episode 29 Apr 15, 1963
- E30 Episode 30 Apr 22, 1963
- E31 Episode 31 Apr 29, 1963
- E32 Episode 32 May 6, 1963
- E33 Westfield, London v Queen's, Cambridge May 13, 1963
- E34 Queen's, Cambridge v Keble, Oxford May 20, 1963
- E35 Keble, Oxford v Sussex May 27, 1963
- E36 Keble, Oxford v St Catharine's, Cambridge Jun 3, 1963
- E37 Queen's, Dundee v Queen Mary, London Jun 10, 1963
- E38 Queen's, Dundee v Queen's, Belfast Jun 17, 1963
- E39 Queen's, Dundee v Pembroke, Cambridge Jun 24, 1963
- E40 Pembroke, Cambridge v Canadian Universities Jul 1, 1963
- E41 Pembroke, Cambridge v SOAS Jul 8, 1963
- E42 SOAS v St Anne's, Oxford Jul 15, 1963
- E43 King's, London v Keble, Oxford Jul 22, 1963
- E44 King's, London v Keble, Oxford Jul 29, 1963
- E45 King's, London v Keble, Oxford Aug 5, 1963
- E46 Birkbeck, London v Leicester Aug 12, 1963
- E47 Birkbeck, London v Leicester Aug 19, 1963
- E48 Birkbeck, London v Leicester Aug 26, 1963
- E49 Birkbeck, London v Leicester Sep 2, 1963
- E50 Balliol, Oxford v Keele Sep 9, 1963
- E51 Balliol, Oxford v Keele Sep 17, 1963
- E52 Leeds v Nottingham Sep 24, 1963
- E53 Leeds v Nottingham Oct 1, 1963
- E54 King's, London v Leicester Oct 8, 1963
- E55 King's, London v Leicester Oct 15, 1963
- E56 Balliol, Oxford v Nottingham Oct 22, 1963
- E57 Balliol, Oxford v Nottingham Oct 29, 1963
- E58 Balliol, Oxford v Nottingham Nov 5, 1963
- E59 Final – Leicester v Balliol, Oxford Nov 12, 1963
- E60 Final – Leicester v Balliol, Oxford Nov 19, 1963
- E61 Final – Leicester v Balliol, Oxford Nov 26, 1963
Season 2 · 62 episodes
- E1 St Andrews v St Anne's, Oxford Dec 3, 1963
- E2 St Anne's, Oxford v Peterhouse, Cambridge Dec 10, 1963
- E3 Peterhouse, Cambridge v Christ Church, Oxford Dec 17, 1963
- E4 Christmas Special: Leicester Students v Leicester Staff Dec 25, 1963
- E5 Christ Church, Oxford v Queen Elizabeth, London Dec 31, 1963
- E6 Christ Church, Oxford v York Jan 7, 1964
- E7 Selwyn, Cambridge v Trinity, Dublin Jan 14, 1964
- E8 Selwyn, Cambridge v St Hugh's, Oxford Jan 21, 1964
- E9 Selwyn, Cambridge v UEA Jan 28, 1964
- E10 Churchill, Cambridge v St Peter's, Oxford Feb 4, 1964
- E11 St Peter's, Oxford v University, Dublin Feb 11, 1964
- E12 St Peter's, Oxford v Royal Holloway, London Feb 18, 1964
- E13 Keele v Exeter Feb 25, 1964
- E14 Exeter v Reading Mar 3, 1964
- E15 Exeter v Corpus Christi, Oxford Mar 10, 1964
- E16 Corpus Christi, Oxford v Leeds Mar 17, 1964
- E17 Leeds v Peterhouse, Cambridge Mar 24, 1964
- E18 Cardiff v Hull Mar 31, 1964
- E19 Cardiff v New Hall, Cambridge Apr 7, 1964
- E20 Episode 20 Apr 14, 1964
- E21 Newcastle v Magdalen, Oxford Apr 21, 1964
- E22 Newcastle v Southampton Apr 28, 1964
- E23 Southampton v Emmanuel, Cambridge May 5, 1964
- E24 Emmanuel, Cambridge v Durham May 12, 1964
- E25 Durham v Liverpool May 19, 1964
- E26 Durham v LSE May 26, 1964
- E27 Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford v Sheffield Jun 2, 1964
- E28 Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford v Birkbeck, London Jun 9, 1964
- E29 Birkbeck, London v Sussex Jun 16, 1964
- E30 Birkbeck, London v Birmingham Jun 23, 1964
- E31 Manchester v Edinburgh Jun 30, 1964
- E32 Edinburgh v Bristol Jul 7, 1964
- E33 Edinburgh v Unviersity College North Wales, Bangor Oct 30, 1964
- E34 King's, London v Nottingham Nov 6, 1964
- E35 King's, London v Glasgow Nov 13, 1964
- E36 Glasgow v New, Oxford Nov 20, 1964
- E37 New, Oxford v Imperial, London Nov 27, 1964
- E38 Episode 38 Dec 4, 1964
- E39 Queen Mary, London v Jesus, Cambridge Dec 11, 1964
- E40 Queen Mary, London v Worcester, Oxford Dec 18, 1964
- E41 Worcester, Oxford v Queen's, Belfast Dec 30, 1964
- E42 Worcester, Oxford v St John's, Cambridge Jan 6, 1965
- E43 Lincoln, Oxford v Queen's, Dundee Jan 13, 1965
- E44 Lincoln, Oxford v Jesus, Cambridge Jan 20, 1965
- E45 Jesus, Cambridge v Aberystwyth Jan 27, 1965
- E46 Aberystwyth v Queen's, Oxford Feb 3, 1965
- E47 Queen's, Oxford v Gonville and Caius, Cambridge Feb 10, 1965
- E48 Gonville and Caius, Cambridge v Leicester Feb 17, 1965
- E49 Episode 49 Feb 24, 1965
- E50 Sidney Sussex, Cambridge v University, London Mar 3, 1965
- E51 Sidney Sussex, Cambridge v Oriel, Oxford Mar 10, 1965
- E52 Oriel, Oxford v Westfield, London Mar 17, 1965
- E53 Christ Church, Oxford v Birkbeck, London Mar 24, 1965
- E54 Edinburgh v St Peter's, Oxford Mar 31, 1965
- E55 Edinburgh v Christ Church, Oxford Apr 7, 1965
- E56 New, Oxford v Selwyn, Cambridge Apr 14, 1965
- E57 Durham v Gonville and Caius, Cambridge Apr 21, 1965
- E58 Worcester, Oxford v Peterhouse, Cambridge Apr 28, 1965
- E59 New, Oxford v Edinburgh May 5, 1965
- E60 Worcester, Oxford v Durham May 12, 1965
- E61 Final – New, Oxford v Worcester, Oxford May 19, 1965
- E62 Final – New, Oxford v Worcester, Oxford May 26, 1965
Season 3 · 42 episodes
- E1 Magdalene, Cambridge v Brasenose, Oxford Aug 25, 1965
- E2 Magdalene, Cambridge v York Sep 1, 1965
- E3 Magdalene, Cambridge v Balliol, Oxford Sep 8, 1965
- E4 Pembroke, Cambridge v St David's, Lampeter Sep 15, 1965
- E5 St David's, Lampeter v Exeter, Oxford Sep 22, 1965
- E6 St David's, Lampeter v Corpus Christi, Cambridge Sep 29, 1965
- E7 St Hilda's Oxford v Strathclyde Oct 6, 1965
- E8 St Hilda's Oxford v Trinity, Cambridge Oct 13, 1965
- E9 St Hilda's Oxford v Lancaster Oct 20, 1965
- E10 King's Cambridge v Keble, Oxford Oct 27, 1965
- E11 King's Cambridge v Manchester Nov 3, 1965
- E12 King's Cambridge v St John's, Oxford Nov 10, 1965
- E13 Oriel, Oxford v Keele Nov 17, 1965
- E14 Manchester v Newnham, Cambridge Nov 24, 1965
- E15 Manchester v Jesus, Oxford Dec 1, 1965
- E16 Jesus, Oxford v Reading Dec 8, 1965
- E17 Jesus, Oxford v Newcastle Dec 15, 1965
- E18 Trinity Hall, Cambridge v Trinity, Oxford Dec 22, 1965
- E19 Christmas Special: New College Students v New College Dons Dec 29, 1965
- E20 Trinity Hall, Cambridge v Bedford, London Jan 5, 1966
- E21 Trinity Hall, Cambridge v Pembroke, Oxford Jan 12, 1966
- E22 Pembroke, Oxford v Clare, Cambridge Jan 19, 1966
- E23 Clare, Cambridge v Leeds Jan 26, 1966
- E24 Wadham, Oxford v Leeds Feb 2, 1966
- E25 Wadham, Oxford v Queens', Cambridge Feb 9, 1966
- E26 Wadham, Oxford v Imperial, London Feb 16, 1966
- E27 Somerville, Oxford v Trinity, Dublin Feb 23, 1966
- E28 Somerville, Oxford v Downing, Cambridge Mar 2, 1966
- E29 Downing, Cambridge v Birmingham Mar 9, 1966
- E30 Birmingham v Birkbeck, London Mar 16, 1966
- E31 Birmingham v Sheffield Mar 23, 1966
- E32 St Edmund Hall, Oxford v Warwick Mar 30, 1966
- E33 St Edmund Hall, Oxford v Fitzwilliam, Cambridge Apr 6, 1966
- E34 St David's, Lampeter v Magdalene, Cambridge Apr 13, 1966
- E35 Jesus, Oxford v Oriel, Oxford Apr 20, 1966
- E36 St Hilda's, Oxford v King's, Cambridge Apr 27, 1966
- E37 Wadham, Oxford v Birmingham May 4, 1966
- E38 Oriel, Oxford v St David's, Lampeter May 11, 1966
- E39 St Hilda's, Oxford v Birmingham May 18, 1966
- E40 Final – Oriel, Oxford v Birmingham May 25, 1966
- E41 Final – Oriel, Oxford v Birmingham Jun 1, 1966
- E42 Final – Oriel, Oxford v Birmingham Jun 8, 1966
Season 4 · 40 episodes
- E1 Queen Elizabeth, London v Hertford, Oxford Sep 7, 1966
- E2 Episode 2 Sep 14, 1966
- E3 Episode 3 Sep 21, 1966
- E4 Episode 4 Sep 28, 1966
- E5 Episode 5 Oct 5, 1966
- E6 Episode 6 Oct 12, 1966
- E7 Episode 7 Oct 19, 1966
- E8 Episode 8 Oct 26, 1966
- E9 Episode 9 Nov 2, 1966
- E10 Leicester v Peterhouse, Cambridge Nov 9, 1966
- E11 Peterhouse, Cambridge v Royal Holloway, London Nov 16, 1966
- E12 Royal Holloway, London v Queen's, Oxford Nov 23, 1966
- E13 Episode 13 Nov 30, 1966
- E14 Episode 14 Dec 7, 1966
- E15 Episode 15 Dec 14, 1966
- E16 Episode 16 Dec 21, 1966
- E17 Christmas Special: St Hilda's, Oxford v Oriel, Oxford Dec 28, 1966
- E18 St Andrews v University, London Jan 4, 1967
- E19 Episode 19 Jan 11, 1967
- E20 Episode 20 Jan 18, 1967
- E21 Episode 21 Jan 25, 1967
- E22 Episode 22 Feb 1, 1967
- E23 Episode 23 Feb 8, 1967
- E24 Episode 24 Feb 15, 1967
- E25 Episode 25 Feb 22, 1967
- E26 Episode 26 Mar 1, 1967
- E27 Episode 27 Mar 8, 1967
- E28 Episode 28 Mar 15, 1967
- E29 Episode 29 Mar 22, 1967
- E30 Episode 30 Mar 29, 1967
- E31 Episode 31 Apr 5, 1967
- E32 Episode 32 Apr 14, 1967
- E33 Fitzwilliam, Cambridge v King's, London Apr 21, 1967
- E34 Emmanuel, Cambridge v Sussex Apr 28, 1967
- E35 Edinburgh v University, London May 5, 1967
- E36 Kings, London v Christ's, Cambridge May 12, 1967
- E37 University, London v Sussex May 19, 1967
- E38 Final – King's, London v Sussex May 26, 1967
- E39 Final – King's, London v Sussex Jun 2, 1967
- E40 Final – King's, London v Sussex Jun 9, 1967
Season 5 · 44 episodes
- E1 St Peter's, Oxford v Sidney Sussex, Cambridge Sep 27, 1967
- E2 Episode 2 Oct 4, 1967
- E3 Episode 3 Oct 11, 1967
- E4 Episode 4 Oct 18, 1967
- E5 Episode 5 Oct 25, 1967
- E6 Episode 6 Nov 1, 1967
- E7 Episode 7 Nov 8, 1967
- E8 Episode 8 Nov 15, 1967
- E9 Episode 9 Nov 22, 1967
- E10 Episode 10 Nov 29, 1967
- E11 Episode 11 Dec 6, 1967
- E12 Episode 12 Dec 13, 1967
- E13 Episode 13 Dec 20, 1967
- E14 Christmas Special: St Hilda's, Oxford v Sussex Dec 27, 1967
- E15 Episode 15 Jan 3, 1968
- E16 Episode 16 Jan 10, 1968
- E17 Episode 17 Jan 17, 1968
- E18 Episode 18 Jan 24, 1968
- E19 Episode 19 Jan 31, 1968
- E20 Episode 20 Feb 7, 1968
- E21 Episode 21 Feb 14, 1968
- E22 Episode 22 Feb 21, 1968
- E23 Episode 23 Feb 28, 1968
- E24 Episode 24 Mar 6, 1968
- E25 Kent v Imperial, London Mar 13, 1968
- E26 Kent v St Hilda's, Oxford Mar 20, 1968
- E27 Episode 27 Mar 27, 1968
- E28 Episode 28 Apr 3, 1968
- E29 Episode 29 Apr 10, 1968
- E30 Episode 30 Apr 17, 1968
- E31 Episode 31 Apr 24, 1968
- E32 Episode 32 May 1, 1968
- E33 Episode 33 May 8, 1968
- E34 Episode 34 May 15, 1968
- E35 Episode 35 May 22, 1968
- E36 Episode 36 May 29, 1968
- E37 Episode 37 Jun 5, 1968
- E38 Jesus, Cambridge v Kent Jun 12, 1968
- E39 St David's, Lampter v Keele Jun 19, 1968
- E40 Jesus, Cambridge v Birmingham Jun 26, 1968
- E41 Keele v Warwick Jul 3, 1968
- E42 Final – Keele v Jesus, Cambridge Jul 10, 1968
- E43 Final – Keele v Jesus, Cambridge Jul 17, 1968
- E44 Final – Keele v Jesus, Cambridge Jul 24, 1968
Frequently asked questions
Is this show still running?
Yes, it has been running since 1962 and continues to air new episodes.
Who can participate in University Challenge?
Teams of students from UK universities compete on the show.
What kind of questions are asked?
Questions cover a broad range of academic subjects.
Where can I watch University Challenge?
It airs on television and past episodes are available online.
How long is each episode?
Episodes typically run for about 30 minutes.